UK eyes industry education amid CBD boom in food supplements

23 Jun 2022 --- Several UK government departments are seeking to educate the food industry and individuals in official control laboratories about cannabidiol (CBD) in food supplements. The latest seminar focuses on CBD chemistry concerning food supplements, analytical measures and regulatory legislation.

“The manufacture and supply of food supplements are strictly controlled under food laws. It is therefore important to fully understand the analysis of CBD,” a spokesperson from the UK’s Government Chemist tells NutritionInsight.

Emerging analytes and how CBD analysis can impact effective regulation is a crucial focus on the government’s radar. “More so as pressures continue to increase on global supply chains,” which can help their effective regulation of food products.”

Merging CBD with food
The seminar aims to help manufacturers, suppliers and laboratories understand the issues surrounding the use of CBD in food supplements and the difficulties likely to be encountered in testing food supplements containing CBD.

It outlines how CBD is increasingly proliferating the food sector, including beverages such as beers, spirits, coffee and soda-style drinks. CBD is also available in chewables such as gum drops and chocolates. Industry members have highlighted an increased consumer demand for gummies in particular. 

Some CBD extracts also seThe European Commission froze CBD applications well-timed with Brexit.ek to combine antioxidants, touting high levels of vitamin E and B. CBD is especially attractive to consumers looking for benefits in brain health, such as improvements in sleep and mood.

Immunity awareness has also peaked after the COVID-19 pandemic, and CBD products have also targeted immune benefits when mixed with example elderberry.

The seminar spotlights oil as a popular format naming tinctures, drops, syrups and olive oils. 

Novel Food status
Since Brexit took place, CBD in the UK has been referred to as an “opportunity,” as the European Commission froze all applications of hemp extracts and natural cannabinoids during a period of time as they were considered drugs. However, CBD is now classified as a novel food by the Europe Food and Safety Authority.

The seminar outlines that as CBD is a novel food, information such as production processes, compositional data, specifications, history of use and identity of the novel food is required for authorization.

Additionally, label information such as nutritional and toxicological information, proposed use levels and anticipated intake, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion must be present.

Earlier this month, scientists at the European Food Safety Authority announced they were unable to establish the safety of CBD as a novel food due to alleged data gaps and uncertainties about potential hazards related to CBD intake.

The UK is the “first in the world to regulate the market for orally consumed, non-psychoactive cannabis extracts,” following the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) advice. “The UK is pioneering this approach, investing more in this process than any other jurisdiction in the world,” Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) founder Steve Moore said in a press conference previously attended by NutritionInsight.

The ACI has previously expressed concerns for the UK hemp and CBD industry as a CBD reports “excluded crop producers in favor of pharmaceutical and research laboratory businesses.” The concern was that licensed growers must follow the guidelines on how much Delta-9 and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to include.

By Beatrice Wihlander