Vitality CBD submits novel food dossier for FSA approval

It is important for our trade customers and consumers alike, to know that Vitality CBD, together with our raw ingredient provider, are one of the...

In tandem with its raw material supplier, Vitality CBD have submitted their Novel Food application for validation of its wide range of ingestible products, before the 31st March 2021 Food Standards Agency (FSA) deadline. Vitality CBD, which is the most widely distributed brand in UK retail, is stocked in the likes of Tesco, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, Sainsburys, Ocado and is listed on Amazon UK as part of its global trial of CBD.

Phillip Glyn, Commercial Director, commented: “It is important for our trade customers and consumers alike, to know that Vitality CBD, together with our raw ingredient provider, are one of the first in the UK CBD industry to submit a Novel Food dossier, and are therefore leading the way in future compliance and regulation.”

The next step in the process for Vitality CBD is validation before 31st March 2021. CBD products can remain on the shelves providing an existing CBD brand, which is defined as “on the market” prior to 13 February 2020, receives validation of its application dossier before the March deadline. Phase 2 for all brands will be when the FSA assesses the whole application and finally grants full authorisation.

In the meanwhile, no new brands are permitted to launch in the UK until they have completed their Novel Food application and received full Novel Foods authorisation.

The dossier submitted by Vitality CBD is in support of the FSA’s move to better define the responsibilities CBD retailers have towards customers. This ‘Novel food authorisation application’ will move the CBD industry toward clearer and more concise regulation, ensuring consumers are being provided with safer and higher quality CBD.

This will effectively end a period of uncertainty in the CBD industry, with some products being distributed to outlets without correct authorisation due to inconsistencies in defining how product quality and contents are communicated. According to FSA CEO Emily Miles: “The CBD industry must provide more information about the safety and contents of these products to the regulator before 31 March 2021, or the products will be taken off the shelves”.

Vitality CBD is sure to welcome such regulation, even if it requires the submission of additional materials and further compliance measures. For such a reputable CBD brand, this move will help to legitimise their venture further, as consumers are guaranteed clarity surrounding the purpose, quality and contents of the products they are buying. This opportunity for CBD industry leaders to affirm the safety of their products, while also clarifying their purpose and content is likely to lead to even greater consumer confidence in CBD.

In many ways, Vitality CBD is ahead of the curve, already offering consumers the option to view the independent lab results of each batch of CBD contained in every product they retail. Vitality CBD’s marketing has always been focussed on consumer safety and product transparency, so these latest regulations are more likely to affirm Vitality’s already strong market position, rather than unsettle it.

As the most widely distributed CBD brand in the UK, Vitality CBD retails not just on their website, but across a range of outlets. Many of these are trusted retailers such as the aforementioned supermarkets and pharmacies, where their CBD products are sold as food supplements. Vitality CBD have always retailed their products responsibly, working closely with the FSA to ensure that items are sold without any unfounded medical or remedial claims.

The Birmingham based company has recently expanded. There has been a focus on recruiting young and upcoming talent, complemented by an experienced management team that have prior experience in emerging industries. Vitality CBD currently employs a diverse workforce of around 35* individuals, who are reportedly given a full education on CBD, including the responsibilities of retailing it, as well as its history and chemistry.

Vitality CBD is completely UK owned, making it one of the true home-grown success stories of the UK CBD industry. However, due to the limitations of producing CBD in the UK, Vitality CBD sources its CBD from the US, specifically Colorado, a state that is world-renowned for its history of growing hemp for the CBD industry.