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Alyse Thompson-Richards

Alyse Thompson-Richards has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois. Alyse has since served on Cannabis Products Insider and joined FOOD ENGINEERING in 2024. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University. Image courtesy of Thompson-Richards

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Flexibility Critical to Cannabis Food and Beverage Manufacturing Equipment

Manufacturers must work with OEMs to develop individualized solutions.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

March 23, 2021

PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, notes in its report, "Cannabis Market Update: Unique Packaging Challenges for THC and CBD Products," manufacturers must work closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop solutions that suit their individual requirements.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS | NOVEMBER 2020

Using High-Shear Mixing to Develop Cannabis Edibles

High-shear mixing is critical for developing stable emulsions, homogenous cannabis-infused products.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

November 9, 2020

Developing successful mixing processes for cannabis-infused food and beverage manufacturing relies on several factors. Moreover, manufacturers of mixing equipment note one process in particular is especially important to consider: shear.

How Chocolate Can Interfere with Cannabinoid Potency Testing

New research suggests chocolate can cause “matrix effect” when testing for cannabinoids.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

October 14, 2020

New research, published in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,” suggests a product’s matrix can impact a lab’s ability to precisely test for cannabinoid content.

AssurPACK Packaging for Cannabis Baked Goods

How to Choose Child-Resistant Packaging for Cannabis Edibles

Packaging for Protection: Selecting child-resistant cannabis packaging also involves cost, environmental impact and intuitive use.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

August 19, 2020

Child-resistant packaging plays an important role in preventing young children from accessing cannabis-infused foods and beverages—products that could potentially look appealing to them.

Seasoning Systems Can Apply Cannabinoids with Care

Applied with Care: Seasoning systems multitask by offering gentle methods for topical application of cannabis to food products.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

August 17, 2020

Developers of seasoning systems say they're ready to serve manufacturers seeking to apply cannabis topically and evenly without breaking apart the base product.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS | JUNE 2020

Sanitizing Equipment for Safe Cannabis Edibles

Even without federal oversight, cannabis food and beverage manufacturers should follow GMPs for equipment cleaning and sanitization.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

June 23, 2020

Whether manufacturers make cannabis-infused foods and beverages or non-infused ones, proper sanitation is a must to create safe, high-quality products.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS | MARCH 2020

Achieving cannabinoid consistency in food and beverage products

From raw ingredients to the end product, maintaining accurate cannabinoid content is crucial for developing safe, compliant cannabis foods and beverages.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

March 23, 2020

Cannabis consumers need to know that they will consistently get the same benefits from the cannabis-infused foods and beverages that they purchase, and that the products reliably match stated dosing claimed on packaging.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS | NOVEMBER 2019

Using inspection and detection equipment in cannabis edibles manufacturing

Inspection and Detection 101: Selecting the most suitable inspection and detection equipment depends on cost, material to be detected and the type of product.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

November 26, 2019

Developing the perfect product formulation and using the best production equipment can help manufacturers create quality cannabis-infused food and beverages.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS | NOVEMBER 2019

How to select mixing equipment for cannabis food and beverages

Mixing with care: Choosing the best mixer for cannabis-infused products requires weighing many factors.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

November 25, 2019

Creating consistent, enjoyable food and beverages is impossible without proper mixing, and that's especially true for cannabis-infused products.

How to Choose Chocolate Manufacturing Equipment for Cannabis Products

Selecting the correct size and type of chocolate manufacturing equipment poses a challenge to chocolate edibles makers.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

August 19, 2019

Successfully incorporating cannabis into edibles that are delicious, safe and consistently dosed is not an easily achieved feat. Add in the complexities of chocolate, and it becomes a real challenge, particularly for new and small edibles manufacturers.

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