News · Europe CBD
UK FSA recommends first CBD novel food authorisations for ministerial review
The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that ministers consider authorising three high-purity CBD novel food applications, marking the first time the agency has prepared advice for CBD market authorisation. The recommendation still needs board support and a final ministerial decision, so the products are not authorised yet.[1][2]
What happened with the three CBD applications?
The FSA paper covers RP 7, synthetic cannabidiol, RP 350, CBD isolate, and RP 427, isolated CBD derived from hemp. The applications concern foods containing at least 98% pure CBD and proposed adult use of no more than 10 mg per day.[1]
The FSA says the three applications received positive safety opinions from the FSA and Food Standards Scotland and were subject to public consultation. The agency received 46 responses, with 68% supporting the overall risk-management approach, while respondents also asked for clearer explanations and targeted changes.[1]
The Grocer reported that the applications are linked to more than a third of the 8,147 products on the FSA public list, including products associated with Pureis, Cannaray, Medahuman, Supreme, Orange County and Hip Pop.[2] That connection does not mean every linked product is already authorised: the FSA says products remain unauthorised novel foods until the relevant decisions are made.[1]
What conditions are proposed?
The proposed conditions include a 10 mg daily intake statement, warnings for people under 18 and for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, and advice for people taking medication or who are immunosuppressed. The proposal also includes strict specifications for delta-9-THC and other controlled cannabinoids.[1]
For shoppers, the practical point is simple: an FSA recommendation is not the same as a completed authorisation. The paper says ministers will make the final decision after considering the FSA advice.[1]
What does this mean for EU shoppers?
This is a Great Britain regulatory development, not an EU-wide authorisation. The FSA paper says businesses must apply to the EU to place regulated products on the market in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, although authorised GB retail goods may be eligible for movement through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.[1]
The paper also notes that proposed UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary arrangements could change which novel food authorisation route businesses use in future. The terms and any exceptions remain part of ongoing negotiations.[1]
Consumers should check the rules that apply where they live and avoid treating a product’s presence on a public list, or a news report about a recommendation, as proof of final authorisation.[1] CBD products are not automatically legal or suitable in every European country.[1]
Bottom line
The FSA has recommended moving three CBD novel food applications toward ministerial authorisation in England and Wales. That is a significant regulatory step, but it is not yet approval. Watch for the FSA board’s consideration and the subsequent ministerial decision before describing any product as authorised.[1][2]
Sources
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-standards-agency-september-2026-board-meeting/cbd-novel-food-applications-recommendations-to-ministers-on-first-authorisations – Food Standards Agency CBD recommendations, 3 September 2026
[2] https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/fsa-to-recommend-first-cbd-products-are-authorised-for-sale/723186.article – The Grocer FSA CBD authorisation report, 3 September 2026