The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) has partnered with the National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) to offer a joint recognition accreditation program to hemp and cannabis testing laboratories in the United States.
In a press release published on October 2, A2LA said the new program is recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the international organization for accreditation bodies.
“A2LA is very pleased to partner with NIHC to set and raise the bar for quality and technical competence of hemp testing laboratories to the NIHC stakeholders,” said Trace McInturff, Vice President of Accreditation Services, A2LA.
“This is truly a unique program that offers hemp labs recognition from both of these important organizations, which will inspire confidence in the quality of their test results while ensuring consumer safety.”
The partnership between A2LA and NIHC is outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which expresses the details of the joint accreditation program. The program is based on requirements from ISO/IEC 17025, a global standard for testing and calibration laboratories.
“NIHC is excited to work side-by-side with the experts at A2LA in this collaborative effort to offer our members new avenues for accreditation, especially at this critical time when lab reliability is at the forefront of product quality,” said Patrick Atagi, President, NIHC.
“A2LA has a long history of facilitating safety through accreditation, and the NIHC team is proud to be a part of this safety-driven cooperation.”