Rapid Analytical Methods for Quality Control of Hemp Emulsions

Cannabidiol (CBD) is used in a variety of commercial products, from dietary supplements, to food and beverages and cosmetics. Potency, particle size, and stability all play an important role in the quality control, regulation, and efficacy of CBD/Hemp emulsions.

In recognition of the need for standards and regulation of this rapidly growing market, US lawmakers have drafted the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act of 2021 that would set standards for hemp-derived CBD in food, and direct FDA to issue regulations for labeling and packaging requirements, as well as conditions of use. This bill, coupled with draft legislation controlling CBD in dietary supplements, will provide the framework to define future testing requirements.

In this webinar, we describe current guidance from FDA, and describe novel, cost effective approaches from HORIBA that address several testing needs of emulsions. We specifically target these challenging samples, as standard chromatography methods are often inadequate in capturing the necessary parameters that determine product quality – specifically potency and emulsion particle size range.

For potency determination, we present a fast and accurate approach using the A-TEEM method on HORIBA’s Aqualog spectrometer. We will also illustrate how emulsion particle size impacts sample stability and efficacy, using the HORIBA LA-960V2 laser diffraction particle size analyzer. These systems provide rapid and effective information that will be important within the future regulatory framework for CBD products.