Consultation on applications for authorisation of 3 Cannabidiol (CBD) food products as novel foods August 2025

This consultation will be of most interest to

All England, Wales, and Northern Ireland food businesses, local and port health authorities, and other stakeholders with an interest in food safety. 

• Producers and suppliers of CBD, novel foods, importers, distributors and wholesalers and retailers 
• Food Industry Trade Associations covering novel foods and CBD 
• Consumers and the public 
• Campaign groups with an interest in CBD and CBD food products 
• Organisations representing consumer interests in the food 
• Enforcement authorities across the United Kingdom (UK), including local authorities, Port Health Authorities and district councils  

Consultation subject

This consultation concerns 3 novel food applications that have been submitted for authorisation in Great Britain (GB). In addition to this consultation we have also published joint Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) risk management recommendations and safety assessments for the applications. Under the Windsor Framework, Synthetic Cannabidiol (CBD) approved in GB will be able to be placed on the market in Northern Ireland, if it is eligible for, and moved through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Under the terms of NIRMS, only pre-packed retail goods can be moved into Northern Ireland, so it would not be permitted for Northern Ireland based businesses to manufacture their own CBD products, but it would be legal for them to import premanufactured products from GB. 

Purpose of the consultation

This consultation provides the opportunity for stakeholders’ views to be submitted on the authorisation of novel foods. The FSA will consider stakeholder feedback to inform ministers in England and Wales, with the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland kept informed, before they make a determination. 

We are seeking feedback on the proposed terms of authorisation, our assessment of the potential impacts detailed in the consultation pack, and any further evidence you may have on additional impacts that we should consider.   

A parallel consultation is being published by FSS in the late Summer to equally inform ministers' determination in Scotland. 

Consultation pack

This consultation pack provides the background information, details, and questions you will need to know in order to respond to this consultation. It also provides links to the FSA/FSS technical documents of both the Risk Management Recommendations and the Safety Assessments. The full consultation document is also accessible via these pages: 

Consultation Pack on applications for authorisation of 3 CBD food products as novel foods

How to respond

Responses to this consultation should be submitted via the online survey . If this is not possible, you can email a response to: 

Email: RPconsultations@food.gov.uk 
Name: Market Authorisations of Regulated Products 
Division/Branch: Regulated Services 

If responding by email, please state in your response whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents) and provide the nation in which you are based. 

Publication of response summary

Within three months of a consultation ending, we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page. You can find information on how we handle data provided in response to consultations in our Consultations privacy notice. 

Further information

If you require a more accessible format of this document please send details to the named contact for responses to this consultation and your request will be considered. 

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with HM Government Consultation Principles. If an Impact Assessment has been produced, this is included in the consultation documents. If no Impact Assessment has been provided, the reason will be given in the consultation document.