Irradiation is an antimicrobial treatment that uses rays (x-rays, gamma rays, etc.) to reduce/eliminate the number of bacteria, yeast, and mold, thus, prolonging the shelf life of the product. Irradiation is not new news; it is commonly used in food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and even for NASA’s dehydrated foods. It is a frequently used practice in more than 45 countries around the world. Many of your store’s shelf food products, such as spices and flour, are also irradiated.
If irradiation is such a common practice, why we are so worried about consuming irradiated cannabis?
Well, it is not so much about the product being irradiated, but the quantity of irradiation dose used to irradiate the cannabis product. With no clear guidelines on cannabis irradiation, irradiation should not be a free pass to use multiple high irradiation doses for highly contaminated products as it may impact the quality of the product and could increase the cost of production since irradiation costs are high.
What is the solution?
A good sanitation program combined with a minimal/small dose of irradiation could be the key to producing quality and safe products for consumers. Also, make sure your inputs (cannabis and other ingredients) are not highly contaminated, as this is one of the most common sources of high microbial load on the final product.
At CanSat Consulting, we provide quality, regulatory, and licensing services to the cannabis, food, and pharmaceutical industries. We provide services to maintain regulatory compliance and improve operational and quality efficiency.
Contact us today at info@cansatconsulting.com to schedule a no-obligation complimentary consultation with one of our experts.