Scientist operating HPLC chromatography equipment in a testing laboratory

Testing Services

Analytical panels built for UK compliance

Every service is designed around the specific requirements of UK FSA, MHRA, and food safety regulations — giving you results that hold up to scrutiny.

What we test, and how

Our laboratory runs six core testing panels covering the full range of compliance requirements for CBD and hemp products sold in the UK. Each panel uses validated, internationally recognised analytical methods and is reported with full methodology disclosure.

0148 hours

Cannabinoid Profiling

Confirm potency and legal THC thresholds

Full quantification of CBD, THC, CBDa, THCa, CBG, CBN, CBC, and 15+ minor cannabinoids. Essential for label accuracy, legal compliance, and Novel Food dossiers.

Method: HPLC-DAD
Sample types: Oils, edibles, topicals, flower, isolates
Report includes: Cannabinoid concentrations (mg/g and %), THC:CBD ratio, label compliance assessment

023–5 working days

Pesticide Screening

Multi-residue screening to UK MRL standards

Screening for 200+ pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides commonly used in cannabis cultivation. Results referenced against UK and EU maximum residue limits.

Method: LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS
Sample types: Flower, extracts, oils, concentrates
Report includes: Detected residues with concentrations, MRL comparison table, pass/fail summary

033–5 working days

Heavy Metal Testing

ICP-MS analysis for toxic metal contamination

Quantification of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and other toxic metals. Cannabis is a known bioaccumulator — heavy metal testing is critical for any consumable product.

Method: ICP-MS
Sample types: All product types including soil and growing media
Report includes: Metal concentrations (ppb/ppm), EU food safety limit comparison, pass/fail per element

045–7 working days

Microbial Testing

Pathogen and contamination screening

Detection and enumeration of total aerobic bacteria, yeast, mould, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. Required for consumable and inhalable products.

Method: ISO-compliant culture and PCR methods
Sample types: Edibles, oils, capsules, flower, topicals
Report includes: Colony counts per gram, pathogen presence/absence, regulatory limit comparison

055–7 working days

Novel Food Compliance

Analytical data packages for FSA authorisation

Comprehensive analytical data packages aligned with FSA Novel Food authorisation requirements. Includes cannabinoid profiling, contaminant screening, and documentation support for dossier submission.

Method: Multi-panel — HPLC-DAD, ICP-MS, LC-MS/MS
Sample types: CBD food supplements, oils, edibles
Report includes: Full analytical dossier, FSA-aligned summary report, supporting documentation checklist

0648 hours

Terpene Analysis

Identification and quantification of 60+ terpenes

Detailed terpene profiling for product differentiation, quality assurance, and consumer transparency. Supports entourage effect claims and premium product positioning.

Method: GC-FID / GC-MS
Sample types: Flower, extracts, oils, concentrates
Report includes: Individual terpene concentrations (%), total terpene content, dominant terpene identification

Validated methods. Transparent reporting.

Every analytical method used by TestCanna is validated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 operating standards. Our reports include full methodology disclosure, instrument details, and limits of detection — so you know exactly what the results mean and how they were obtained.

Not sure which panel you need?

Get in touch and our team will advise on the right testing combination for your product type and compliance requirements.