NEWELL Sciences, with Verdant Health, has been included on the public list of the CBD products granted permission by the Food Standards Agency (‘FSA’) to continue being sold in England and Wales.
As a result of cannabidiol (‘CBD’) being designated a ‘novel food’ in 2019, inclusion on the FSA’s public list is a necessary condition for keeping existing CBD foods and other ingestible wellness products on the market, and marks an important milestone in the UK’s adoption of a responsible regulatory framework for CBD.
Newell Sciences’ products, supplied from their farms, are relied upon by some of the market-leading CBD brands and manufacturers in the UK. Major high street retailers and wholesalers can now order those products on the FSA’s public product list in the knowledge that they have met the regulatory requirements. Their inclusion on the public list by the FSA allows for their continued supply to consumers pending a final application approval decision.
For two years, the team has engaged closely with the FSA to successfully navigate the Novel Food process and ensure full compliance with safety and product standards. Their dossiers and supporting documentation were prepared in partnership with expert consultants at Cambridge-based Global Regulatory Services (GRS).
As a founding member of the science-led ACI consortium, led by Dr Parveen Bhatarah, their applications represent two of around only 70 which were successful at this stage, from over 900 originally lodged with the FSA. All publicly listed applications cover a total of 3,536 products, which continue to be permitted for sale in England and Wales.
The UK represents the most valuable consumer cannabinoid market in Europe – estimated to be worth more than $900m in 2021 – Newell Sciences, with Verdant Health, confirmed their intention to announce further major investments into the market later this year.
The team is now engaged in supporting the regulator to ensure full authorisation is achieved by the end of 2023, in keeping with their commitment to bringing the most stringent quality and safety standards to the whole of the CBD supply chain for the benefit of UK CBD consumers.
D’Arcy Bond, Newell Sciences’ Chief Commercial Officer, and lead contributor to the novel foods applications commented:
“With our inclusion on the FSA’s public list, Newell Sciences, with Verdant Health, are well positioned to continue to support the growth of the UK’s CBD market, and to ensure all of our customers are able to access a consistent supply of high-quality CBD ingredients. We intend to play a major role in the development of this responsible and dynamic market going forward. We are delighted with this significant milestone, and our ability to continue to support our partners in the UK. Our primary focus is now the continued cooperation with the FSA to achieve our target of full authorisation for all products on our applications during 2023.”
Steven Newell, President and CEO of Newell Sciences said:
“We believe that consumers deserve the highest quality hemp products and the UK CBD market has been crying out for better regulation for years. This inclusion on the FSA’s public list is testament to the hard work of the whole team and a clear sign that the UK is now among the most valuable and well regulated marketplaces for non-controlled cannabinoids in the world.”
Greer Deal, Director of GRS said:
“GRS are proud to support Newell Sciences and Verdant Health in their quest to obtain full approval for their novel food applications to the UK FSA. The publication of the CBD Public List is a key milestone in that it demonstrates to the World that the UK CBD novel food industry is committed to complying with the Novel Food Regulation in order to produce high quality and safe products for the consumer. The GRS team has enjoyed the journey with Newell Sciences and Verdant Health and I’m delighted that we’ve had the opportunity to be an integral part of this key moment in the history of the UK CBD Novel Food Industry. We will continue to work closely with Newell Sciences and Verdant Health to drive their applications through to full approval status.”
Brands/products linked to FSA novel foods authorisation application RP106 and RP352 use Newell Sciences’ ingredients.
