Freya Farm is a cannabis producer and processor in Washington. They are passionate about organic cannabis cultivation, growing high-grade and unique strains.
Problem:
Following a cannabis recall due to their products testing positive for the antimicrobial chemical o-Phenylphenol, the Freya team conducted full testing of all items which had come in contact with their recalled cannabis products. As a last resort, their single-use “food safe” gloves were tested and found to be the contaminant.
Handling products with contaminated gloves can transfer toxic compounds to the product - risking a cannabis recall.
Why Gloves Can Contaminate Products:
Although these gloves, sourced from a previous supplier, were FDA food compliant, glove factories supplying the U.S. food industries are not subjected to rigorous ongoing FDA monitoring or scrutiny. Few controls are required in relation to the reliability and consistency of raw material ingredients, manufacturing processes, cleanliness and factory compliance. 
This means there is opportunity for manufacturers to reduce costs by using cheap raw materials which lower glove durability, and may introduce toxic compounds which can transfer to glove users and products handled - potentially leading to a cannabis recall.
o-Phenylphenol, responsible for Freya Farm’s cannabis recall, is listed by the OEHHAA as a compound known to cause cancer. It was unknowingly transferred to their product by using contaminated FDA food compliant disposable gloves.
Risks Of Single-use Glove Contamination To The Cannabis Industry:
- Cost of recalled cannabis products
- Brand reputation due to cannabis recalls
- Possible dermal absorption of toxins to staff wearing gloves 8 hours / day
Mitigate The Risk Of Cannabis Recalls:
Freya Farm immediately eliminated the contaminated glove issue by sourcing Eagle FineTOUGH and Sensitive nitrile gloves.
Eagle Protect’s proprietary third-party glove analysis ensures a range of Eagle gloves are truly food safe and won’t contaminate products being handled. The analysis tests for:
- Cleanliness (microbial & fungal contaminants)
- Chemicals & toxins
- Durability & cross-contamination potential
Manufacturing consistency is essential to ensure gloves adhere to the highest level of food safety performance.
Conclusion:
Purchasing gloves, of no known origin or quality, is a potential business risk. To mitigate this, it is essential to purchase disposable gloves from established suppliers with known quality control measures in place.
The cost of a cannabis recall is too high.
