What We Test, and Why

A certificate of analysis (COA) is only meaningful if it covers the things that actually go wrong in this category. Many kratom COAs in circulation show a single potency figure, which tells you almost nothing about the safety of the product. Ours test six panels:

1. Mitragynine content (potency verification)

This is the label-accuracy test. We state an exact milligram figure — 200mg per tablet, 300mg per shot — and this panel confirms whether the product actually contains it. A brand that will not state a precise milligram figure is usually a brand that cannot hit one consistently.

2. Heavy metals

Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Because kratom is a plant, it takes up whatever is in the soil it grew in. Heavy metal contamination is one of the most serious and most common quality failures in imported botanical products, and it cannot be detected by taste, smell or appearance.

3. Microbial contamination

Total aerobic plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. Dried plant material handled in poor conditions carries real microbial risk, and liquid products carry even more if they are not properly preserved.

4. Residual solvents

Many kratom tablets and shots on the market are made from extracts, and extraction uses solvents. If the process is sloppy, solvent residue ends up in the finished product. This panel is where extract-based brands most often fall short.

5. Adulterants and undeclared additives

We screen for compounds that should never be in a kratom product, including undeclared synthetic additives. Adulteration is the single biggest reputational risk to this entire category, and independent testing is the only defence a consumer has.

6. Moisture and appearance

Moisture content affects both stability and dosing accuracy. Excess moisture invites mould and degrades alkaloids in storage.

How to Read a Kratom COA in 60 Seconds

• Is there a batch or lot number? If it does not match your product, the document is not about your product.
• Who issued it? Look for a named, identifiable third-party laboratory — not an in-house sheet, not a graphic with no lab name.
• Is there a test date? A COA from three years ago says nothing about the batch you are holding.
• Does the potency match the label exactly? If the label says 200mg and the COA says “148mg”, that is a failed test, not a rounding issue. Some variance within a stated tolerance is normal and expected for botanical products — mislabelling by a wide margin is not.
• Are the safety panels actually present? Potency alone is not a certificate of analysis. You want heavy metals, microbials and solvents too.
• Are the results under the limits? What matters is whether values sit below recognised safety thresholds — not simply that a test was run.

Why Third-Party Testing Matters More Than Anything Else

In-house testing is not testing — it is self-reporting. The entire point of an independent laboratory is that the result does not depend on who is paying for it or what they want it to say. ISO accreditation means the laboratory itself is audited against international standards for competence and impartiality.

When you are choosing where to buy kratom online, this is the highest-value question you can ask. Price varies by 20%. Quality varies by much more than that.

Related reading

• How to Read a Kratom Certificate of Analysis
• Why GMP Certification Matters for Kratom Products
• Kratom Heavy Metals Testing, Explained
• All 50 kratom FAQs