CBD in Europe: EU receives 45 novel food applications

The European Commission has received 45 applications for novel food authorization for CBD-containing products since December 2018, Hemp Industry Daily has learned.

The applications have chiefly come from the Netherlands, the UK, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United States, a commission source said.

CBD products in the European Union have been in murky legal territory since January 2019, when the European Union classified all hemp extracts and hemp-derived products containing CBD and other cannabinoids as “novel food.”

Under the novel food designation, manufacturers of CBD supplements and edible products must be assessed by EU authorities before it can be placed on the market.

According to the commission, a novel food will only be authorised if it is:

• Safe for consumers,
• Properly labelled and does not mislead consumers and
• Not nutritionally disadvantageous when replacing a similar food.

A “novel food” is a foodstuff or food ingredient that was not widely consumed within the European Union before May 15, 1997.