Kratom lab testing: what a certificate of analysis should show
Updated · Prozyum
A kratom certificate of analysis should show three groups of results for one specific batch: alkaloid content (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine), heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) and microbiology (such as Salmonella, E. coli, yeast and mould). It should carry a batch number, the laboratory name, the test method and a date.
Alkaloid content
Labs measure the main alkaloids, usually by liquid chromatography (HPLC or LC-MS), and report them as a percentage of the powder by weight. Mitragynine is the most abundant; 7-hydroxymitragynine is normally present only in very small amounts in natural leaf. A result far outside the normal range for leaf is a reason to ask questions.
Heavy metals
Plants take up metals from soil and water, so a botanical sold by the kilo should be checked for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As). The report should give a measured value with a unit, typically mg/kg or ppm, next to the limit it is compared against.
Microbiology
Leaf dried in the open can pick up bacteria and mould. A proper report checks for Salmonella and E. coli, and gives counts for total aerobic bacteria and for yeasts and moulds. "Not detected" for Salmonella and E. coli is what you want to see.
How to spot a generic report
A real batch report names the batch, the lab and the date, and the batch number matches what you were sold. Warning signs: no batch number, a date years old, results without units, or one document used for every strain in a shop.
How Prozyum tests
Every batch is tested for alkaloid content, heavy metals and microbes before it is packed; nothing is sealed into a kilo bag before its results are back. The batch number is on the bag, and the report for your batch is available on request with your order number.