Aurum Labs Becomes the First Independent Hemp Lab to Be Certified for New Pesticide Tests
The cannabis testing facility Aurum Labs has become the first “independent” lab in Colorado to be fully certified by the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to conduct all compliance tests for industrial hemp products.
According to a press release from the company, the lab is now certified to test hemp samples for 102 pesticides – the most expansive hemp pesticide list in the US.
Required in Colorado
Colorado revamped its requirements for testing hemp foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics last year. Since July 1, 2021, all such products have been required to undergo testing for total THC to the milligram, as well as contaminants such as Salmonella, Shiga-toxin producing E.coli, yeast and molds, and mycotoxins like aflatoxin B1.
Aurum Labs was the second lab in the state to be certified by the CDPHE to carry out these tests.
And since April 1 this year, all edible and cosmetic hemp products have been required to undergo testing for 102 pesticides – a significantly higher number than the 13 pesticides that must be tested for in marijuana products.
To carry out these tests, labs in Colorado must have an extra certification from the CDPHE. Aurum Labs is the first lab located in the state to receive such certification from the regulator; four other companies have received the accreditation, but these businesses are located outside of Colorado.
“It’s difficult to compete with these large, private-equity-funded labs, but Aurum is passionate about serving the evolving hemp industry” Liz Mason, Aurum Labs’ director of operations, said in a statement.
“We are committed to staying on the scientific forefront to give the most comprehensive services to our clients. Like we always say, ‘real people, real results’.”
Speaking to Analytical Cannabis last year, Aurum’s lab director, Luke Mason, explained that the new pesticide tests had necessitated new equipment, including a new suite of mass spectrometer machines.
“CO MJ [Colorado marijuana] is only screened for 13 pesticide compounds” Mason said. “CDPHE hemp full pesticide list is 102 targets (more if you count isomers). A new LC-MS [liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry] platform was able to reach the detection limits for 55 of 59 targets, however the full list analysis will require GC-MS [gas chromatography-mass spectrometry] analysis as well.”
*Update: This article was updated on July 4, 2022, to further clarify Aurum's status as the first lab in Colorado to achieve a pesticide certification from the CDPHE.
