What does “Novel food” mean?
The regulatory category covering foods without a significant history of consumption in Great Britain before May 1997, which includes CBD sold as a supplement.
Novel food in plain English
The regulatory category covering foods without a significant history of consumption in Great Britain before May 1997, which includes CBD sold as a supplement.
Novel food authorisation is an assessment of whether a product is safe to consume. It is not a finding that it works for anything, and it does not permit health claims.
This is the regulatory line separating shop-bought CBD from prescribed cannabidiol: one is a food supplement overseen by the Food Standards Agency, the other a medicine overseen by the MHRA.
Frequently asked questions
What does novel food mean?
The regulatory category covering foods without a significant history of consumption in Great Britain before May 1997, which includes CBD sold as a supplement.
Sources and further reading
Every factual statement on this page is drawn from the following public sources. Links open in a new tab and are not affiliated with Flora House.