The Edible Safety Plan: Why You Need it
The pandemic has affected countless businesses and individuals. And even though the economy is wavering, there’s one industry that’s booming: cannabis-infused edibles. Economists from New Frontier Data have estimated that U.S. sales will approach $3 billion by the end of 2020.
Despite this demand, federal authorities have yet to create a uniform framework of regulatory requirements. In the absence of federal oversight, other mechanisms of accountability must be developed within the industry or under state law.
While the FDA or other federal governing body has not passed any bill regarding cannabis-infused products, some states have legislated guidelines—such as product labeling requirements, or the submission of an edible recall plan.
Why food safety is important for the emerging edibles industry
With such a high demand for products containing cannabis, food safety concerns are starting to mount. There is a risk of contamination from Biological, Chemical and Physical hazards, and the onus is on those creating cannabis-infused products to ensure they don’t harm the consumer. Moreover, it’s a simple business principle: win your customers over by providing consistent quality that they can trust.
What is an edible safety plan?
The edible safety plan is facility and product specific. It includes written GMPs, GCPs, associated SOPs, hazard analysis, preventive controls, associated monitoring and verification records and a recall plan. Analogous to a food safety plan in the food industry, corrective actions and corrections to deviations from the plan are documented.
Although this sounds complicated, there are template forms, product example cases and training available.
Why are edible safety plans important?
To safely manufacture edibles, each product’s safety plan must be carefully developed and implemented. Food safety plans are important because they protect the public from potentially dangerous products. These plans monitor processes and detect issues throughout each step of processing for each line of production. Without edible safety plans in place, manufacturers risk harming the health of their customers.
Courses for Cannabis-Infused Edibles Producers
Manufacturers of cannabis-infused edibles want to ensure their products are safe, so ImEPIK has released the Cannabis Edibles Safety Course©.
Level I, GMPs and the Pyramid of Edible Safety, provides production basics for line workers. Managers should take Level I and Level II The Edibles Safety Plan, to get up to speed on the development of the edible safety plan and the best ways to document and verify preventive controls in the plan.
Getting trained as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual, or PCQI, is also recommended for those wanting to advance their careers. Our PCQI training course is a comprehensive dive into compliance, hazard analysis and preventive controls – what you must know to maintain superior food safety standards.
Purchase your training courses today. Our platform is easy to use and self-paced with effective interactive learning. Get started with our Cannabis Edibles Safety Course© or sign up for PCQI Online today.