5 Considerations When Choosing Your Analytical Testing Laboratory

Third-party cannabis lab testing can help build your brand’s reputation. And, in the competitive cannabis industry, you need every advantage you can get. Before making your choice, understand all the reasons to choose the best analytical testing laboratory for your business.

Aside from being a Health Canada requirement, cannabis lab testing plays an essential role in bringing integrity to the cannabis industry. Third-party lab testing should not only be done to satisfy regulators; testing shows that you care about your customers and that you value product stewardship.

Partnering with a reliable analytical testing laboratory that provides accurate results can help you make crucial decisions that may sometimes help avert recalls. A good analytical lab doesn’t just deliver test results. It identified potential vulnerabilities and provides solutions.

If you need to get your cannabis products tested, here are some tips on how to get the best analytical lab services.

How To Find The Best Canadian Analytical Laboratories

Finding the best analytical laboratory services is a challenge as people are increasingly setting up laboratories without the necessary expertise. Remember, a lab having modern equipment doesn’t make it the best. Equipment without knowledgeable staff won’t give you the accurate and reliable results you need. 

Here are some of the things you should consider when selecting an analytical laboratory in Canada.

1. Who Is Doing The Testing?

The results of a test are only as good as the person doing the tests and analyzing the data. As we’ve mentioned before, having the latest lab equipment doesn’t mean the lab will provide accurate results. 

Only proceed if you are sure the staff preparing the samples, doing the analytical tests, and interpreting the data are qualified to do so. You are not hiring the equipment; you are hiring the team for their expertise. If the prospect lab doesn’t have that, move to the next.

A good Canadian analytical lab with passionate experts will provide reliable results and add value to your product and processes.

2. Quality Of Their Analytical Laboratory Services

For the cannabis lab test results to be helpful, they have to be accurate. One way to ensure a lab is credible and competent in executing specific testing is to check if they are accredited. 

• Ask the third-party lab about any accreditations, certifications, and licenses they have.
• Check if the analytical laboratory is ISO 17025-accredited.

ISO (International Standards Organization) 17025 is the pinnacle of third-party lab accreditations. It’s a set of protocols that the lab must follow to ensure the tests are accurate.

ISO 17025 is recognized worldwide as the specific standard used by analytical laboratories and is governed by several third-party organizations, including CALA, SCC, and A2LA.

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliance also indicates the lab’s quality and practices. GMP focuses on the systems to ensure that data is collected correctly and the methods are suitable for use.

GMP compliance by Canadian analytical laboratories is verified and enforced by Health Canada. GMP compliance is critical if you are looking to export your products around the world. GMP certification is mandatory for the EU, Australian, and South African markets.

3. Effective Communication

A successful laboratory partnership is built on effective communication, trust, and reliability. You need to know who you can talk to about your sample, results, and other client matters. This knowledge is especially important when things don’t go as you expected.

Equally important is how the lab communicates when tests don’t go according to plan.

• Do they wait until you reach out to tell you about unscheduled delays?
• How long do they take to relay the results?

A good way to gauge this is by asking if they have dedicated personnel such as account managers who can provide timely and correct responses to your inquiries. In addition to account managers, the lab should also have senior scientific staff available to answer technical questions when they arise.

4. Find a Lab with Integrity

Try to learn about former clients’ experience with the lab. Are current clients satisfied with the quality of their services? A good chemical analysis laboratory puts science and data first. It processes and tests all samples the same way to provide every single test partner with accurate and reliable data every single time.

The lab should also be able to provide information upon request that supports how the tests were done. When you pay for the tests, you also pay for your data, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t release it to you if it doesn’t divulge any proprietary information.

Additional information into how the test results were generated will demonstrate the lab’s testing capabilities and increase your confidence in their chemical testing services.

5. Ask About Procedures For Out-of-Specification Investigations 

Ask the lab about its procedure to determine if a sample actually failed the test or it’s a lab error. Ask them about what they do when the test results don’t meet specifications. A good lab partner will have set procedures for situations when the tests don’t go as planned.

Best Analytical Laboratory Services Near You?

Are you looking for the best analytical laboratories near you?

Labstat is a world-leading analytical testing laboratory for nicotine and cannabis product testing. Labstat cannabis testing and analysis services are supported by over 45 years of experience in highly regulated consumer markets, including nicotine. Here are five reasons why you should choose Labstat for all your testing needs.

1. Results You Can Trust

Our validated and verified methods are suitable for a range of cannabis matrices. We have also invested in state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation and a qualified and experienced scientific team to ensure we only provide high-quality defensible, and reliable data to each testing partner.

2. Multiple Locations

Labstat has multiple locations across Canada, the United States, and Europe, offering analytical lab services for cannabis and tobacco/nicotine companies worldwide.

3. Our Labs Are ISO 17025-Accredited

Our labs are ISO 17025-accredited, the pinnacle of third-party laboratory excellence. ISO 17025 isn’t just about acquiring compliant equipment; it’s a set of protocols that ensure your data is accurate and produced using validated methods and by adequately trained staff.

4. Competitive TAT

Labstat provides reliable results you can trust with competitive turnaround time so you can make the best business decisions in a timely manner.

5. Cannabis Act Compliance Services And Regulatory Consulting

We are not just a lab, we are your testing partner, and we’ll do everything we can to elevate your business. The scientists in our Canadian analytical laboratories have extensive experience working in highly regulated industries such as tobacco and cannabis so you can be sure your brand is in good hands. 

We will also handle the regulatory and compliance questions so you can focus on making the best product. 

Interested in learning more about our cannabis and nicotine testing services? Contact us today and one of our team members will get in touch with you.