Ziel, a developer of food-safety processor systems, has recently expanded its radio frequency (RF) pest control technology to meet growing demand for organic, chemical-free cannabis products.
The company’s technology relies on non-ionizing radio waves for volumetric heating to kill microbes (similar to microwaves). Typically, this involves dipole rotation of water (and other) molecules that generates heat. Microwave radiation is also available for disinfection purposes.
Ziel was founded by Arthur de Cordova and Zakiul Kabir after purchasing RF Biocidics technology from Allied Minds in 2017. RF Biocidics was first developed in 2008 by the University of California for pasteurization of tree nuts in agriculture. The company has moved forward from traditional agricultural pest control solutions, however, with its APEX-7 technology for the cannabis industry.
According to the company, APEX-7 offers microbial reduction without sacrificing product quality. Ziel says cannabis agricultural products have a 10% fail rate when it comes to microbial infections like fungus. With APEX-7, however, Ziel claims 100% of its customers pass quality control tests with its APEX-7 technology. Customers reportedly save at least $1 million per year by utilizing RF technology versus standard pesticides. Ziel explains, “Operating at a 27.12 MHz frequency level, polar water molecules contained in the natural moisture of the cannabis rotate 27 million times per second, generating friction and thus the heat necessary to kill microbial pathogens.”
The system can treat up to 60 pounds per hour, and it weights almost 2,000 pounds.
In an April 2, 2020 press release, Ziel announced it had been awarded the first ever cannabis microbial treatment patent. Its APEX-7 technology is currently utilized by major cultivators across the country in Colorado, Michigan, and Nevada. The company has a global footprint as well with customers in Germany, Portugal, and Canada.
“Our mission is to provide the most innovative, turnkey solutions for agribusiness and cannabis cultivators so they can focus on growing their business and delivering safe, high-quality products to their customers,” Managing Director and Ziel Co-Founder Zakiul Kabir said in the press release.
Ziel’s technology marks a major step in pest remediation for the cannabis industry, which operates under stringent regulations with a demanding customer base that insists on the purest products free from dangerous pesticides.
Header image: Science in HD, Unsplash
Article image: Ziel website, fair use
