Hemp and CBD Still Banned from Commercial Animal Feed in SC
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Hugh E. Weathers, Commissioner
Media Contact: Eva Moore, 803-734-2196, emoore@scda.sc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 3, 2020
Hemp and CBD Still Banned from Commercial Animal Feed in SC
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is taking steps to notify consumers and animal feed manufacturers that hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) are not permitted ingredients in animal feed products in South Carolina.
All commercial animal feed products sold in South Carolina must be registered and renewed annually with SCDA, a process that allows the agency to review feed products to make sure they are properly labeled and contain only ingredients that are approved for use in animal feed.
Ingredients used in animal feed in the United States undergo a scientific review by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine prior to being allowed for sale or distribution in the US. Currently, hemp and CBD have not undergone that review. The FDA affirmed its position in a statement released November 25, 2019: “Based on the lack of scientific information supporting the safety of CBD in food, the FDA … cannot conclude that CBD is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) among qualified experts for its use in human or animal food.”
Over the past year, SCDA has been educating store owners that commercial feed products containing hemp and CBD are illegal and should not be sold.
Beginning Jan. 3, 2020, SCDA will send manufacturers a formal letter notifying them when illegal products are found in distribution. A company will have the option to reformulate the product to remove the hemp and/or CBD ingredient and submit a formal registration application. Failure to do so within the required time frame may result in further regulatory action.
###