Mile High Labs says new certifications underpin quality, manufacturing reliability
Mile High Labs, based in Broomfield CO, opened its new plant in 2019. The company, which at that time had been freshly capitalized, took over an idle 400,000 square facility that had previously been used by pharmaceutical company Novartis to manufacture the drug Xanax.
At the time of the facility’s unveiling, Mile High Labs (MHL) said the facility was potentially the biggest capacity plant devoted to the manufacture of cannabinoids in the world. Only a small fraction of the massive facility was in use at that time, though.
Company: Quality borne out by certifications
The company announced today that it has achieved two certifications from NSF International, one NSF/ANSI 455-2 Dietary Supplement certification and another NSF/ANSI 455-3 for cosmetics/personal care products.
"Until federal regulation for CBD comes, obtaining these certifications helps provide guidance for major CPG brands and big-box retailers looking to successfully and responsibly enter the space by providing consistent, reliable, high-quality products to their consumers,” said Jodi Gatica, VP of quality and regulatory for Mile High Labs.
Quality, growth potential attracted DSM
The company’s focus on quality manufacturing was one of the reasons given for the high profile partnership announced earlier this year in which Mile High teamed up with multinational ingredient supplier Royal DSM.
“There is a strong consumer pull in the CBD space for high-quality, health-benefit driven solutions, but as yet the market is still to arrive at recognized science or quality standards,” Frederic Boned, Vice President, Human Nutrition & Health at DSM North America said in June.
“MHL is the ideal partner due to its staunch commitment to sustainability, quality and regulatory compliance, as well as its extensive cannabinoid manufacturing capabilities.”
"Being the one of the first CBD manufacturers to receive both certifications is a testament to our ongoing mission of quality, compliance, and producing the best products for consumers," said Doug Lynch, who is the new chief commercial officer at MHL. "Our regulatory team's continued efforts allow our customers to differentiate themselves in an underregulated market while ensuring that when federal regulations arrive, MHL and its customers will be ready."
Market outlook
CBD and hemp products had a rough year in 2020, with Nutrition Business Journal reporting that US sales of hemp/CBD products of all types had declined by 2% to $803 million. Sales of CBD supplements specifically fell even more, declining by an estimated 6%.
But that soft patch came after several years of rapid growth, and the DSM partnership indicates that big players in the field are betting on that growth returning in the future. Indeed, a recent report by Brightfield Group that forecasts that sales in 2021 will grow 15% year over year.
