PhytoVista Laboratories
PhytoVista Laboratories is the leading testing facility in the UK for hemp and CBD products and is establishing a ‘Gold Standard’ for testing in the CBD industry. Since being founded in 2017, PhytoVista has invested in state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, extensively developed its testing methods and appointed expert staff in order to establish itself as a trusted and auditable laboratory that provides expert chemical testing services to a wide range of industries. The laboratory operates to GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and ISO 17025 standards, with the aim to be ISO accredited by the end of 2019.
PhytoVista can accurately test for cannabinoids and terpenes, as well as for pesticides, microbial contamination, heavy metals, residual solvents and mycotoxins.
Importance of accurate testing
The PhytoVista team understands and monitors regulations in the food and beverage, cosmetics and vaping industries, in order to best advise customers looking to test their products and enter the UK CBD market. It is vital for manufacturers to test any of their products that contain CBD, particularly in the food and beverage industry. Whilst it is a market that is rapidly growing in popularity, adding CBD to food creates uncertainty for manufacturers as there is a chance that THC, the psychoactive element of the cannabis plant, in the products will surpass the 0.2% level allowed in the UK. PhytoVista recognises the importance of food safety and accurate labelling when a new product is brought to market, especially when those products are infused with CBD.
Testing of e-liquids for CBD vaping products is also important to ensure the CBD concentration is as desired. For this, PhytoVista includes a highly accurate QC e-liquid in each analytical run, acting as an additional performance check.
Tried and tested methods
PhytoVista’s cannabinoid and terpenes test, that can test for 14 separate cannabinoids and 21 different terpenes, was specifically developed by PhytoVista’s Chief Scientific Officer, Nick Clarkson, and has been used for over 1,000 tests to provide customers with a full spectrum analysis.
In the UK and across Europe there are varying levels of accuracy when cannabinoid testing is undertaken. For every test, the all important CBD concentration is determined as %w/w, which can then be converted and reported as mg/10ml using the density measured at a given room temperature. Final product testing completed by PhytoVista consists of two random samples from the batch to confirm both CBD content and consistency across all products – the limits of detection and quantification are around 0.02% and 0.05% respectively.
Why choose PhytoVista Laboratories?
PhytoVista also provides a range of accurate and reliable testing services for non CBD and hemp products, including composition, trace contaminant determination, metals analysis, identification of unknown components and compliance testing. All tests can be conducted in duplicate in order to ensure quality in results, giving customers increased peace of mind. Whatever sort of testing is needed, PhytoVista can tailor a package specific to every customer’s requirements.
PhytoVista’s customers also benefit from an incredibly professional operation that puts a particular emphasis on excellent customer service. The UK based laboratories mean there is a quicker turnaround than sending to testing facilities in Europe, this allows the fully tested products to be available on the market faster.
