Folium Biosciences, a Colorado-based CBD company, recently submitted a novel food application to the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) for validation of its hemp-derived, 0.0% THC broad-spectrum CBD (cannadibiol) oil. The application was submitted on behalf of Folium Biosciences Europe B.V. and a consortium of the company’s diverse, U.K.-based CBD product customer partners.
 
Folium submitted the application in response to the 2020 FSA requirement that all CBD products on the U.K. market have a novel food application through the validation phase of the review process before March 31. CBD food products that fail to gain regulatory approval before the deadline will no longer be allowed to sell their goods in the U.K. The Folium application is unique because it is based on a botanical extract, instead of a purified CBD material used in other applications. The submission follows Folium’s core belief that the CBD industry should align its products and practices with what nature provides.
 
“Folium has a long-standing track record for quality, safety, consistency, and supply chain transparency that has enabled us to secure approvals from ethical commissions and regulatory bodies around the world – even in countries with stringent cannabinoid regulations, such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South America,” Folium Chief Scientific Officer Vanesa Fernandez said. “We’re proud to be continuing to demonstrate global CBD leadership as an active participant in the U.K.’s regulatory advances, and look forward to moving through the novel foods regulatory process next in the EU. It’s in the best interest of everyone in the CBD industry and the end customers we serve to make product quality and compliance our top priority.”
 
Folium’s application also included white-label finished products from the company and its U.K. customers’ finished products, along with the company’s Broad Spectrum Hemp Oil Water Soluble Powder. Novel foods approval will ensure that Folium’s customer partners are able to maintain their market in both white-label and custom formulations.
 
“Following the FSA guidelines is in line with our ‘not all hemp is created equal’ promise in many ways, but perhaps most importantly because it communicates unequivocally that we’re very intentional when it comes to delivering the best for our customers,” Fernandez said. “This novel food application is one more essential step in ensuring continued compliance for our customers, as well as our products, in the European market.