Alimento o stupefacente?
Traditional food o Novel food?
A seguito dei mutati scenari e dei recenti sviluppi circa le tematiche inerenti all’Hemp Food, appare opportuno fare un po’ di chiarezza in una materia che avevo già trattato in passato.
Partendo dalla mera ricostruzione dei fatti, occorre sottolineare come nella scorsa primavera siano state modificate le diciture della canapa e dei cannabinoidi nel Novel Food Catalogue (ossia tra gli alimenti non utilizzati in maniera significativa per il consumo umano in UE prima del 15 maggio1997 e che rientrano in una delle categorie elencate dall’art. 2 del Reg. UE n. 2283/2015).
Infatti si è passati da:
Cannabis sativa L.
“This product was on the market as a food or food ingredient and consumed to a significant degree before 15 May 1997. Thus its access to the market is not subject to the Novel Food Regulation (EC) No. 258/97. However, other specific legislation may restrict the placing on the market of this product as a food or food ingredient in some Member States. Therefore, it is recommended to check with the national competent authorities”(..) “In the European Union, the cultivation of Cannabis sativa L varieties is granted provided they are registered in the EU’s ‘Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species’ and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content does not exceed 0.2 % of the plant. Without prejudice to other legal requirements concerning the consumption of hemp (Cannabis sativa) and hemp products, Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods is not applicable to most foods and food ingredients from this plant”. Other specific national legislation may restrict the placing on the market of this product as a food or food ingredient in some Member States. Therefore, it is recommended to check with the national competent authorities”
Cannabidiol (CBD)
“Extracts of Cannabis sativa L in which cannabidiol (CBD) levels are higher than the CBD levels in the source Cannabis sativa L are novel in food. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa plant. In the European Union, the cultivation of Cannabis sativa L. varieties is granted provided they are registered in the EU’s ‘Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species’ and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content does not exceed 0.2 % of the plant. (..) There was a request whether this product requires authorisation under the Novel Food Regulation. According to the information available to Member States’ competent authorities, this product was not used as a food or food ingredient before 15 May 1997. Therefore, before it may be placed on the market in the EU as a food or food ingredient a safety assessment under the Novel Food. Regulation is required.
alle seguenti diciture:
Cannabis sativa L.
“In the European Union, the cultivation of Cannabis sativa L., varieties is permitted provided they are registered in the EU’s Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content does not exceed 0,2% (w/w). Some products derived from the Cannabis sativa plant or plant pars such as seeds, seed oil, hemp seed flour, deflatted hemp seed have a history of ingestion in the EU and therefore, are not novel. Other specific national legislation may restrict the placing on the market of this product abs a food or food ingredients in some Member States. Therefore, it is recommended to check with the national competent authorithies”.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
“Please consult the entry “Cannabinoids”
Cannabinoids
“The hemp plant (Cannabis sativa L.) contains a number of cannabinoids and the most commun ones are as follows: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC), its precursor in hemp, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (D9-THCA-A), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid B (D9-THCA-B), delta8tetrahydrocannabinol (D8-THC) cannabidiol (CBD), is precursor in hemp cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerol (CBG) is precursor in hemp cannabichromene (CBC), and delta-9-tethraydrocannabivarin (D9-THCV). Without prejudice to the information provided in the novel food catalogue for the entry relating Cannabis sativa L. extracts of Cannabis sativa L. and derived products containing cannabinoids are considered novel foods as a history of ingestion has not been demonstrated. This applies to both the the extracts themselves and any products to which they are added as an ingredietn (such as Hemp seed oil). The also applies to extracts of other parts containing cannabinoids. Synthetically obtained cannabinoids are considered as novel”.
Il cambiamento è apparso drastico in quanto ha determinato un netto cambio di rotta che ha in qualche maniera riacceso dibattiti che sembravano da tempo sopiti.
In sostanza, secondo la nuova versione del NF Catalogue, viene riconosciuto lo status di traditional food soltanto ai semi di canapa e suoi derivati (olio, farine, semi decorticati).
Ma ciò ha di fatto comportato che alcuni prodotti, che già alla fine degli anni 90 non erano stati considerati NF (ad esempio tisane con foglie di canapa, birra in cui le infiorescenze di canapa erano impiegate alla stregua del luppolo), sarebbero diventati novel foods dopo oltre 20 anni di consumo nel mercato europeo (!).
Già su tale aspetto si genera il primo “corto circuito” del sistema, dal momento che, come noto, il NF Catalogue non è una norma giuridicamente vincolante per gli Stati membri, i quali comunque hanno una propria competenza esclusiva in materia di sicurezza alimentare e tutela del consumatore.
La conseguenza è stata il proliferare di interpretazioni diverse da Paese a Paese e da caso a caso con evidente pregiudizio per la certezza del diritto, l’inevitabile caos tra gli OSA, ma soprattutto con evidente lesione delle regole comunitarie preposte all’organizzazione del mercato comune.
Addirittura in alcuni Paesi, quali l’Italia, sull’onda emotiva della repressione al fenomeno della cd. cannabis light, abbiamo assistito a sequestri indiscriminati di prodotti a base di semi di canapa con le motivazioni più disparate ed assurde[1].
Appare quindi quantomai opportuno provare a fare un po’ di chiarezza sulla materia dell’hemp food.
Scarica l’articolo completo
[1] A seguito delle difese presentate tali provvedimenti risultano in una sorta di “limbo” amministrativo, tipicamente italiano, in cui le Autorità preposte dopo quasi 1 anno non si sono ancora espresse.