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!)!

Workshop Alert - Cannacopia is Coming to A Screen Near You!

Introducing...Cannacopia! Perennia's First Ever Webinar Focused on all Things Cannabis!

 Join us for an afternoon of speakers focusing on Key Concepts for Cannabis Success. 

We have enlisted a team of experts to discuss facility sanitation, disease identification and management strategies, as well as hear first hand from about what it takes to start up a successful edible brand.  In addition, the Cannabis scientists at Perennia will be sharing information on most frequently asked questions when it comes to microbial contamination, as well as highlight the scope of services we offer - some even free of charge! Each session will be followed by a question period to help elaborate on anything you want to learn more about. The workshop will finish off with a panel discussion amongst our industry experts, with the opportunity for feedback from the audience as well. 

This free of charge workshop will take place on March 17th from 1-5 pm AST. For more information, or those looking to register, click here! 

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.

Cannabis Infused Gummy Testing Now at Bloom Labs!

The Bloom Labs team is committed to growing with the industry and the challenges that come with it. Most recently, the analytical team has developed and validated methods for analyzing potency and microbial contaminants in cannabis infused gummies. 

Our analytical chemistry team worked diligently to profile ten different cannabinoids, including THCA, CBDA, CBGA, Delta-9-THC, Delta-8-THC, THCV, CBD, CBG, CBN, and CBC with a detection limit of 0.13 mg/g. Our microbiology team can now confidently analyze gummies to enumerate aerobic microorganisms, bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria, yeast & moulds, and detected pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella species. In addition, our team validated methods to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, as they pertain to common food-borne and food-manufacturing pathogens.

We are excited to offer this service, and better help our clients by expanding the matrices validated for analytical testing. If you would like to submit your cannabis infused gummies for analytical testing or shelf life studies, please visit our website www.bloomlabs.ca or contact Lab Director Nichole Taylor (ntaylor@perennia.ca) to submit a Chain of Custody form. If you have a different cannabis matrix and are curious about what kind of tests we offer, please visit https://bloomlabs.ca/analyticaltesting/ to find out!

Posted by: Ceilidh MacDonald and Ricardo Blanco Sanchez