UK Food Standards Agency approves novel foods application from European Industrial Hemp Association’s (EIHA) Novel Food Consortium

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The European Industrial Hemp Association’s (EIHA) Novel Food Consortium has received confirmation from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) that its novel foods application has been approved and its members’ CBD products can remain on UK shelves. The approval applies to regular or full-spectrum and natural isolate CBD products produced by the consortium’s members.

Official validation will be granted after the forthcoming results of toxicology studies on both CBD and THC, expected later in the year. By granting pre-validation, FSA is recognizing the ability of the EIHA consortium to evaluate and determine the safety levels of its CBD products. The THC study on human beings will be carried out by ChemSafe in GLP laboratories in the beginning of the summer. The outcome of that study will allow FSA to determine and establish the safe consumption levels of naturally occurring traces of THC in hemp foods and supplements. A huge undertaking, the study will cost 1.6 million Euros.

“This is an excellent achievement for EIHA and a huge relief to hemp-derived CBD manufacturers such as HempFlax, whose products are enjoyed by a large amount of UK consumers. Safety must always come first, and it is reassuring to see EIHA’s efforts in this area recognised by the UK’s food safety body,” said Mark Reiders, CEO of HempFlax which is a founding member of the Consortium. “HempFlax’s own 25 years of hemp food experience are a useful resource and, as always, we have been transparent and proactive in sharing our vast learnings on product and consumer safety. This will be complemented by the unprecedented scientific research being undertaken by EIHA which will illustrate the need to reduce THC’s uncertainty factor to levels similar to that of substances such as alcohol, nicotine and codeine.”