Animal safety guaranteed

Animal safety is at the forefront of everything Naturecan does.

While studies of the benefits of CBD + CBDA for animals are in the early stages, current case studies of our proprietary blend have shown incredible results in aiding the recovery and wellbeing of pets.

CBD supports the body's endocannabinoid system, which regulates pain, anxiety and other functions, and may therefore contribute to reduced pain and anxiety. CBDA functions as a cox-2 inhibitor which may reduce the feelings of pain and irritation.

Graphic showing where the CBD receptors are on a dogs body
Lab tube with Flavonoids, Terpenes, CBDA, CBD and THC

As with all natural products, CBD formulations may have small variations in the levels of certain compounds, such as THC, terpenes and flavonoids.

This is due to subtle differences in the composition and growth of each individual plant, which are carried through the extraction process into the end product. While low levels of THC and terpenes, flavonoids are fine for human consumption, they can be dangerous to pets.

Therefore, our proprietary blend uses a combination of CBD + CBDA isolate. Isolate is the CBD and CBDA distillate refined into its purest form, free from THC, terpenes and flavonoids.

Full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs CBD Isolate

To create this blend, we take the Naturecan broad-spectrum CBD Oil extracted using advanced rotachrome technology and refine it further with advanced chromatography.

This isolates the CBD and CBDA, resulting in the most pure CBD + CBDA in its natural form. Grown and extracted in the US, our quality CBD is fully compliant under state law, going over and above in both quality and safety in one of the most stringently regulated markets in the world.

Quality is key to our product and that is why we ensure we carry out a six-point testing process for all Naturecan products.

Proprietary blend of CBD & CBDA

Our Testing Process

Testing Process

Types of testing required

To ensure the high quality and safety of our products, it is necessary to carry out a range of tests. These include cannabinoid potency, elemental (metal) impurities, residual solvents, terpene profiling, pesticides, mycotoxins and microbial testing.

Cannabinoid Potency

Testing the concentrations of the cannabinoids present in a product is one of the most important tests to carry out. Not only does it verify the label claims and confirm that the CBD content is as high as stated, it also ensures that the products do not contain the illicit and intoxicating substances from the cannabis plant such as Delta 9 THC.

Elemental Impurities (Heavy Metals)

Heavy metals are potentially toxic and so it is imperative that products are checked to ensure that they do not contain traceable levels of compounds such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium.

Metals are usually absorbed by the roots of the cannabis plant, directly from the soil, and so it must be confirmed that these are removed during the extraction process.

Testing for heavy metals is usually carried out by ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) which allows the analysts to detect trace levels of metals potentially left in the extracted oil.

Residual Solvents

Organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol and butanol are regularly used in the extraction process, either as the primary extraction solvent or as a co-solvent (as you would see in processes such as Supercritical CO2 extraction). The solvents are then removed (by evaporation), however, it is important to independently verify that this is the case so that you can ensure that your products are free of contaminants.

lady in a lab testing

Terpene Profiling

The terpene profile is what gives a specific strain of cannabis its distinct flavour, taste and aroma. Whilst cannabinoids are widely regarded to be the main contributor to the effect of cannabis-based products, terpenes have also been shown to contribute to the overall effects in humans.

However, as terpenes can be dangerous for pets, we ensure that these are completely removed from our pet formulation, along with flavonoids and other phytochemicals, to guarantee pet safety. The analysis is usually carried out by GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry).

Pesticides

It is very common for farmers to use pesticides to protect their crops from the destruction caused by organisms such as insects, rodents, and fungi. There are accepted legal limits allowed for this purpose, however, they are not without risk, especially at high levels. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that any residual pesticides have been removed during the extraction process. Laboratories commonly use a triple quad LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry) instrument to carry out this testing to extremely low levels with incredible specificity.

Lab photos of testing for microoranisms

Microbial

The conditions in which cannabis is grown are unfortunately also ideal for the growth of microorganisms and bacteria. Therefore, microbial testing must be carried out to ensure that there are no harmful contaminants present. Some of the potential contaminants can be extremely harmful to human and pet health. A full suite of microbial testing usually includes testing for E.Coli, Salmonella, total aerobic plate count and total yeast and mould count.

Novel Foods

As part of the Novel Foods application process[PH3] , there is a requirement to carry out even more stringent (and highly expensive) testing to meet the needs of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the European Foods Standard Agency (EFSA).This includes carrying out ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion) studies, stability studies and complex toxicological studies to justify the safety of your products.

All this work further reinforces Naturecan’s efforts to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality and safest CBD products available.

Stability Studies

Stability studies are carried out to measure the effects of environmental conditions on the quality of a product.

This ultimately provides the product with an accurate shelf life, or best before end date. Typical stability studies measure the concentration of the CBD over time along with potential degradants. Other more basic lab work is usually carried out on things such as pH levels, moisture, and appearance. During this process, samples are kept in controlled storage conditions to ensure the consistency and reliability of the results.