Do not mix UK FSA CBD dose guidance with EFSA's 2 mg line

What shoppers mix up in July 2026

Cross-border CBD marketing often pastes one “Europe dose” onto every bottle. That fails in Britain. The UK is outside EFSA’s authorisation track. Ingestible CBD foods and supplements sit on the FSA novel-food pathway and the Public List, not on an EU Commission authorisation.

EFSA’s February 2026 provisional safe intake for highly purified CBD food supplements is about 0.0275 mg/kg body weight per day – roughly 2 mg/day for a 70 kg adult – and only for tightly defined high-purity formulations. That figure is a risk-assessment reference, not a green light to sell CBD food in the EU.

UK consumer and business guidance still points to a higher working CBD intake around 10 mg/day for adults, alongside a very low food THC exposure ceiling (about 70 micrograms of delta-9 THC per day). Public List status and THC paperwork matter more than either headline milligram number alone.

What it means for UK buyers

• Ingestible oils and gummies: Check FSA Public List / novel-food pathway first. A product can be widely sold online and still sit outside the tolerated route.
• Dose labels: Do not treat EFSA’s ~2 mg EU reference as the UK shopping rule, and do not treat the UK ~10 mg working guidance as an EU Novel Food authorisation.
• THC: UK practice expects extremely low THC in finished food CBD. Broad-spectrum or isolate with a clean batch COA is usually easier than a full-spectrum EU import with generic 0.2%/0.3% language.
• Cosmetics: Separate lane from food novel foods, but still no medical claims.

Context next to the EU

France is tightening edible CBD under DGAL Novel Food controls. Germany sells OTC oils under a 0.3% total THC frame with Novel Food grey still open. Spain pushes shoppers toward cosmetics over oral oils. The UK’s distinctive buyer filter remains Public List + ultra-low THC, not EFSA’s provisional 2 mg line.

Sources

• EFSA – provisional safe level for CBD as a novel food
• Business of Cannabis (25 Feb 2026) – UK CBD FSA pathway and 10 mg guidance

Related guides

• Is CBD legal in the UK? (2026 country guide)
• Is CBD legal in Germany? (2026 country guide)
• Best CBD oils in Europe 2026 – lab-checked comparison

FAQ

Is the UK CBD daily limit 10 mg or 2 mg?

UK working guidance for adults sits near 10 mg CBD/day. EFSA's provisional EU reference for high-purity CBD supplements is about 2 mg/day. They are different tracks; do not swap them.

Does EFSA's 2 mg figure approve UK CBD foods?

No. EFSA does not authorise UK foods. UK ingestible CBD follows the FSA novel-food / Public List pathway.

What should UK buyers check first on a CBD oil?

Public List / novel-food pathway status, then a batch COA with extremely low THC. Marketing that only says "legal in the UK" is not enough.