EPISODE #52 CBD and EU Novel Food Regulations - FSA Update Feb 2020 with Dr Parveen Bhatharah and Dr Sarah Gaunt from The Association For The Cannabinoid Industry - a podcast by Anuj Desai

What does the FSA's announcement about CBD mean for the industry in the UK?

This week we are joined by Dr Parveen Bhatharah and Dr Sarah Gaunt from The Association For The Cannabinoid Industry where they occupy the roles of Regulatory Lead and Global Regulatory Services Partner. 

Join us as we discuss the most recent updates to the Novel Foods Regulations by The Food Standards Agency. We explore what the new regulations mean for businesses who are currently operating within the CBD industry and for those who plan to in the future.

Episode Summary

• Novel Food Regulations are a European regulations which govern what can and can’t be sold as a food product.
• Before the food can be legally marketed in the EU, novel foods are required to have a pre-market safety assessment and authorisation under the Novel Foods Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 2015/2283)
• The regulation applies to any food and food ingredient that hadn't been used in the EU for human consumption to a significant degree before May 1997. The food must also be either: food ingredients with a new or intentionally modified primary molecular structure
• CBD was introduced to the Novel Food Regulations only last year, meaning products which were on the market previous to the introduction did not necessarily undergo necessary safety assessments.
• On 13th February 2020, the FSA updated its rules around the retail of CBD products, making it clear that companies who already have products on the market will need to file a retrospective application by March 31st 2021 otherwise their products will be taken off the market.
• New products must go through the standard Novel Foods application, authorisation and approval, the same as any other foods on the market.
• Products which ‘break the rules’ will have to deal with the Trading Standards Association, who have the power to remove products from the market.
• The Novel Foods Regulations apply to anyone who sells CBD products, regardless of if they are bought from a wholesaler, produced in-house, or white labelled.
• The person at the end of the supply chain who puts the product on the shelves (the seller) is ultimately responsible for making sure their products are safe.
• To file an application, you need to submit a dossier to The European Commission including data about the safety of your products, manufacturing practices and ingredients. Once your product is validated by the European Commission, it is passed on to the Food Standards Agency who conduct a risk assessment.
• The burden of responsibility falls mostly on the brands themselves who are supplying the manufactured goods and it is their responsibility to make sure their supply chains are transparent and following good manufacturing practice.
• Key safety studies must be carried out on raw ingredients, is it a brand responsibility to make sure that their suppliers are safe.
• Other examples of novel foods include Chia Seeds, which are a recent health food but were not historically in our diet or sold commercially.
• There are plans to launch a kitemark for CBD indicating quality and cannabinoid safety.

Resources

Join The ACI on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-the-cannabinoid-industry

Association For The Cannabinoid Industry Website: https://www.theaci.co.uk/

Novel Foods Regulations Guide to CBD:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/cannabidiol-cbd

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