After six years of waiting, Great Britain is one ministerial signature away from its first ever authorised CBD food products. On 16 September 2026 the Food Standards Agency (FSA) board agreed to recommend three high purity CBD ingredients to ministers for approval. Within a week, two developments suggested those authorisations may not last: Europe’s food safety authority set a far lower daily limit, and the FSA’s own chair said the sector’s long term future lies with EU rules.
Here is what happened, and what it means if you buy CBD in the UK.
What the FSA decided
- 3 September: the FSA published a board paper recommending that ministers in England and Wales authorise three CBD novel food applications.
- 16 September: at its board meeting in Swansea, the FSA board agreed to put all three forward to ministers.
The three applications are:
| Reference | Applicant | Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| RP7 | Chanelle McCoy CBD Ltd | Synthetic CBD |
| RP350 | Cannaray Brands Ltd | CBD isolate |
| RP427 | EIHA projects GmbH | Hemp derived CBD isolate |
All three are at least 98% pure CBD and were assessed as safe for adults consuming no more than 10mg of CBD per day. Together they are linked to roughly 3,000 individual products already on the FSA’s Public List. FSA chair Professor Susan Jebb described them as first in class, noting no equivalent products have been authorised anywhere in the world.
The board also asked for tougher conditions before the authorisations proceed. It was not persuaded that warning labels alone were enough to address under 18s and asked officials to set out stronger options for ministers, up to age of sale restrictions. It also wants a post market surveillance plan in place first. An outright legislative ban was considered with the Department of Health and Social Care and judged disproportionate to the current evidence.
The catch: Europe
The UK and EU are negotiating a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement under which Great Britain would dynamically align with EU food rules, including market authorisations. The FSA’s own programme paper to the same board meeting states that once the agreement comes into force, GB authorisations cease to apply and businesses would need an EU authorisation instead. The agreement is not yet signed, but the FSA says it is preparing for implementation in summer 2027.
Professor Jebb put it plainly to the board: “The long-term future for this sector really will lie with EU authorisations.”
Two days after the board meeting, on 18 September, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its first positive opinion on a CBD novel food. It covered the same synthetic CBD from Chanelle McCoy, but concluded it was safe at intakes of up to 2mg per day, one fifth of the UK figure, and excluded people taking medication. In a second opinion, on a CBD isolate the UK has already cleared at 10mg, EFSA said safety could not be established at all.
What this means for UK CBD buyers
Nothing changes on the shelf yet
Ministers still have to approve the recommendations, and products on the Public List can continue to be sold while applications progress. The FSA’s advice for healthy adults remains a maximum of 10mg of CBD per day, and not to use CBD if pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication without medical advice.
Check your serving size against 10mg
Many oils on the UK market deliver well above 10mg in a single serving. Now that authorised products will be tied to that limit, it is worth checking what you actually take. Our CBD dosage guide shows how to work out milligrams per drop.
A 2mg EU limit would reshape the market
If alignment with EU rules brings a 2mg daily ceiling, products would need to be reformulated at far lower strengths. Lower strength per serving usually means a higher price per milligram, which is exactly the number to watch. We track it daily on our CBD price tracker and price comparison hub.
Vapes and cosmetics are outside this process
Novel food rules cover CBD you eat or drink: oils, capsules, gummies and drinks. CBD vape liquids and topical creams are regulated separately. See our CBD vape guide and CBD creams comparison for what applies to those.
What happens next
- Ministers decide whether to authorise the three applications.
- The European Commission decides whether to authorise the Chanelle McCoy ingredient in the EU following EFSA’s 2mg opinion.
- UK and EU negotiators settle the SPS agreement, and whether any exception applies to CBD.
We will update this page as decisions are published. For the current legal position in full, read our guide to UK CBD laws in 2026.
Sources: FSA board paper, September 2026; FSA SPS programme update; EFSA opinion 10154; EFSA opinion 10124.
