How to choose the best manufacturer for your CBD products.

Choosing the best white or private label CBD manufacturer can be a long and tedious process, but it is a process worth getting right. So, if you have ever thought about launching your own CBD brand or are looking for another manufacturer to take over your production, keep reading!

In this guide we will list some things to look out for, and some helpful questions you can ask your current or prospective CBD manufacturer to ensure the success of your CBD brand and products.

Ask to see the production facilities in person

You want to ensure the CBD manufacturer you will be working with is fully transparent, and is happy to show how and where the production of your products takes place. And a quick way to see whether a manufacturer is worth working with, is to ask if it would be possible to see the production facilities in person.

Doing this will not only build the trust required between you and the manufacturer, but this will give you reassurance that all production is conducted to the quality standards you require. As even though your white label manufacturer may not be a part of your business, they will still be an integral part of the success of your business.

Do bear in mind that if the private or white label manufacturer is producing products for multiple different brands, these are more than likely done under strict NDAs. This means there might be some limitations to when these in-person tours can take place. But you should be able to arrange one eventually with a good manufacturer who is transparent with the customers.

Ask about compliance and certification of production facilities

As the absolute minimum for where the production of your CBD products can take place is a clean room status from Trading Standards, it is worth ensuring that your manufacturer does not just do the bare minimum – but goes above and beyond to ensure the quality of your products.

Since there are multiple standards and certifications that a manufacturer can achieve for their production facilities, the best thing to do is to enquire why the manufacturer has either undergone a certain level of certification, or has chosen not to (ISO, HACCP, GMP, etc.). The types and levels of certifications vary greatly, as do the requirements for different types of manufacturing purposes; meaning there is no single right answer for what is the best option or level of certification for a manufacturer of your products.

To make things even more complicated: Some production facilities may also be “manufactured to GMP” standards for example, but due to the costs involved the manufacturer has chosen not to go ahead with the official certification.

Just make sure you ask your white label manufacturer about the certifications, and ensure you are happy with the answers and the reasons given for each!

Ask for examples of success of own brands and products

Promises and claims are easy to make, but success is hard to proof if the manufacturer doesn’t have their own successful CBD brand, or is not allowed to disclaim the brands the manufacturer is producing for. This is why it would be extremely helpful when trying to find the best private and white label CBD companies, that you can find one who can showcase the successes of a product or brand the company has manufactured.

As we manufacture the products for our own award-winning brand Green Stem CBD, you can easily find out more about our brand, our products, our awards, and therefore direct and clear proof of the success our unparalleled manufacturing quality and practises have resulted in.

Ask for guidance in formulation

A great CBD manufacturer will not only be able to make your products as you wish, but also help you with the formulation of your products – new or existing.

You should also ask very specific and technical questions from your manufacturer about certain ingredients in the formulations to find out whether they are competent! The best private or white label CBD manufacturers will have experienced chemists and technicians to answer any of your questions swiftly and precisely.

Doing this will help you develop your CBD products even further, and ensure the highest possible quality of your products, and that no pointless or potentially harmful ingredients are used in the formulation of your products.

Request Samples

Once you have either provided your prospective  manufacturer with a formulation, or alternatively they have come up with a brand new one, or one with improvements… Request samples! A serious manufacturer with competent chemists will always be able to accommodate a sample request.

You should also ask the manufacturer to create samples for a completely new product. As an example, try asking for a specific type of a product giving enough creative freedom to your manufacturer so they can showcase their ability to not just manufacture your products, but also their product development potential!

Some suggestions for such sample requests:

• A luxurious hand cream that is in line with your brand
• A new flavour of CBD oil that goes well with the summer launch of your new website
• A massage oil that will be both relaxing but also have your signature scent in it
• A new cosmetic product for a target group your business has identified

After all, the products and the quality of the products themselves is the key to your company’s success! So make sure you will be given the opportunity to be able to touch, feel, or taste the products yourself before any commitment! And you should also ensure that the manufacturer is not just able to manufacture your existing product lineup, but one that also will be able to help you develop completely new ones.

We are always happy to accommodate sample requests, or send you samples of our products. You can send us a sample request here.

Enquire about testing capabilities

Several manufacturers rely on occasional third party test results, but the best CBD manufacturers would have an HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography) machine of their own, or another means of testing the consistency and potency of their products accurately. While some testing is required and is good to be done by a third party for a completely unbiased test results, it’s extremely important for the manufacturer itself to be able to conduct all necessary testing as and when required.

This doesn’t just allow the CBD manufacturer to ensure the quality and potency of their CBD products themselves, but by having the capacity to do testing in-house, your CBD manufacturer will be able to provide a CoA (Certificate of Analysis) for each and every batch produced if required and this will be an added benefit to your customers when selling CBD products.

To Summarise:

Make sure you can see the production facilities yourself and ask lots of questions to ensure you are choosing one of the best private or white label CBD companies for your products!