Help Wanted: FDA looking for contractor to collect, assess CBD samples

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is hiring a contractor to help gather and study samples of CBD food and cosmetic products on the U.S. market as the agency inches forward in developing a comprehensive regulatory policy toward the hemp extract.

The contract notice, published Thursday, is meant to support the FDA Cannabidiol Policy Working Group’s plan to conduct a sampling study of current CBD products on the U.S. market to “understand CBD and related cannabinoid content, and possible contaminants, in a range of products,” the agency wrote.

The contractor will collect and analyze 1,000-3,000 samples from the CBD market in coming months, the FDA said.

According to the contract, first reported by Marijuana Moment, the types of samples to be collected will include food and cosmetic products, with a focus on CBD-containing packaged and processed foods such as:

• Beverages.
• Water.
• Candy.
• Baked goods.
• Oils and tinctures that can be added to human or animal foods, including pills, capsules, gel caps, gummies and other forms.

The contractor will also assess the products for potential associated contaminants such as toxic elements, pesticides, industrial chemicals, processing solvents and microbial contaminants.

“The purpose of these studies will be to develop a better understanding of the quantities of CBD and associated cannabinoids and their distribution,” the FDA wrote.

The reliability of the results will be supported by specified quality assurance/quality control processes within the study.

“The analytical methodology for this contract will be defined by the FDA and will include methods based on widely available and recognized methodology,” the posting added.