Understanding Kratom Lab Test Results

If you’ve shopped for kratom products online, you’ve likely come across the term “kratom lab testing.” Lab test results are an essential aspect of ensuring the safety and quality standards of any kratom product. When looking for kratom vendors that test their products, you’ll find that some state that their products are lab tested, while others also include the test results on their websites or even make them accessible via a QR code that you can scan on the packaging. 

The American Kratom Association advocates lab testing for all kratom products sold to ensure 100% transparency and authenticity. Even if end-user kratom products in the form of leaf powder, capsules, extracts, or liquids may look like simple botanicals, plenty of time, money, and other resources go into ensuring that customers get the purest and most potent products. 

When shopping around, you’ll want to work with the most reputable kratom vendors and also pick kratom vendors that test their products using independent, third-party lab testing experts. In this blog post, we will share some insights into kratom lab test results. 

What Do Labs Test For in Kratom Products

In the botanical industry, laboratories screen product samples for various substances considered unsafe for consumption by humans at specific concentrations. For kratom products, there are two main substances tested: pathogens and heavy metals. Labs also test to check the concentration of particular kratom plant alkaloids that naturally occur in the plant. 

Let’s break this down:

Heavy Metals

One of the most critical things that kratom vendors test in kratom products is the presence of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The lab testing procedures are sophisticated and effective in detecting heavy metals in products. While we can’t eliminate all traces of potentially harmful substances, the primary reason for having these tests is to get insights into the levels present in samples tested and then provide that information to consumers. 

Heavy metals are around us in the environment and can get into kratom trees from the soil, water, and even during the manufacturing process. The acceptable threshold of heavy metals in  kratom products is: 

• Lead (Pb) — should be below 1.2 PPM (parts per million)
• Cadmium (Cd) — should be below 0.85 PPM
• Arsenic (As) — should be below 2 PPM
• Mercury (Hg) — should be below 0.41 PPM

The goal for lab-testing is to ensure all products meet the acceptable threshold to ensure safety for end-users who buy kratom products. Buying products from reputable kratom vendors who follow industry best practices is the only way you can be sure you’re buying safe products. 

Pathogens

Another risk factor that kratom vendors test for via third-party laboratories is the presence of pathogens. While the risk associated with consuming heavy metals increases with accumulation over time, the risk of consuming dangerous pathogens in kratom products is a bacterial infection or disease. These pathogens can include bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. 

The most common pathogens tested in kratom products include coliforms found in soil and water, E. coli bacteria, mold, salmonella, yeast, and staphylococcus aureus. Mold and yeast can often be in high concentrations that cause adverse reactions for people with allergies. As with heavy metals, there are limits in each pathogen so products can pass lab tests.

Here are pathogens that kratom vendors test and the set minimum limits:

• Coliforms — less than 10,000 CFUs per gram (CFUs is colony forming units)
• Salmonella — shouldn’t be detected in 25 grams
• Mold — less than 100,000 CFUs per gram
• Yeast — less than 100,000 CFUs per gram
• E. coli — shouldn’t be detected in 10 grams
• Staphylococcus aureus — shouldn’t be detected in 10 grams

Kratom Leaf Alkaloids

Apart from testing for heavy metals and pathogens, labs also check for the concentration of alkaloids in the kratom product. These are the molecules present in the organic material of the leaves, roots, stems, or even the bark of the kratom plant. Kratom plants have up to 20 identifiable alkaloids. Two of these matter most: Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine.

These two alkaloids are the most important that kratom vendors test due to the effects they can have. When combined with the broader list of alkaloids, the effects can vary widely depending on factors like the environment of the kratom plant, type of soil, nutrient absorption, harvesting process, and drying methods used by supplies of reputable kratom vendors. 

Higher concentrations of Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine alkaloids in the plant mean a higher potency of the kratom products, whether it’s a powder or a capsule. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) requires that vendors list the content of these two alkaloids in their product packaging. KCPA requirements vary from state to state.  

• Mitragynine – the limit set is 0.25 or less than 2%  
• 7-Hydroxymitragynine – the limit set is 0.000 – 0.100 or less than 2%

How to Read and Understand Lab Test Results

Now that you know the most important heavy metals, pathogens, and alkaloids that kratom vendors test, it’s time to understand how you should read kratom test results before buying kratom products.  

• Ensure that lab test results are performed by an accredited and independent third-party laboratory instead of the vendor. This will ensure credibility and product authenticity.
• Verify that the kratom product’s strain is accurate, lab-tested, and the lot number listed in the packaging. Avoid anything that seems generic as it could indicate untested strains. 
• Check the dates of the kratom lab test results to ensure you’re getting recently tested products. If you’re not sure about the dates, contact them to verify. 
• Evaluate the alkaloid content, review the test results on pathogens, and check if there are any heavy metals present. Look at the numbers carefully to ensure everything is within set limits. 

We’re Committed to Quality

Want to learn more about the different substances that kratom vendors test? Want to work with the most reputable kratom vendors? It’s critical to get as much information as possible about lab test results so you can be sure you’re buying a product you can trust from a reliable vendor. At Kratora, we’re committed to quality and go to extreme lengths to ensure that our kratom products are the cleanest and purest, and we have lab test results to prove it. Just ask to see our Certificate of Authenticity.

Want to learn more about kratom quality and value? Start here:
Why Buying Cheap Kratom Can Be Dangerous