The UK’s long and troubled CBD novel foods approval process seems to be gaining some momentum, as numerous major companies have announced their progression to the final risk assessment stage.
Since the start of the year, five new applications have passed the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) safety assessment phase, nearly twice the amount approved in the entirety of 2024.
As some companies move forward in the process, others have been removed from it altogether, with the FSA removing 102 products from the public list.
While the FSA has stated that the companies affected have been notified, it is understood that the reasons behind their removal remain opaque.
What happened
Five new safety assessments for CBD novel food applications have been published by the FSA and FSS (Food Standard Scotland) since the start of 2025.
These follow three approvals in 2024, seeing Chanelle McCoy’s subsidiary, Pureis, and Cannaray become the first two dossiers to received safety approval in April.
Months later, the first consortium application was approved, with the European Industrial Hemp Association’s RP
Cannaray similarly received the first ever positive risk assessment for its isolated CBD application, meaning both can now move on to the next stage of authorisation, risk management.
In January, 2025, UK-based cannabinoid Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturer, Brains Bioceutical, confirmed that it had received safety approval from the FSA for its CBD isolate.
On the same day, Mile High Labs, one of the largest importers of cannabinoid ingredients and finished products to the UK, also received a positive safety assessment for its dossier.
A month later, and a further three companies safety assessments were also published and approved by the FSA, US retailer cbdMD, UK supplier TTS Pharma, and the UK’s Bridge Farm Group.
- April 30, 2024
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- Chanelle McCoy / Pureis
- RP07
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- April 30, 2024
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- Cannaray
- RP350
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- August 15, 2024
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- EIHA Consortium
- RP427
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- Janaury 31, 2025
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- Mile High Labs
- RP349
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- January 31, 2025
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- Brains Bioceutical
- RP11
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- February 28, 2025
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- CBD MD
- RP793
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- February 28, 2025
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- TTS Pharma (Jevalex, HERBL)
- RP521
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- February 28, 2025
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- Bridge Farm Group
- RP354
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Notably, all of the newly approved applications adhere to the controversial acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 10mg, despite a number of applications initially proposing and even calling for a higher ADI.
Three applications (RP11, RP349, RP793) initially requested a higher ADI (35 mg/day, 35 mg/day, and 24 mg/day, respectively), but cbdMD was the only case where an ADI of 24 mg/day was formally rejected.
Since the shock change of ADI from 70mg to 10mg in October 2023, the industry has criticised the cap for being far too restrictive, arguing that the threshold is to low for any benefits of CBD to be felt.
Given that all the applications to pass the safety assessment so far have adhered to this ADI, it appears that the FSA is enforcing this as a hard limit.
The Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) has criticised the FSA for their rigid enforcement of this ADI, arguing that the limit is being misapplied as a legal cap rather than advisory guidance.
Furthermore, they argue that regulators are applying a blanket ADI to all CBD products, despite toxicology data showing clear differences between isolates, distillates, and full-spectrum extracts.
Public list updates
Meanwhile, the ‘public list’ of CBD products which are allowed to remain on the market before receiving full validation from the FSA has seen a major cull.
A total of 102 products were removed from the list, meaning they are no longer in the process for approval and should be removed from sale.
While some products were removed voluntarily, others are understood to have been removed without a full explanation from the FSA.
A full breakdown of the updates to the public list, according to an update from the FSA, is below.
- Excite for life: 20 product names changed from ‘4’ to ‘for’
- Charlotte’s Web; Dushey Med: 4 products removed
- Charlotte’s Web; Savage Cabbage (RP230, RP231): 54 products removed
- CROP England: 26 products changed from RP427 to RP438
- Infinity CBD: All 35 chocolate products altered name
- Naturecan: 1 product reinstated
- Pure Life Naturals: 6 products removed
- RP70: 16 products removed
- RP85: 9 products removed
- RP126/127/91: 7 products reinstated
- RP242: 13 products removed
- RP225 and RP238: Incorrectly joint RP number with RP427 – removed from 11 product listings
- RP346: 134 products’ status change to validated
