Unintended microbial contaminants may be introduced to cured cannabis flower, or final cannabis products if materials are not appropriately processed and stored in a timely and environmentally stable manner, if established cleaning and sanitation protocols are not in place or regularly followed, or if product is handled without clean gloves and other processing equipment.
Most regulated cannabis markets require some form of microbiological contaminant testing, however, there is not a single universally understood set of tests or action limits that make a product safe or unsafe for human consumption. Regardless of the testing requirements or intended consumer market, US Cannalytics maintains several ISO / IEC 17025:2017 accredited testing methodologies for microbial contamination, unique to the state each facility is located in.
US Cannalytics employs both traditional growth media and advanced quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methodology based on several independent regulatory standards, in addition to state-specific requirements, such as the World Health Organization(WHO) Standards for Quality Control of Herbal Materials, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) and AOAC International’s Analytical International Methods and Standards (AIMS) program to provide the sensitivity and specificity required to safeguard the health of medical patients and legal adult-use consumers. (OMA) Official Methods of Analysis (OMA).
