CBD businesses that cross over into food and drink products are being encouraged by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to reformulate their products.
The change is intended to increase consumer safety, and spans products that are currently on sale in England and Wales linked to a credible application submitted for authorisation to the FSA, and are not new to the market.
The move encourages affected businesses to meet a provisional acceptable daily intake (ADI) - just as with other extracts and substances – of 10mg a day for adults. All CBD products must also comply with the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the 2001 Regulations. The CBD ADI was last updated in October 2023 and the new levels have been agreed on with guidance from independent scientific advisory committees.
The change to guidance encourages compliance with novel food regulations while prioritising public health. Allowing businesses to reformulate their products at this stage will make the authorisation process more efficient, while consumers will benefit from safer CBD products on the market, the FSA says.
“Our pragmatic approach allows businesses to do the right thing for consumer safety while progressing towards full regulatory compliance,” says Thomas Vincent from the FSA. “This flexibility creates a clearer path forward for CBD businesses while ensuring products meet our safety standards,” he adds.
Businesses with products on the list do not need to contact the FSA if reformulation doesn’t affect product details on the list. If reformulation requires product detail amendments, businesses must provide their application number, necessary updates and confirmation that changes are safety-related.
The FSA advises all CBD food businesses to review product labelling to display the recommended CBD acceptable daily intake limit and include key safety information such as age restrictions and warnings for those who are pregnant or taking medications.
The FSA says the update marks another step in its work to bring the CBD industry into compliance with food law, supporting both consumer safety and legitimate business growth in this expanding sector.
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