Mile High Labs Sent its CBD Novel Foods Dossier with the EFSA, Contributing to UK Market Expansion

It has been recently revealed that UK-based, Mile High Labs has officially submitted its Novel Foods Dossier with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reports FoodNavigator. This is a milestone for the firm, as no other CBD manufacturer has obtained the approval since CBD’s addition to the catalog in 2019.

VP of Mile High Labs’ International Expansion, Christian Hendriksen spoke with FoodNavigator regarding this accomplishment and shared that their dossier with EFSA gives them a competitive advantage in the UK region. In particular, he said:

“We are the first of the major players to file a Novel Food application. It is important, it is the pathway we all need to go down.”

When addressing the implementation of the Novel Food rules on CBD, Hendriksen noted that there’s a lot of discrepancies in different parts of the UK. He said:

“The majority of Europe simply isn’t enforcing it […] It is important to remember that the Novel Food Catalogue is a guideline, it is not legally binding.”

That said, he still feels that the UK is very progressive in the sense that they are wanting companies to comply by EFSA, but time is needed to make this a requirement by all. Furthermore, he stressed that submitting Novel Foods Dossier will help the UK market flourish because of existing demand.

Finally, a concern that seems to be native to countries across the globe is the inability to trust CBD brands. This is especially a problem, as many brands have since been caught red-handed for mislabeling their CBD products (i.e. stating there’s no THC when there actually is).

According to Hendriksen, the Novel Foods Catalogue can bring the aforementioned concern to an end:

“Novel foods and what is happening in the UK is so interesting because it paves the way to big companies innovating […] When the big guys get comfortable moving into the space, that lends higher consumer trust. That is where the industry needs to move to.”

As for CBD integration in consumer goods, the VP anticipates seeing more CBD infused food and beverages over the coming years.