fsa & novel foods.
cbd ingestibles are regulated in the uk as novel foods. here is what that means, what the fsa requires, and how our products sit within the current framework.
what "novel food" means.
in january 2019 the food standards agency (fsa) classified cbd extracts as a "novel food" — meaning any cbd product intended to be eaten or swallowed must go through a safety authorisation process before being legally sold in the uk. the fsa maintains a public list of products whose applications are "on the list" (validated and awaiting final authorisation) or "pending validation".
you can check the current fsa public list here: food.gov.uk/cannabidiol-cbd.
how bhp fits in.
we source our products from uk distributors and hold the third-party laboratory testing for every batch we ship — cannabinoid profile, thc content, heavy-metal screen, pesticide panel and microbial results, all published on our lab results page. that's the half of compliance we own directly and can prove.
the fsa novel-food authorisation process, however, sits with the manufacturer or primary brand-holder rather than with the retailer. we have not independently verified which of our distributors' products currently appear on the fsa public list, and we do not want to claim we have. we're in the process of raising this with each of our suppliers and will update this page as confirmed references come through.
in the meantime, the fsa public list (link above) is the authoritative source and is updated regularly. if you have a specific question about a product's novel-food status, email bhpcbd@gmail.com and we'll chase the distributor for an answer on your behalf.
what applies to what.
recommended daily intake.
the fsa currently recommends healthy adults consume no more than 10mg of cbd per day from food-supplement sources. this is a precautionary figure, pending the full safety authorisation review. it does not apply to prescription cbd or to topicals.
dosage suggestions on our product pages are given as a guide based on the bottle strength; please don't exceed the fsa's 10mg/day recommendation without a professional's advice.
thc limits.
every batch we sell is tested to confirm that thc content falls below the uk legal threshold for cbd food supplements. the third-party certificate of analysis for your exact batch is published on lab results.
who cbd isn't for.
- anyone under 18.
- pregnant or breastfeeding people.
- people taking medication that interacts with cbd (ask a pharmacist if unsure — cbd can interact with blood thinners, antiepileptics, and some immunosuppressants).
- anyone with a known liver condition without medical guidance.
medical claims.
we do not — and are not permitted to — make medicinal claims about cbd. it is a food supplement, not a medicine. if you are looking for licensed cannabis-based medicines, speak to your gp about a nhs specialist referral.
compliance questions? bhpcbd@gmail.com.