TORONTO– Sigma Analytical Services Inc. (“Sigma”), an innovator in providing testing services in the legal cannabis sector, and advancing the understanding of cannabis science while establishing a global scientific network, has signed a collaboration agreement with Ecolab, the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The partnership provides critical cleaning validation that is required for companies that follow Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”). Supported by Ecolab’s sanitation and disinfection solutions and expertise and Sigma’s validated testing, licensed producers can have confidence in the safety and efficacy of their cannabis products.
The collaboration between Sigma and Ecolab marks an important step for advancing consistency in the industry. Ensuring that cannabis products are free of impurities, such as raw or production materials, cleaning agents, or any microbial contamination, helps protect consumers from ingesting potentially harmful ingredients.
“Sigma‘s agreement with Ecolab solidifies the strong relationship we’ve built together to uphold quality and safety in the legal cannabis industry,“ said Ashton Abrahams, co-founder and President of Sigma. “Our partnership with Ecolab is a natural progression toward our shared goal: to help licensed producers meet the stringent quality requirements that protect legal cannabis users. Sigma and Ecolab are working closely with innovative cannabis producers in Canada, and the synergy in our collaboration will benefit all of the players in the cannabis field.”
Sigma has developed and validated methods to test and quantify multiple types of residues on swab and rinse samples and conducted recovery studies on multiple surface materials. Ecolab brings decades of expertise in antimicrobial solutions and support of pharmaceutical and personal care production. Together, Ecolab and Sigma have already conducted studies with major producers of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in Canada to identify the most effective Ecolab products to remove contaminants from extraction and production machinery.
Hayley Crowe, vice president and general manager of Ecolab’s Life Sciences division, added: “We’re pleased to partner with Sigma Analytics to help bring our cleaning and disinfection expertise from the personal care and pharmaceutical industries to the cannabis production and testing process. Together we will develop standards and processes to improve operational performance, quality and safety in the cannabis testing and manufacturing process.”
