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Cannabis ingredient suppliers also offering minor cannabinoids, water solubility technology.
By Alyse Thompson
Ingredient safety, customization among the top concerns for cannabis food and beverage manufacturers
Creating quality cannabis-infused food and beverage products requires ingredients that meet manufacturers’ rigorous standards, from safety and transparency to innovation and customization.
Suppliers of cannabis ingredients and emulsion technologies say they’ve taken steps to deliver on these demands, through their own quality assurance programs and product introductions.
Nicole Brown, chief revenue officer, Open Book Extracts (OBX), Roxboro, NC, notes providing quality ingredients requires paying close attention to all parts of the development process.
“Our robust quality control program touches all aspects of our ingredient sourcing, production, and finished product formulations,” she says. “It also serves as the foundation for every international quality assurance and compliance standard demanded by both domestic and global clients.”
Donna Wamsley, director of research and analytics, SōRSE Technology, Seattle, also pointed to the importance of ensuring the safety of ingredients.
“All product developers care about consumer safety, and because of that, they’re looking for an emulsion featuring safe ingredients,” she says. “This is why we have a robust quality assurance program that looks into providing solutions to various product development concerns as well as managing third-party testing.”
Beyond quality, manufacturers are seeking customizable options that meet their concerns and those of the end consumers, says Mark Elfenbein, chief revenue officer, Socati Corp, Austin, TX. “Typically product developers are looking for two things: the ability to customize the minor cannabinoid ratios such that they can ensure a specific quantity of any specific cannabinoid for purposes of addressing a use case such as relaxation, (and) the ability to integrate other functional ingredients such as chamomile, valerian root, vitamin C, vitamin D, etc., for addressing specific use cases to the end consumer,” he says.
Over the last year, suppliers have introduced offerings of minor cannabinoids such as cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabichromene (CBC). Last spring, OBX partnered with Prinova to produce a collection of patented water-soluble cannabinoid ingredients, including Hydrobond CBD, Hydrobond CBG, Hydrobond CBN and Hydrobond CBC.
The HydroBond water-soluble collection uses Prinova’s patent-pending manufacturing process to optimize cannabinoid delivery in powder and liquid food and beverage applications. Hydrobond is produced with high-purity raw material from Open Book Extracts, which improves the overall sensory characteristics of the ingredients.
Brown added interest in tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) has also been growing. “THCV is a highly sought after cannabinoid due to its potential to suppress appetite, making THCV-dominant products ideal for weight management,” she says. “THCV also has the potential to increase energy and focus. Our Stay In Focus formulations blend THCV with adaptogens, energizing herbs, and vitamins to provide clean energy that promotes mental sharpness, concentration, and improved brain function.”
Given cannabis oil’s hydrophobic nature, water solubility is also a top concern among developers. They require technologies that allow them to provide safe, stable, and homogenous products, and in some cases, mask any off cannabis flavors.
“Because the extraction is an oil, it is tough for producers to integrate into food and beverage products homogeneously with accurate dosing,” Wamsley says. “Water-soluble emulsion technology is designed for product developers to provide consumers with a better, more consistent experience. Producers appreciate the seamless integration into their process and the ability to scale quickly.”
In October 2020, SōRSE introduced its Clear emulsion technology, which features a limited sensory profile. That makes it ideal for beverages, particularly still and sparkling waters.
“I’m excited that SoRSE Clear is now part of our core portfolio,” Wamsley says. “It gives formulators and product developers the ability to innovate and to cater to the needs of customers within the global food and beverage market. With that, our customers who have already tried it are really excited about their terrific products maintaining the same clarity as before they were infused, but most of all, they’re excited about the minimal sensory effect from cannabinoids.”
Mirroring trends in the mainstream food and beverage industry, cannabis ingredient suppliers are also pursuing organic certifications for their offerings to provide assurance of safety and quality to developers and consumers.
Last year, the Montana State Department of Agriculture awarded Socati USDA Organic certification for its cannabidiol (CBD) products.
“USDA organic became increasingly important to Socati as a means to offer greater supply chain transparency, which has really become important during the pandemic (as) customers want to know exactly where their food is coming from and how it is made,” Elfenbein said. “The USDA seal is a very recognizable seal of approval at the consumer level and helps to ensure trust.”
With the support of ingredient suppliers and quality formulations, the future is bright for the cannabis food and beverage market.
“As the infused food and beverage continues to mature, so do the consumers of these products,” Wamsley says. “What we are looking forward to is the next round of innovative infused products, and the backbone of them will be custom emulsion formulations.”
Ingredient Snapshot: SōRSE Clear is a stable, clear emulsion with a minimal sensory profile.
SōRSE Clear, currently available in isolate, complies with all the main safety and testing protocols, including GMP, GFSI, COA, and FSMA. It contains safe ingredients that are allergen-free and vegan. This clear emulsion can be applied to all product applications, including beverages, nootropics, edibles, topicals, and nutraceuticals.
SōRSE Clear features multiple benefits for product developers, including stability, scalability, safety, bioavailability, improved sensory experience, homogeneity, accurate dosing, and seamless integration.
Ingredient Snapshot: Through a proprietary process, OBX is producing commercial quantities of bulk CBN at greater than 99% purity, making this rare cannabinoid widely available at the lowest cost on the market.
CBN is known for its potential to address concerns over sleep, stress, and pain. OBX has successfully consolidated CBN production at the company’s headquarters in Roxboro, NC, allowing for further cost efficiencies and expanded production capacity powered by OBX’s cGMP operations and team of industry experts.
OBX is producing kilogram quantities of 99 percent-plus pure CBN, currently available for bulk and wholesale purchase or under supply contract. In addition to CBN isolate, OBX distributes pure isolates of CBG, CBD and CBC; various THC-free broad-spectrum distillates, water-soluble powders and liquids; and a portfolio of finished products including edibles, soft gels, tinctures and topical products.
Ingredient Snapshot: True Terpenes has launched Terpology by Dr. Ethan Russo, an exclusive line of effect-based terpene blends.
Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in many plants that provide aroma and flavor to various products, including food/beverage, cannabis, and beauty. Russo designed these new effect-based blends to have a biochemical and pharmacological base and a pleasant smell.
Russo is a board-certified neurologist and a research pioneer in cannabis and psychopharmacology. His work has helped popularize the entourage effect, where the benefits of medical cannabis can be enhanced when combined with terpenes. He is also a member of the recently launched True Terpenes Scientific Advisory Board, where he works alongside pharmaceutical expert Dr. Randall Murphy to advance terpenes research.
Terpology by Dr. Ethan Russo is available in three effects:
Focus: Based on a foundation of alpha pinene, a terpene found in pine needles and conifer that helps clear the head. When combined with linalool, a terpene found in lavender, it helps people calm down and focus.
Energy: Using alpha pinene, to reduce short-term memory impairment, and limonene for mood elevation, this blend improves concentration.
Calm: This blend features a mix of linalool and limonene. When working together, the calming agents in linalool and the mood-elevating effect of limonene, the main ingredient of citrus, causes relaxation.
Ingredient Snapshot: Lab Effects has launched Cannabis Hybrid Terpenes, a line that combines cannabis-derived and botanical terpenes to allow product manufacturers to integrate any cannabis strain's authentic aroma into their product lines.
Cannabis Hybrid Terpenes offer the industry a scaled supply of strain-specific cannabis-derived terpenes that are standardized and cost-controlled.
Lab Effects developed this line with a suite of cannabis-derived essential oil bases, which represent the most ubiquitous cannabis aroma categories of diesel, fruity, skunky, earthy, and floral. Running analytics on cannabis flower genetics allows Lab Effects to map out the exact terpene spectrum of a particular strain. The company uses this data to fortify each cannabis-derived base with its correlated strain-specific profile made from other botanical terpenes at carefully chosen ratios, so every base aromatic note of that variety is captured and expressed.
Product Description: NanoLyte is certified-organic water-soluble CBD with non-detectable THC. Its natural, mild taste features high bioavailability (rate of absorption), water compatibility, (easily mixed into beverages) and long-term product stability. The product is available in a liquid, powder or tablet format.
Ingredient Snapshot: Bell’s line of cannabis-inspired and terpene flavors and fragrances are specifically designed to recreate the flavor and aroma of familiar terpenes, such as linalool and limonene, as well as well as popular cannabis strains like Blackberry Kush, Blue Dream and Pineapple Express. This line is not derived from the cannabis plant and does not contain any active ingredients, such as CBD or THC.
Bell has also engineered technologies to supplement the application of this line of flavors and fragrances. Through Bell’s proprietary research, it was discovered that while consumers have differing opinions in regards to the taste and smell of cannabis, many still want the functional benefits that the plant provides. For this reason, Bell has developed a range of flavor maskers and enhancers to neutralize or enrich the taste and smell of cannabis, while maintaining the functional integrity of the plant.
Ingredient Snapshot: Abstrax Tech’s Functional Flavors, which are presented in the form of both water-soluble and oil-soluble botanical blends, have arisen out of the company’s understanding of cannabis and the power of botanically-derived flavor and aroma compounds (terpenes) for more complex flavor blends and aroma profiles. The company has developed more than 200 complex terpene profiles, leveraging purified, food-grade terpenes derived from orange, lemon, basil, lavender, and chamomile, among others.
One of Abstrax Tech’s newest product offerings is water-soluble blends packaged in a “Keg Kit” for beer brands. The kit gives brewers the ability to perform their own product development while considering both beer flavoring and the effects delivered by each terpene blend.
Ingredient Snapshot: Socati has been awarded USDA Organic certification through the Montana State Department of Agriculture after a rigorous evaluation process which required a full, detailed review of several key areas of its operations, including an in-depth review of Socati’s manufacturing records, analysis of the credentials and credibility of each supplier, and confirmation of meticulous cleanliness standards upheld in Socati’s processing facility.
With the USDA Organic certification in place, Socati has launched organic CBD ingredients for brands looking to bring high quality organic CBD products to market. The ingredients include broad-spectrum CBD oils and full-spectrum CBD oils. Both are rich in minor cannabinoids.
The USDA Organic Seal is one of the most recognized and trusted certifications among U.S. consumers and retailers, and provides authoritative assurance to consumers on the supply chain integrity of certified CBD products. In addition to assuring no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used in the cultivation of hemp, USDA Organic certification also ensures farmers and manufacturers are using sustainable practices.
Ingredient Snapshot: FreshWater Soluble CBD Isolate and Distillate are potent and pure CBD-based solutions designed for the natural beverage and wellness industries.
Made with high quality CBD, FreshWater contains no sodium benzoate, no parabens, and no harmful preservatives. It’s a CBD-rich formula that enhances products without impacting flavor and mouthfeel.
Mile High Labs achieves FreshWater Soluble CBD by heating natural surfactants and CBD together before running the formulation through an emulsifier. It’s preserved with soy lecithin to prevent bacterial growth.
Alyse Thompson is managing editor of Cannabis Products
March 2021 | Volume 4 | Number 1