Less than labelled, but more than safe: quantification of cannabidiol content in food supplements and hemp seed oils using a validated ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method

Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid that is an active compound of several medicines with a well-established safety profile. Cannabidiol-containing food supplements and edibles are also available on the market. Due to the lack of established daily intake safety guidelines for CBD and the known adverse effects of this compound, the associated food safety risks are substantial. To assess the safety of foodstuffs, a method for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (UHPLC-PDA) was developed for cannabigerol, CBD, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) identification. For CBD-content quantification, a reversed phase UHPLC-PDA method was developed and validated. The method was linear over the range of 0.03–1 μg/injection. The accuracy of the method established as recovery ranged from 95.2% to 100.42%, the precision was 3.89%, and the intermediate precision was 4.01%. All samples were cannabigerol and THC free. Cannabidiol concentrations were in range of 12.87–51.57 mg/ml. Two food supplements were accurately labelled, two were under-labelled and eight were over-labelled for CBD content. The hemp seed oils were CBD-free. Our findings are consistent with international data. Incorrect labelling, poorly described components, and unsafe dosages of CBD are all risk factors that make food supplements unsafe, whereas hemp seed oil on the Hungarian market appears to be free of phytocannabinoids.