On the importance of third-party testing

There are many ways and many sources of raw materials for making a product. Some brands get glorified by the repeatedly excellent quality of their products, whereas other brands are notoriously untrustworthy. The recipe for a successful brand is based on many things: great marketing, attractive packaging, rapid delivery, competing price, naturally sourced ingredients, good manufacturing practices and trustworthy analysis of both raw ingredients and final goods. And third-party testing is probably the most important factor in deciding if the final product is ready to hit the market! So what is it and why is it necessary?

Common Pitfalls in the Cannabis Industry

Seasoned market players are (or should be) well aware of the main possible pitfalls in the cannabis and cannabinoid industry. As in every agriculture related field there are chances that hemp plant and/or its extracts:

Bacterial Pathogens

May be infected with bacterial pathogens, which can buildup either before or post-harvest [1,2]. Even though it is a rather hardy plant and can protect itself from many common parasites, it is still susceptible to fungi, which is a serious health concern due to the toxins the fungi produce. Gladly, this problem is overcome by employing rather simple methods: proper ventilation pre- and post-harvest and low moisture levels in post-harvest production should be kept.

Soil Contaminants

Can contain various pesticides, herbicides or other unwanted ingredients from the soil [3]. This is a worldwide issue that soils have been contaminated with various chemicals that may pose danger to human health. More importantly, the levels of these agrochemicals in the plant itself can be below the levels of detection (thus, in allowed levels, which usually means that product is safe for consumption). However, if the plant undergoes extraction and cannabinoids get concentrated – the same then happens with agrochemicals, possibly reaching unwanted and unsafe levels. Scientists and production developers have come up with many ingenious and safe ways to remove these unwanted substances, keeping only the right materials in.

Residual Solvents

Can have leftover solvents and other impurities from workup or extraction processes [4]. Residual solvents in food or related industries are of utmost importance due to their harmful effects upon ingestion, inhalation or absorption through skin. Moreover, smaller producers or producers from countries with less strict product safety rules can be either more restricted by lack of capital or less motivated by decreasing margins due to expenses for removing residual solvents, leading to compromised product entering the market. However, this is usually of lesser importance in the case of bigger, older Western manufacturers with great track record as they do understand the need to fully remove residual solvents, which is an expensive and energy-needy procedure, but it pays-off with satisfied returning clients and a final product that is clean from impurities.

The Role of Third-Party Testing

The three abovementioned issues are of the highest importance in hemp industry. And even though each of them can be solved – not every producer does that. Furthermore, not every analytical department is equipped with cutting edge technology to test every impurity there may be. Hence, an accredited third-party testing laboratory solves this problem by providing an unbiased, high quality testing of the final products, verifying that impurities are not detected or within permissible limits as well as providing the important information about the cannabinoid profile and other essential product properties.

Sanobiotec’s Commitment to Quality

As you have just increased your understanding of the field and got to known the key quality parameters of the product – check Sanobiotec’s product portfolio. We believe that every trustworthy brand and product begins by sourcing trusted and tested ingredients – with the quality and speed of delivery. We think that every consumer, including ourselves, should get the best quality cannabinoid products and this is where we step in with our natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic isolates.

We control the process by following each step and carefully inspecting our products with GC, LC, NMR and other analytical machines and when the product is fully ready – we also perform the third-party testing as a final verification. Why do we do all of this? In order to provide our customers with the purest, highest potency and quality products on the market. Don’t hesitate and book a call!

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6811654/
https://cleanleaf.com/how-to-prevent-cannabis-mold.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8489331/
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00130-3