Thousands of additional CBD products added to FSA public list
In addition to the 3,536 currently on the list, which was published at the end of March, a further 2,446 products were added yesterday (27 April).
The original list caused controversy when it was published with several brands being pulled from shelves when some believed they should have been allowed to trade.
While the agency confirmed 700 products had been missed off due to a clerical error, a further 1,700 were added after brands supplied further evidence meeting the FSA’s requirements.
Huge undertaking
Rebecca Sudworth, Director of Policy, FSA said: “Compiling the public list has been a huge undertaking. Most additions to the public list are because businesses did not supply us with the correct information before March 31.
“We apologise for the small number of omissions from the original list that were the result of clerical errors. These products have now been added.”
She said the FSA are urging any CBD businesses with evidence they have that links their products to credible applications to send it in as soon as possible, but no later than 26 May for consideration.
She added: “We will not be accepting evidence for products to be included on the public list after this date.”
Association for the Cannabinoid Industry’s Senior Counsel, Steve Moore said: “The process of transitioning hundreds of companies and many thousands of product lines from the grey market to one that is legally regulated was always going to be complex.
“It’s obviously a concern that a new deadline has emerged, but it is reassuring that the FSA are adamant that this 30 June is a ‘hard stop’ deadline and that the requirements to make the list remain unchanged.
Trading Standards
Moore said the real challenge now is to use the next two months to ensure that the industry, our local authorities and Trading Standards work closely, so that they are in a position, come July, to “ensure that enforcement is robust and consumer and business confidence in this process is restored”.
This is one of two updates that the FSA previously announced they would be doing before 30 June. After this date, no new products will be added to the list. The only updates made after this point will be to reflect the status of the products in our novel foods authorisation process.
Businesses that want to supply evidence for their products for possible inclusion on the public list can also provide evidence of studies they have commissioned, for example toxicological studies, the FSA said. These can have been commissioned either before or after the deadline for applications in March 2021, and the evidence of commissioning must be submitted before 26 May.
A spokesperson for the FSA said: "Local authorities and retailers can contact the FSA if necessary, to clarify the status of a product not on the list.
"We are continuing to accept other CBD novel food applications, but products connected to these applications should not be put on sale until they have completed the safety assessment process and secured authorisation – which is normal for a food that is genuinely novel to the UK diet."
