Not one CBD product sold as food in the UK has full novel food authorisation yet. What's actually keeping the market legal is a transitional "public list" — and it's been shrinking.
Why CBD needs novel food authorisation at all
Under UK law, a "novel food" is one that wasn't consumed to a significant degree by humans before 15 May 1997. CBD, as an ingested food ingredient in oils, gummies, and drinks, falls into this category and legally requires safety authorisation from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) before it can be sold as food. As of mid-2026, no CBD product has completed full authorisation and been added to the UK's approved novel foods list.
The "public list": a transitional workaround, not a legal green light
To manage the large number of CBD products already on the market when this requirement took effect, the FSA created a public list of products linked to a credible, in-progress novel food application that were on the market before February 2020. Being on this list lets a product remain on sale while its application is assessed — it is not the same as being authorised, and the FSA has used the list to prioritise enforcement, removing products that don't have a credible linked application. In one clearance round, 102 products were removed from the list entirely, meaning they should no longer be on sale.
The acceptable daily intake limit
The FSA has set an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for CBD of no more than 10mg per day, and has applied this consistently to every application that has passed its safety assessment so far. Some industry groups have criticised this as an overly blunt limit that doesn't distinguish between isolate, distillate, and full-spectrum extract products, but as of now it functions as the FSA's operative ceiling.
Where the authorisation process actually stands
A small number of applications — including from Pureis, Cannaray, Brains Bioceutical, and Mile High Labs — have passed the FSA's safety assessment stage and moved on to risk management, the step before formal authorisation. A public consultation on three specific CBD novel food applications ran from August to November 2025, with the FSA expecting to finalise authorisation opinions in early 2026 and the first full authorisations to potentially take effect around Q2–Q3 2026. Check the FSA's site for the current status, since this timeline can shift.
How to check a specific product
- Search the product or brand name against the FSA's current public list of CBD products.
- If it's not on the list and not fully authorised, treat it as unauthorised for sale as a food, regardless of how established the brand appears.
- Check the stated CBD dose per serving against the 10mg/day ADI, and calculate your total daily intake if using more than one product.
- Be wary of products making strong health claims alongside CBD content — these compound two separate compliance issues (unauthorised novel food status plus unauthorised health claims).
What this means practically
- Being sold openly in a UK shop doesn't confirm a CBD product is authorised — check the FSA's public list directly.
- No CBD food product currently holds full UK authorisation; being on the public list is a transitional allowance, not approval.
- The FSA's 10mg/day ADI applies across all your CBD sources combined, not per product.
- Enforcement is real and ongoing — over 100 products were removed from the public list in one clearance, and products not linked to a credible application must come off sale.
Sources
- Business of Cannabis — FSA novel food safety assessment progress and public list clearance: businessofcannabis.com
- Food Standards Agency — Consultation on applications for authorisation of 3 CBD food products as novel foods: food.gov.uk
Related Kibbo Tools
- Novel Foods Directory — links to the FSA's current novel foods guidance and checking tools.