Time for a Change

Tech-Forward Solutions for Fast-Onset, Cost-Effective Edible Manufacturing

Edibles manufacturers face a host of challenges ensuring product quality and stability through the supply chain. In heated conditions, like in a truck cargo bay during transport, cannabinoids can leach out of packaged products before they get to their destination. Additionally, over time, in traditional edible manufacturing the distillate in the final product can crystalize, which can be accelerated by cold temperatures. Supply chain stability is a persistent problem in the edibles space. How do you create a shelf stable product that travels well despite changes in temperature?

The Washington marketplace can be especially vulnerable to supply chain and distribution problems because of its diverse geography. While transporting goods across the state, a truck might travel through rain forests into dry canyons and high into the Cascade Mountains before hitting a shelf. Advances in technology and processing now solve these challenges.

Chef Ron Silver, Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Azuca, applied his knowledge of the culinary arts to create more shelf-stable formulas for cannabis edibles. “I started to see new and innovative ways to use culinary techniques to bring out the best in the cannabis plant. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, developing what eventually became our Azuca TiME INFUSION technology, and in the years since, have watched it transform the cannabis edibles industry,” said Silver.

The acronym TiME stands for Thermodynamic individual Molecular Encapsulation. The process not only helps stabilize the cannabis molecules within the product, it also helps the body to process them more efficiently. “It’s a process that makes ingestible cannabinoid particles smaller and water friendly, enabling faster uptake. This process begins immediately in the mouth, avoiding the liver where cannabinoids are degraded and absorption is slowed. That’s how we are able to cut that traditional 90 minutes [for edible activation] down to less than 15 minutes,” said Silver.

One unique aspect of Azuca’s process is that it’s easily available to manufacturers. Washington State cannabis companies can take advantage of TiME INFUSION in their own production facilities. “A key benefit to integrating this technology into an existing edibles production process is that it doesn’t require burdensome training or large capital investment, making the adoption seamless and cost-effective,” said Kim Rael, President and CEO of Azuca.

Edible makers also face “transfer loss.” The stickiness of distillate makes it cling to mixing equipment and anything it touches, causing transfer loss. Transfer waste costs manufacturers an average cannabinoid loss of 15-20%. Azuca’s processes reduce transfer and potency loss in edibles by up to 65% according to their white paper study Stability and Waste Solutions for Edible Manufacturers.

These tech advancements are exciting for edibles brands and end customers. “Our consumers no longer have to play the guessing game when it comes to onset time and dosing. Our infusions taste great, and we’re tackling manufacturing challenges to minimize waste and ensure the longest shelf life possible. It all comes down to science,” said Silver. ❖

(Left) Azuca Founder and CCO Ron Silver. (Right) President and CEO Kim Rael.