From CBD to cell-cultivated foods: the UK novel food pipeline in 2025/26

The 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 (ACNFP) outlines its contribution to the Food Standards Agency’s regulated-products process between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

During the reporting period, the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝟐𝟕 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟖 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝟏𝟎 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐄𝐔) 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓/𝟐𝟐𝟖𝟑, 𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐊 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭. These covered CBD isolates and other CBD products, esterified propoxylated glycerol, solid lipid curcumin particles, Fusarium flavolapis, β-lactoglobulin, Fermotein, urolithin A, Clostridium tyrobutyricum protein, lyso-phosphatidylcholine-rich oil from Antarctic krill, Solein and allulose, as well as cell-cultivated chicken and duck products.

Only one traditional-food notification from a third country was reviewed: Bambara groundnut. The Committee identified significant data gaps that prevented a conclusion on its safety, and the product remains unauthorised in the UK.

On 𝐂𝐁𝐃, the joint ACNFP/COT subgroup concluded the first phase of its work after 14 meetings. It established a provisional acceptable daily intake of 10 mg of CBD per day for a healthy 70 kg adult for ingredients with a purity of at least 98%, together with a safe upper limit of 1 µg of THC per kg of body weight per day. Important uncertainties remain in relation to reproductive toxicity and immunotoxicity.

𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐂𝐁𝐃 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝐁, 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: the studies considered did not provide new evidence requiring changes to the uncertainty factors already applied. The next phase is focusing on hemp extracts containing less than 98% CBD, for which no general safety advice can yet be established because the toxicological contribution of the other components must be assessed individually.

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐤. Both remain under review following requests for additional information. Their assessment is supported by the FSA’s first supplemental technical guidance for cell-cultivated products, published in December 2025.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-2025/annual-report-2025