Safety

Smoke-free R&D knowhow since 2009

Here at Ritchy, we have been developing unique industry knowledge since 2009, enabling us to effectively and precisely control e-liquid product safety in a wide variety of areas.

• Unique methods of nicotine analysis
• Tobacco-specific nitrosamines and dozens of unique analytical methods
• Calibration for hundreds of components
• 2-year shelf-life validation
• Toxicity profiling
• Emission testing
• High-speed centrifugation with mass-spectrometry testing

Rigorous testing standards for components and final products

With more than a thousand components used for e-liquid development, Ritchy uses an in-house laboratory to test 100% of all upcoming batches of raw materials for safety and standards.

Most components are passed through a Volatile Components Gas Mass-Spectrometer; an expensive testing process that is common within the pharmaceutical industry. Batches also undergo heavy metal testing on Plasma Mass-spectrometers, and non-volatiles are passed through external Liquid Mass-spectrometry equipment.

Zero Cross-Contamination protocol

With more than a thousand components used for e-liquid development, Ritchy uses an in-house laboratory to test 100% of all upcoming batches of raw materials for safety and standards.

Most components are passed through a Volatile Components Gas Mass-Spectrometer; an expensive testing process that is common within the pharmaceutical industry. Batches also undergo heavy metal testing on Plasma Mass-spectrometers, and non-volatiles are passed through external Liquid Mass-spectrometry equipment.

There are two common ways for components to be measured during the dosing process. Volumetric (by volume) and gravimetric (by weight).

Volumetric measurement systems are fundamentally simplistic, employing the use of measure-marked containers, with which the operator is required to visually check the amount of component as it is added to a mixing tank. This approach is less than ideal, as operators often make mistakes, and on top of that, small quantities of residual component often remain within the original container.

Furthermore, measurement containers are often re-used, but in doing so there is virtually no way to ensure they are completely clean between batches using different materials.

To tackle this issue, Ritchy has developed its own unique compounding method. Using a precision “state-of-the-art” gravimetric system, with a tolerance accuracy measurable to 0.01%, peristaltic pumps automatically deliver components into the mixture by weight. Components in use are automatically checked by RFID scanner from the original component container. This way, the possibility of operator error is almost completely eliminated, and mixing accuracy variance is better than 0.1%.

While more companies are switching to this approach, it is still relatively unique within the vaping industry and more in line with pharmaceutical standards.

Vacuum sealing verification

E-liquid is a product that is readily oxidized when exposed to oxygen. Ultra-High Purity Nitrogen is used by Ritchy to remove air from production containers before mixing.

All products bottled by Ritchy are then passed through vacuum testing not once but twice (-65kPa, 3 times for 30 minutes), surpassing typical industry requirements for general transportation leakage tests. This process allows us to ensure all containers are uncontaminated and airtight when packed, and the end customer only ever receives a product that is in perfect condition.

Since 2014, Ritchy has been using a security and batch tracking system developed in-house. Every single bottle produced carries a 2D code that is stored in our database and is accessible to customers. This system can be used to validate a product is genuine by simply scanning the QR scan and checking online (because the number of checks is limited, any potential counterfeit products, mimicking our unique system would run out of codes).

Internally, Ritchy can even check batches of Raw Materials used in the manufacture of any given product using this same code system. In our production process, all batches of materials are verified by RFID against the Ritchy Material Tracking Database. Ritchy tracks tens of millions of bottles and more than ¼ million people have successfully validated their products using our QR-checking system

Ritchy produces tens of thousands of batches of products, and after all precautionary steps ( Q.A. and Q.C. ) have been satisfied, the company stores a sample from every single batch in normal warehouse conditions. Should there ever be a query regarding product quality, a sample will always be available for the same product batch held in storage for exactly the same time as the product in a shop. This enables technicians at Ritchy to quickly and thoroughly analyze a product for any inconsistencies while held in storage.

Using the Complete Raw Material Tracing Database, Ritchy can quickly react and identify batches of products that could have potentially been affected. While nothing dangerous has ever been found in our products, the ability to quickly react and ensure that any liquid is within its specification is a unique advantage of Ritchy, and reassuring to all of our customers and ourselves.

General List of ingredients and maximum concentration limits Ritchy company has decided to publish all product components used in Liqua and Aramax e-liquids.

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Open Policy Letter

Ritchy Group CEO goes public with its Open Policy Letter, signed by CEO Max Kosenko.

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