UK: FSA gives regulatory green light to initial list of CBD food products

Hundred of BCD products fail to pass regulator’s guidance and will be removed from retailers, in bid to clamp down on category

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a list of CBD-infused food products that have been approved for sale, as part of its efforts to fully regulate the sector in England and Wales.

Up to 3,500 products have been approved for sale by the regulator, while 680 applications were rejected for not meeting the necessary requirements. 

Only those CBD products featured on the list will be able to remain on the market, meaning hundreds of products will be taken off the shelves imminently. 

Retailers will be expected to adhere to the FSA’s list and remove products that did not gain approval. 

The move is the first step in regulating CBD-infused food and beverage products and will give retailers the confidence to market the category to consumers, Steve Moore, founder of the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) told the press today.  

Moore said the list would help generate interest from investors and drive innovation into to category. 

“This industry is crying out for more investment and innovation and I expect to see that begin to emerge this year,” Moore said. 

He praised the list for helping to instil confidence in the category, which to date has remained largely a mystery to consumers and investors. 

Full authorisation of CBD products is expected in 2023 following lengthy research and discussions between the FSA, Trading Standards and the ACI.

According to the ACI, the UK’s market for consumer CBD products was worth £690 million in 2021, up over 100% from 2019.