The Food Standards Agency is critically evaluating the UK's novel foods authorization process to ensure it strikes the optimal balance between promoting innovation and protecting consumers. Assessing regulatory approaches to novel foods outside the EU is central to the review, which has been prompted by Brexit.

The UK Food Standards Agency has published the final update to its public CBD list following what Canna Consultants' Matt Lawson describes as a regulatory “baptism of fire.” There are now 11,908 products permitted to remain on the UK market once those classed as “removed” are taken into account. These products will either progress to the “validated” stage of the UK's novel food process or also be removed.
 

When it comes to assessing the safety of CBD in foods, the EU appears to be lagging behind the UK. Food Standards Agency CEO Emily Miles has noted that EFSA recently reached the same conclusions as the UK’s Committee on Toxicity did two years ago: there are still evidence gaps relating to CBD as a food. This may reassure UK operators that with the FSA further along in the assessment process it will not follow EFSA in suspending CBD novel food applications - but as expert Greer Deal notes, it's too soon to say.