// Definition
Organic chemical compounds containing a formyl group that can form as harmful degradation byproducts in solvent-based cannabis extractions, particularly when residual solvents remain or improper purging occurs. Their presence in concentrates indicates contamination or chemical degradation during the extraction process — a health concern that standard HPLC cannabis testing panels do not detect.
// From the Episode
Mark Scialdone discussed how NMR analysis can detect aldehydes in cannabis extracts that HPLC testing completely misses, representing a significant gap in the cannabis testing industry’s quality assurance. He explained that aldehydes form through oxidative degradation pathways and their presence in a concentrate should raise safety concerns. This underscored the argument for adopting NMR as a complementary or superior analytical method.