Why This Cannabis Company Recalled Over 3,000 Gummies In Missouri

Flora Farms, a prominent cannabis producer in Missouri, voluntarily recalled over 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummies last month after state regulators flagged a labeling oversight.

The issue? The ingredient list omitted the specific food coloring used in the gummies, Missouri Independent reported.

A Regulatory Reminder

According to Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for Missouri's Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR), the recall stemmed not from the food coloring itself, which is not banned, but from the omission on the ingredients list.

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"Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product," Freeman explained. "This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product."

Only one adverse reaction was reported and the incident did not require hospitalization.

Cannabis’ Compliance Challenges

The recall occurred despite Missouri's newly implemented recreational marijuana packaging and labeling rules. Since Sept. 1, manufacturers have been required to submit packaging and labels for pre-approval by the DCR before products reach dispensary shelves.

However, this process focuses more on design compliance such as ensuring information is included and packaging is not appealing to children, rather than on verifying the accuracy of ingredient lists.

"Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints, and investigations," Freeman clarified.

Missouri's rules mandate that cannabis packaging feature plain designs with limited colors and minimal branding. These measures aim to comply with the state's constitutional requirement that marijuana-related product packaging "shall not be made to be attractive to children."

Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms, replied. "DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used. So that's what we have done."

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