Major CBD ingredient and product manufacturer Mile High Labs lobbied the European parliament last week asking for clearer regulation and uniformity of the regulatory process across member states.
In February this year the European Food Safety Authority classified all CBD products as ‘novel foods’, however enforcement of the rules around products classed as novel foods is up to each individual member state.
In the UK, the Food Standards Agency is expected to issue its guidance in the next few weeks. Last week The Grocer reported that based on this guidance retailers may start removing CBD products from shelves, particularly for suppliers who have not begun the process of a novel foods application.
At the event last week organised by the European CBD trade association Active, Mile High VP of regulatory and compliance Wendi Young said greater clarity was needed based on the growth and potential of the market.
Opinion: How to resolve the dizzying uncertainty of CBD regulation?
“All the data we have shows a huge increase in sales of CBD across the EU, and projections for even more intense growth going forward. That can and must be matched by a regulatory framework which is not only robust and clear enough to protect consumers, but also which is imposed across all the member states,” she said.
“We welcome the EU’s classification of CBD as a ‘novel food’ and we are working proactively in the UK and at European level to embrace that process. However, consumers need to be better protected through regulatory oversight to ensure that products are manufactured in accordance with appropriate good manufacturing practices.”
A recent Mile High Labs survey found there were potentially 500 million consumers of CBD products across Europe.
Market research commissioned by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis in London estimates that the UK CBD market could hit £1bn by 2025.
The Grocer is to co-host a two-day conference aimed at demystifying cannabis and hemp in fmcg. CBD Global Summit will take place at London’s Park Plaza Victoria on 16-17 March 2020. See cbd-global-summit.com
No comments yet