CriticalPoint Consulting

Supercritical CO₂ · Subcritical water · Botanical & nutraceutical extraction · Colorado

Process development and GMP documentation for CO₂ extraction operations.

Twelve years running and scaling supercritical CO₂ lines, from bench runs to multi-vessel commercial plants. I help extractors, contract manufacturers, and equipment makers get yield, throughput, and paperwork right.

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Separatory funnel holding amber CO₂ extract against a blue sky
CO₂ CRUDE · POST-SEPARATION
12+years in supercritical CO₂ process work
3director-level roles across hemp, botanicals, and extraction equipment
1 → 400 Lvessel scales commissioned and operated
21 CFR 111documentation built for real inspections

Services

Two tracks. Same person on both.

Most extraction problems are half process and half paperwork. I work both sides so the SOP matches what the machine actually does.

CO₂ process development

  • Parameter development and optimization: pressure, temperature, flow, co-solvent, and fractionation for yield, selectivity, and run time
  • Scale-up from bench or pilot to commercial vessels, with mass-balance and throughput modeling before capital is spent
  • Technology selection across supercritical CO₂, ethanol, and subcritical water extraction, matched to the material and the product spec
  • Equipment sourcing: new, used, and surplus systems, vendor comparison, quote review, and negotiation on the buyer's side
  • FAT/SAT support, commissioning, and operator training on new or relocated systems
  • Post-extraction workflow: winterization, dewaxing, solvent recovery, and decarboxylation design
  • Troubleshooting underperforming lines: yield loss, fouling, pump and seal issues, inconsistent fractions
  • Toll-processor and contract-manufacturer vetting from the buyer's side

Fits: extractors adding or relocating a line, buyers shopping for equipment in a soft market, botanical and nutraceutical ingredient makers, and OEMs needing applications support.

GMP documentation and compliance

  • 21 CFR 111 and 117 gap assessments with a prioritized remediation list, written against your actual floor and records
  • Extraction and post-processing SOP packages specific to CO₂ systems, not generic templates
  • Master manufacturing records and batch production records that operators will actually fill out
  • Equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), calibration, and preventive maintenance programs
  • Mock inspection and Form 483 response support
  • Hemp cannabinoid reformulation and intermediate-material compliance ahead of the December 2026 federal total-THC rule

Fits: supplement and botanical manufacturers facing FDA inspection, licensed hemp processors, and operators who need to keep selling in 2027.

Beyond extraction

The same phase behavior, pressure vessels, pumps, and separators serve a wider set of CO₂ processes. I consult on feasibility, process design, equipment selection, and scale-up across these, drawing on the physics and hardware that carry over from extraction work.

  • Supercritical dyeing of polyester and other synthetics without water or effluent
  • Sterilization and pasteurization of medical devices, tissue, spices, and heat-sensitive products
  • Impregnation of polymers, wood, and porous materials with actives, fragrances, and preservatives
  • Remediation of toxic or unwanted compounds: pesticides, heavy residues, and solvents from botanicals, soils, and materials
  • Cleaning and degreasing of precision parts as a replacement for chlorinated solvents
  • Particle engineering and drying: micronization, aerogel drying, and polymer foaming

Technical writing

White papers, application notes, and case studies for equipment and consumables vendors, written by someone who has run the equipment.

Technical due diligence

Buyer-side review of extraction assets, process claims, and facility readiness for investors, lenders, and acquirers.

Expert consultation

Hourly calls on CO₂ and subcritical water process economics, the equipment landscape, and the regulatory shifts affecting botanical extraction.

Dec 11, 2026Federal hemp rule takes effect

The amended federal hemp definition moves to a total-THC standard with a 0.4 mg per container cap on finished consumable products, and intermediates above the threshold fall outside the hemp framework. Processors who want to keep selling non-intoxicating CBD and minor-cannabinoid products need reformulation work, updated specifications, and documentation that holds up. If that is you, the window is short. Get in touch.

Work

From the floor, not the brochure.

Three-vessel commercial supercritical fluid extraction plant on a mezzanine
Commercial 3 × 400 L supercritical fluid extractor, commissioning and operation
Green-framed pilot-scale CO₂ extraction skid with stainless vessels and controllers
Pilot-scale CO₂ skid with separator cascade and independent zone control
Three beakers holding crude extract, recovered wax, and dewaxed oil
Crude, recovered plant wax, and dewaxed oil from an in-line CO₂-based dewaxing run
Clear amber oil drop on a watch glass above sample vials
Fraction evaluation: clarity, color, and viscosity against spec
Gloved hand holding a beaker of dark amber extract against a snowy hillside
Full-spectrum CO₂ extract, post-winterization
Separatory funnel with amber extract and a visible phase line
Phase separation in a separatory funnel during method development
Jesse Turner

Jesse Turner
Principal, Critical Point Consulting
Arvada, Colorado

About

I have run the lines I write procedures for.

I spent my first six years inside extraction operations before I started consulting on them, and I have kept one foot on the floor since: commissioning systems, developing methods in the lab, and writing the records that regulators and customers ask for. I held director-level process and extraction roles at Charlotte's Web, Green Mill Supercritical, and Vidya Herbs USA, which means I have seen the problem from the brand side, the equipment side, and the ingredient-manufacturing side.

The work has taken me around the world. I developed kava extraction in the South Pacific, supported a pharmaceutical extraction project in Colombia, and have commissioned and troubleshot CO₂ systems on several continents. Different crops, climates, and regulators; the same fluid physics and the same questions about yield, purity, and proof.

My own contribution to the field is an in-line CO₂-based dewaxing process that I took from concept through commercial implementation. I have presented on supercritical process work at Cornell and written technical white papers for the industry.

I hold a B.S. in Biology and am completing an M.S. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver. I am a U.S. Army veteran.

Full background on LinkedIn ↗

Contact

Tell me what the line is doing, or what the inspector asked for.

A short email with the system, the material, and the problem is enough to start. I reply within two business days and the first conversation is free.

Based
Arvada, Colorado. Remote anywhere; on site across the Front Range and by arrangement.
Engagements
Fixed-fee assessments and documentation packages, hourly consultation, and monthly advisory retainers.
Typical start
A 30-minute scoping call, then a written proposal with scope, deliverables, and price.