Hemp industry hits back at Lidl’s THC-driven recalls

31 Aug 2021 --- German supermarket Lidl has been forced to recall all of its hemp products from European shelves and issue a warning to consumers over allegedly high levels of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The move has come under fire from hemp industry representatives, who have branded the guiding legislation “extremely strict and outdated.” 

 The recall follows guidelines set by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which determine a number of the chain’s products contain THC levels unfit for public consumption. 

The EIHA say that the recalled hemp oil is in fact nutritious and beneficial for public health.Speaking to NutritionInsight, Lorenza Romanese, a managing director of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), says the guidelines are based on insufficient evidence and are harming industry public nutrition standards. 

“Based on a biased consideration of past studies, the assessment led to an unnecessary strict and obsolete result.” 

Romanese explains that the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 2.5 mg of delta9-THC, defined by EFSA and the BfR for the central nervous system’s effects are derived from only a few clinical studies or trials, the results of which are not conclusive.

“The whole ensemble of clinical and observational studies on THC shows that the LOAEL is to be set at 5 mg per day for adults. Today, the LOAEL of EFSA is set at 2.5 mg.”

Recalled products 
Following the recall, Lidl issued a statement warning of “possible mood swings and fatigue” and offering a free return of all hemp products at any of its stores with or without a receipt.The EIHA wants a harmonized standard for THC levels in food products throghout the EU.

The recalled products include: 

• “Mogota hemp tea” from the Slovenian manufacturer Mogota with the best before date December 31, 2022.
• The “Solevita Hemp Tea” 0.75 liters from the manufacturer Hermann PF Getränke GmbH with the best before date July 12, 2022 and July 13, 2022.
• The “Vita D’or organic hemp oil cold-pressed” 250 mL from the manufacturer P. Brändle. A best-before date was not given.
• Three products from Czech manufacturer Euphoria Trade, regardless of the best-before date. These are: “Mary & Juana Premium Cannabis Cookies” with the varieties Chocolate, Classic, Cranberry and Hash, the “Tea of mind” cannabis tea and protein bars “Raw Cannabis Protein Bar Apple.”

“High” standards? 
The EIHA says the recall is another example of why a harmonized standard for THC levels in food must be set throughout Europe – something the organization has been calling for for years. 

“There is no scientific evidence that sub-psychoactive levels of THC on foods have any significant effects on human health. Over the last 50 years, the threshold amount of THC that is required for psychoactivity has been carefully studied in humans and is quite well known by now,” asserts Romanese.

“These outdated guidelines are triggering continuous Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed alerts, causing tremendous damages and losses to companies as they have to withdraw their products from the market.” 

She continues that the EFSA “urgently” needs to limit values for THC in food within Europe. 

“Today, operators are facing regulatory discrepancies across the EU Member States that hinder their businesses as these pose barriers to the trade of these products. This resulted in a lack of a level-playing field, if compared to other competitors outside Europe.” 

NutritionInsight has contacted Lidl and the EFSA for comment. 

By Louis Gore-Langton