Cannacopia – Key Concepts for Cannabis Success

 

Introducing the first official workshop hosted by the BloomLabs team! This presentation can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbb-PNiTFpc. Please follow this link if you’re interested!  

Topics of discussion included the following:

Sarah discusses facility and product overview from Olli Brands Inc., a leader in cannabis edibles in Canada, who has tons of great and unique flavours to try! P.S. You may want to try their chocolate brownies or cookies! Sarah outlines new product development processes and how Olli can help you bring your ideas to life.

Mike, from Professional Cleaning Solutions, discussed cleaning in the industry. Sanitation is a key concept for any cannabis producer to mitigate any mould or mildew, including affecting the environment negatively. Mike chats about topics like training, health and safety, environmental impacts, Good Production Practices (in the Cannabis Regulations!), sanitation and environmental programs, and more!

Dr. Punja discusses the various pathogens in greenhouses, which can be compared to indoor growth as well. Diseases infect roots, foliage, as well as flower and are all important when growing cannabis, especially for disease management. Dr. Punja discusses the types of pathogens, as well as biological controls that can mitigate the diseases. If you have powdery mildew, moulds, root rot, etc., check out this presentation! Afterall, it is very common, cannabis is a live flower!

Ricardo, our Senior Microbiologist at BloomLabs, discusses the concerns with bacterial and mould contaminants. Ricardo walks through the types of bacteria and mould we test for at BloomLabs in cannabis. Cannabis can have some anti-microbial properties, but as it is for human consumption, producers must make sure it’s safe for human health. This presentation identifies contamination points during production and discusses services Bloom offers to help mitigate issues, such as air quality testing, environmental swabbing, etc.

Services from the BloomLabs Cannabis Accelerator Team, Talia and Chelsea, include production services, from seed to sale, including irrigation systems, substrate information, pest management practices, and more! We also offer cannabis edible product development, as well as shelf-life studies! We work with clients from start to finish to get their products to the market. BloomLabs can work with you, either on site or online, to grow your company and products

 

BloomLabs had a great time hosting this workshop and we plan to host more of these types of information sessions! We allowed for Q&A period which many viewers got to ask specific questions about products or requirements. Please keep an eye out for our next workshop (we’ll also be sending an email out to our current email list, so please reach out if you’d like to hear from us!)!

The Importance of Water Activity and Cannabis

 How Water Activity Prevents Microbial Growth

There are specific measures for what we call water activity; another way of saying water activity is internal relative humidity. All those little air pockets inside of the cannabis flower will have a certain relative humidity, which is going to be the same as the water activity in the cannabis plant material itself. There are certain levels of water activity where microbes can grow, for example, the bacteria that we’re worried about grow above the 0.85 water activity level. There are yeasts and moulds that grow in the area between 0.65 and 0.85 water activity, where 0.65 is the accepted limit for mould growth in cannabis. 

Most of your moulds are not going to grow below 0.70 water activity, but some can grow down to 0.65 and there are a few others that can grow down to 0.60 water activity, but those are much less common and not really a concern in cannabis. Values below 0.65 water activity is considered the safe limit for cannabis flower. There are specific levels for water activity below which microbes cannot grow. It doesn’t matter how much water is in the cannabis or in any given product, but it’s a specific level of water activity that determines whether or not microbes can grow. 

Water Activity and Government Compliance

Because this issue with microbial growth is based on water activity, there are specific government compliance parameters for a variety of different products that need to be kept shelf stable. Cannabis is one of those, and there are standards set up in order to help people maintain compliance. One of the standards for cannabis is the ASTM D8196 for determining water activity in cannabis flower.

The Water Activity Sweet Spot for Cannabis

That space between 0.55 and 0.62 water activity tends to be the sweet spot where those moisture levels are just right. Anything above 0.65 you’re going to have potential for microbial growth, so, we really want to be below 0.65. A little bit lower than 0.65 is always helpful because you want to make sure that you’re not going to have issues, give yourself a little bit of leeway, but you also don’t want to be too dry.

If you get too low in water activity level, it causes oxidation of the trichomes, and you have a reaction that leads to loss of terpenes and cannabinoids. If you’re too high in water activity, then the challenge is that you’re going to have fungus growth, yeast growth, or other microbe growth, so maintaining that water activity is really important. 

Water Activity: Fast and Accurate to ±0.003

Something to look at when you’re looking at water activity is that water activity is temperature dependent; as a general rule, higher temperatures lead to higher water activity. For any given product, the change in water activity based on temperature is going to be consistent for specific products. Also, in cannabis, you’ll see that higher temperatures lead to increased rates of decarboxylation. That means we want to maintain a level of water activity or relative humidity in your cannabis flower, even when it ships for distribution and sale. So, if your product does experience higher temperatures, you may see higher water activities that may put you over the acceptable water activity limit, where you might see some microbial growth. 

Being able to protect that humidity level when product leaves your facility and before it’s consumed is important, and you’ll want to be aware and give yourself a little bit of extra leeway. Being closer to the 0.60 or 0.62 water activity level is probably better than being right at 0.65 water activity in case there are temperature fluctuations that the product experiences after it’s packaged.

If you’re looking at 60% relative humidity, that’s the same as saying 0.60 water activity. Relative humidity is expressed in a percent. Water activity doesn’t really have a unit, but we call it water activity or a_w. So, it’s the water activity that determines whether or not mold fungus or microbes can grow, and its water activity that determines quality, meaning chemical and physical reaction rates. 

At BloomLabs, we can get an accurate measurement to ± 0.003 a_w and a precision of 0.002 a_w, which is a very, very specific measurement! You can contact us at bloomlabs.ca to receive more information about our cannabis testing! 

To sum up, we want to dry the product to the right water activity level to hit the sweet spot so that we’re not over drying, causing quality loss and less sales profit, but also, we don’t want to under dry to enable mould and microbial growth!

Posted By: Jay Radadiya

Aseptic Sampling Technique

What is aseptic sampling?

Aseptic sampling refers to certain principles that must be followed during product sampling to avoid contamination or the introduction of a microorganism, or other contaminant, not originally present in the product by one’s actions.

Aseptic sampling is about managing the risk of contamination of the sample itself, as well as the process or container.

Why should I practice aseptic sampling?

Collection of samples while not practicing aseptic technique can lead to contamination of the sample – leading to inaccurate results, failed quality assessments and potential costs associated with re-testing product.

For example: A bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus is a common member of the body’s microbiota and is frequently found on the surface of the skin and in the upper respiratory tract. If aseptic technique is not used, such as proper operator hand washing/sanitation and protective equipment while collecting samples (including gloves), a cross-contamination of this microorganism can occur between the operator taking the sample and the product. This could lead to a detection of Staphylococcus aureus in the sample during quality analysis, leading to a failed quality assurance test. This could result in a re-test of that product and delays in releasing the product to market.

How do I practice aseptic sampling?

One of the most important rules when collecting aseptic samples is to avoid contaminating the sample. This requires the sample collectors to collect all samples with caution to make sure this rule is not violated. The results of aseptic sample analysis are questionable, and of no use, unless the integrity of the sample can be assured from collection to shipment, and through analysis. We will discuss below some basic methods to reduce the risk of sample contamination.

For quality control and traceability, when taking a sample be sure to record information such as:

• Who took the sample?
• Where and when was it collected?
• How was it taken?
• What training did the sampler receive?

This can assist in the investigation of any possible cross-contamination issues.

Personal equipment, such as lab coats, hair nets or disposable or cleanable boots, are important to ensure that the collector does not contaminate the sample. Additional essential items for aseptic sampling include:

•           Sterile containers – Ensure that your product is placed into a sterile container or bag, such as Whirl-Pak bags or Falcon tubes. The sampling container must not be opened and exposed to the environment prior to immediate collection of samples to avoid contamination.
•         Clean gloves - If a product must be touched during sample collection, have one of the facility workers who are involved with handling the product place the sample into the collection container with gloved hands. Because employees are normally involved in handling the product during production, we would not consider that they have added additional contamination to the product. When gloves are used, they must be put on in a manner that does not contaminate the glove. Gloves must be of the right size to function properly.
•       Sampling tools - Spoons, scoops, specific types of triers, forceps, tongs, dippers, and cups.  The type of tool used is determined by the product to be sampled; however, to reduce the risk of sample contamination it is recommended to use a new sterile sampling tool for each sample.

In addition, be sure to check the sterilization date on all sampling equipment and containers. The date should be on the label or package of the equipment. Some equipment might be sterilized in one’s local laboratory or purchased sterile. Equipment sterilized in a local laboratory is normally sterile for at least two months. After that time, the equipment should be re-sterilized.

Finally, after collection, ensure that the sample is packaged in a secure way to reduce the risk of damage or contamination of the sample while it is being transported to the lab for analysis.

At BloomLabs, we take thorough care to ensure that the samples we receive are always tested “as received”. Meticulous aseptic techniques and Standard Operating Procedures are used in the Microbiology Laboratory to ensure that no cross-contamination occurs during analysis. For example, this includes use of a Biological Safety Cabinet, proper sanitation of personnel and surfaces, and sterile sampling equipment and PPE to ensure that no contamination of the sample occurs during analysis. This ensures an accurate quality result, free of any contamination from the laboratory.

 

The use of aseptic technique at the production facility, during transportation and at the laboratory ensures your product receives the highest quality of analysis free of any contamination.

Regulatory Requirements for Testing Cannabis - What Do I Need to Know?

 You’ve grown some beautiful cannabis and now Health Canada requires you to test it to sell it in the market – here’s what you should know.

Analytical testing of cannabis is a regulatory requirement under the Health Canada Cannabis Act and Regulations but what does that mean?  How do you know what to test for?  How do you determine if your test results are acceptable, and your cannabis passes the test?  Great questions!

 

Under “Good Production Practices”, Part 5 of the Cannabis Regulations, sections 89 to 92 outline what testing is required to meet regulatory requirements:

•                Testing for phytocannabinoids; and
•          Testing for contaminants.

 So, essentially that means you need to test your cannabis for cannabinoid content and ensure it is free of pesky microbial and chemical contaminants.

 

Testing for phytocannabinoids, or cannabinoids, is to determine the cannabinoid content of your cannabis – the THC and CBD you hear so much about.  This includes a breakdown of the total cannabinoid content into individual cannabinoids (cannabinoid profiling) and how much of each cannabinoid is present (cannabinoid potency).

 

Testing for contaminants is broken down into microbial-type contaminants and chemical-type contaminants. 

1. Microbial testing determines the presence or absence of microbials such as E. coli and Salmonella spp. and the colony-forming units (cfu) of Total Combined Yeast and Moulds, Bile-tolerant Gram-negative Bacteria, and Total Aerobic Microbial Count.
2. Chemical contaminant testing determines the presence or absence and potency of potentially harmful heavy metals, such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury.  As well as the presence or absence and potency of harmful mycotoxins, such as Aflatoxins B₁, G₁, B₂ and G₂.  Other chemical contaminants include testing for residues of pest control products (also known as pesticides) meaning it is also necessary to determine whether pesticide active ingredients are present or absent, and if present, the concentration of the pesticide active ingredient.

Seems so simple, right?  Unfortunately not all things are as easy as they seem. “Cannabis Product”, Part 6 of the Cannabis Regulations, section 93 outlines how to determine if your results are passable:

 

• Microbial and chemical contaminant limits are acceptable so long as it meets limits accepted by one of the authorized publications outlining these limits as referred to in Schedule B of the Food and Drug Act.  This list of publications includes the European Pharmacopeia and the US Pharmacopeia, for example.  The task of choosing an acceptable publication to follow for limits can be a bit daunting, as you also must keep in mind the intended use (for example, inhalation) for your cannabis product.
• When it comes to pesticides, Health Canada has established their own limits for residues as identified and described under the Pest Control Products Act.  A comprehensive list of 96 pesticides and the limit for each can be found in the Health Canada guidance document “Mandatory Cannabis Testing for Pesticide Active Ingredients”.  The Cannabis Regulations also states that the more stringent limit applies to generally accepted tolerance limits in relation to residues of pest control products.  Which further breakdown to any pesticide result that exceeds an acceptable residue limit must be reported to Health Canada.

While testing your cannabis may seem very complex, it is a necessary chore to ensure regulatory requirements are met. Our experts at BloomLabs are well versed in the necessary regulatory testing, as well as the interpretation of the test results, so don't hesitate to reach out and inquire about all that we have to offer!

Posted by: Michelle Shearer

BloomLabs wins Three Emerald Scientific Proficiency Awards for Microbiological Analysis of Cannabis!

The analytical testing team of BloomLabs at Perennia has participated for the first time in blind proficiency tests from Emerald Scientific. Emerald Scientific is the leader in cannabis science and cannabis proficiency tests. These tests arrive in the lab and the analysts have no idea the content of them, including which are contaminated. We then submit our results online and wait to see if we have submitted accurate results.

We participated this fall in all microbiological tests that are required by Health Canada for testing in cannabis.

Well, you know the end of the story now – and we have three fancy new proficiency badges to show for it!!

Posted By: Nichole Taylor