Pharma Grade VG

[Spazmelda]

I just had the bright idea to ask my husband about this. He's an analytical chemist, and is actually on a usp committee (I don't really understand the the details of how this works, but they have representatives from industry on some of their committees). Part of his area of expertise is regulatory compliance for a large consumer products company (in the area of OTC drugs) and he actually is an author on a usp monograph. Anyway, he says if it says usp it is pharmaceutical grade. As far as he knows, there is no such distinction as usp food grade or usp pharma grade.

Not that I'm saying you all should trust some random Internet person's husband. Lol.

 

[ingerri]

Guys are we talking pharma grade - not food grade or organic - pharma grade is very pure (least impurities) , most often synthetic

usp is pham grade...USP Grade Vegetable Glycerin - MyFreedomSmokes.com if you zoom in on label is says "us phama" which is usp...same as what is sold at walmart/cvs

 

[yzer]

usp is pham grade...USP Grade Vegetable Glycerin - MyFreedomSmokes.com if you zoom in on label is says "us phama" which is usp...same as what is sold at walmart/cvs

USP is not "us pharma". "us pharma" is meaningless.

USP means United States Pharmacopeia.

Every single container however big or small of Glycerin USP will have the following on the label:

1. Glycerin USP
2. A batch number
3. An expiration date of up to 5 years from the present

If the label doesn't have the three listings above, it ain't Glycerin USP.

 

[chicoj]

here ..Why Glycerin Usp?

 

[yzer]

The main ingredient of glycerin or glycerine is glycerol. Glycerin USP meets pharmaceutical standards defined by United States Pharmacopeia. Glycerin USP standards exceed the purity standards for Food Grade Glycerin. Food Grade Glycerin standards are similar to USP standards and are defined by the Food Chemical Codex (FCC). Glycerin USP may be used as a substitute for Food Grade Glycerin but Food Grade Glycerin may not be used as a substitute for Glycerin USP. The are also technical grades of glycerin that are not USP or FCC and are not intended for human consumption.

 

[ingerri]

You can purchase Glycerin USP (USP is pharma grade) in 6 oz (177 ml) bottles at any local drug store in the USA. It is made by Humco and is labeled with whatever store brand name the store wants on it.

Here is an example. I buy two of these for $10 (no shipping charge!) at the local drug store. They have an expiration date that is about five years later than the bottling date, not a one year expiration date. These have the same USP grade as a 55 gallon factory drum of Glycerin USP. These are factory sealed bottles that have not been repackaged in open air which would reduce the shelf life to one year.

Once these bottles are opened, use within one year. Sealed, store it up to five years away from direct light and without refrigeration.

CVS Pure Glycerin USP - CVS pharmacy

Glycerin USP is pharmaceutical grade glycerin and the highest purity grade of glycerin sold in the US. The "purity" percentage for USP grade is 99.5% but many manufacturers (like Humco) produce a 99.7% product. They do this to meet the 99.5% USP specification with a little safety factor over the required minimal specification.

The .3% is water.

Once a factory sealed container of Glycerin USP is opened in open air it no longer meets USP specification.

Once exposed to air the glycerin should be used within a year to 18 months if stored without refrigeration. If you store it in a freezer then it will keep for years.

USP is not "us pharma". "us pharma" is meaningless.

USP means United States Pharmacopeia.

Every single container however big or small of Glycerin USP will have the following on the label:

1. Glycerin USP
2. A batch number
3. An expiration date of up to 5 years from the present

If the label doesn't have the three listings above, it ain't Glycerin USP.

The main ingredient of glycerin or glycerine is glycerol. Glycerin USP meets pharmaceutical standards defined by United States Pharmacopeia. Glycerin USP standards exceed the purity standards for Food Grade Glycerin. Food Grade Glycerin standards are similar to USP standards and are defined by the Food Chemical Codex (FCC). Glycerin USP may be used as a substitute for Food Grade Glycerin but Food Grade Glycerin may not be used as a substitute for Glycerin USP. The are also technical grades of glycerin that are not USP or FCC and are not intended for human consumption.

so I more or less agree with you, and you argue the point...whatever

 

[Caridwen]

Pretty much sums up my research to date as well... based on reading the same article some time back. But I will dog it out and find out if there is a real difference between USP food grade and Pharma grade. I been vaping food grade - and sometimes organic food grade which is equally as easy and cheap to get. Food grade VG is the primary substance by far I am inhaling so it would be nice to know if there is a purer form. The other big area is what "heat" does to the mix, the metal etc. Specially with sub ohming which is where my sweet spot lies. Doing a bunch of research there as well - ( not worried about oxidizing wick) - concern would be about temp at the coil which if one is vapping at 1 ohm or less - is hot - real hot and the real reason so many are melting their center post insulators on RBA's in my humble opinion.

You must have missed the link posted.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/277267-purity-pg-vg-peg-short-version.html

 

[tj99959]

"Pharmaceutical grade" falls in the same category as "organic" or "kosher". Sounds good, but in essence there is no such thing.

 

[yzer]

so I more or less agree with you, and you argue the point...whatever

You don't seem to understand the point I'm driving at.

-If the product is not identified as Glycerin USP on the label it isn't Glycerin USP. The wording of the product name must be exactly this: Glycerin USP. The product you linked to is not labeled as Glycerin USP, it is labeled as VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin which sounds impressive but doesn't mean Glycerin USP. The words VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin are virtually meaningless if you want to identify Glycerin USP.

-The label photo for the VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin you linked to does not include a lot number. All containers of Glycerin USP must have a lot number.

 

[Spazmelda]

You don't seem to understand the point I'm driving at.

-If the product is not identified as Glycerin USP on the label it isn't Glycerin USP. The wording of the product name must be exactly this: Glycerin USP. The product you linked to is not labeled as Glycerin USP, it is labeled as VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin which sounds impressive but doesn't mean Glycerin USP. The words VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin are virtually meaningless if you want to identify Glycerin USP.

-The label photo for the VG US Pharmacopeia Grade Vegetable Glycerin you linked to does not include a lot number. All containers of Glycerin USP must have a lot number.

If you do zoom in on that picture you can see it lists as the ingredient: vegetable glycerin USP 100%. I don't see a lot number on that picture, but the actual bottles may include a lot number. I've never bought glycerin from them, so I don't know.

 

[tj99959]

Round & round we go in ever decreasing circles.
There are only two (2) Vegetable Glycerins certified for human consumption PERIOD

Glycerin USP
Glycerin FCC (food grade)

Lot # and expiration date are required on ALL Pharmaceuticals.
Any other descriptions on the label are only there to make you feel warm & fuzzy.

 

[polingpower]

Can we get pizza up in here , y'all are making me hungry talking about food (grade)again

 

[ingerri]

I don't see a lot number on that picture, but the actual bottles may include a lot number.

yes they do

 

[yzer]

If you do zoom in on that picture you can see it lists as the ingredient: vegetable glycerin USP 100%. I don't see a lot number on that picture, but the actual bottles may include a lot number. I've never bought glycerin from them, so I don't know.

I copied the photo and blew it up. You are correct about what is printed on the label, but Vegetable Glycerin USP does not exist in the USP listings therefore the labeling is meaningless.

Take this example and I'm not saying it has anything to do with the product you linked.

Say someone orders a couple of 55-gallon drums of Glycerin USP. This is readily available to anyone who wants to buy it. If you want to repackage that Glycerin USP into one gallon containers you will need an FDA approved clean room in order to repackage it. The glycerin will be transferred to the new sterile containers with sterile equipment and it will not be exposed to open air anywhere in the process. The new container will have a substantial airtight seal under the cap, usually they thin plastic and foil type that must be peeled off. The new containers may be labeled Glycerin USP if they meet all USP and FDA specs and will include the lot number on the original 55 gallon drum. With USP approved packaging the Glycerin may have a shelf life and expiration date of up to 5 years.

Someone else may order some 55 gallon drums of Glycerin USP. They take the drum into a warehouse, remove the seal exposing the glycerin to air at which point the glycerin may no longer be sold as Glycerin USP. They could use a pump or a length of tubing as a siphon to fill up some one gallon jugs for resale. This is well and good, but the glycerin may not be labeled or sold as Glycerin USP.

 

[yzer]

yes they do

Photo, please? It probably has a shelf life of 12-18 months which is fine, but not as good as Glycerin USP.

 

[ingerri]

Photo, please? It probably has a shelf life of 12-18 months which is fine, but not as good as Glycerin USP.

first off, I don't have to prove anything to you. second off, if you don't like it, don't buy it!

 

[DarthEVoo]

I bought some VG (can't remember the brand) from Sprouts a while back. I tasted it straight from the bottle, slightly sweet and really thick. I mixed it with some of my fav juice (Kringle's Kurse) and started vaping it. Not bad, gave my juice a bigger TH and CLOUDS of vapor so I was fairly happy with it. About a week or two latter I came down with the worst case of vaper's tongue! It lasted for over a month. I drink over a gallon of water and electrolytes a day so I knew it was not a case of dehydration. I thought it was the silica wicks I was buying so I changed vendors, still the same nastiness. I started religiously brushing and scraping my tongue, no help. Tried eating jalapeno peppers, no change. It wasn't until I stopped using the Sprouts VG did I start to get my taste buds back. Do you think if I try a different brand it will be a better experience?

 

[symphonic18]

The why the hell is Roly's post still stickied? It's gotta have caused more disinformation about USP than anything else on here