Kratom is a natural product made from the leaves of the Mitragyna Speciosa plant, native to Southeast Asia. Although it may seem simple to package and sell kratom leaves, processed kratom powder, or kratom capsules, there’s actually a lot of work that goes into ensuring that Mitra Bros provides you with the highest-quality, freshest, and safest kratom.
One of the most important steps we take is quality assurance testing by third-party labs. At Mitra Bros, we pride ourselves on ensuring that our products are made from lab-tested kratom, free from harmful contaminants and additives and packaged at peak freshness.
What Do the Labs Test For?
While specific tests may vary by lab and product, there are a few general areas that labs typically look at. Common things lab-tested kratom looks at include:
- Testing for potency and alkaloid content
- Testing for heavy metals
- Testing for bacteria and other contaminants
Proper testing by accredited laboratories ensures that kratom batches are fresh, potent, consistent, and safe for consumption. The American Kratom Association requires proper lab testing to become a certified kratom provider.
Potency and Alkaloid Content Testing
Kratom’s effects are caused by the plant’s active chemical compounds, known as alkaloids. “Alkaloid” generally means a basic, naturally-occurring compound that can have a physiological effect on humans, such as caffeine.
Kratom has two primary active alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These compounds give kratom its positive effects on people, like increased energy and focus. Labs test the level of these alkaloids present in kratom batch samples. The level of alkaloid concentration affects the potency of kratom products.
Mitra Bros makes sure to provide our customers with kratom that has sufficiently high levels of alkaloid content to trigger kratom’s beneficial effects.
Heavy Metal Testing
Our vendor labs also test for the presence of heavy metals in kratom products. Metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium in sufficient concentration can be unsafe for human consumption. We only sell kratom products that are not contaminated by harmful heavy metals outside of safe, approved limits.
Testing for Other Potential Contaminants
The process of harvesting, transporting, and processing kratom leaves can expose kratom to harmful contaminants. Our third-party labs ensure that our kratom is not contaminated by bacteria, pesticides, pathogens, toxins, or other harmful foreign matters.
Microbial testing screens for bacteria such as salmonella, E. Coli, coliforms, and Aspergillus, which can all cause serious illness in humans. Kratom is also screened for yeast and mold contamination, which can have an adverse effect on some people.
Pesticide residue testing ensures that kratom does not contain unsafe levels of pesticides that may have been introduced in the cultivation process. Mycotoxin testing screens for toxins that may be introduced by harmful molds, which can cause people to suffer various illnesses.
Foreign matter testing ensures that our kratom has not been contaminated by harmful additives or impurities. Mitra Bros sells pure, unadulterated kratom to ensure we provide our customers only the safest kratom products.
How to Read a Kratom Lab Report
If you want to review the lab report of a kratom vendor directly, it helps to know what to look for in terms of lab-tested kratom. The lab report or Certificate of Analysis (a summary version of the lab results that certifies testing was properly done) will include a variety of information, and it’s easy to get bogged down.
Once you get your hands on the test, you can review the results for the concentrations of various compounds. Make sure testing was conducted by a third-party lab, as opposed to the kratom vendor itself. You’ll also want to check the dates of the test results and make sure you’re getting a product that was tested recently.
Make sure that the concentration of heavy metals and pathogens are below the maximum safety thresholds while the concentration of the important alkaloids is sufficiently high.
Safe levels for common heavy metals in lab-tested kratom:
- Arsenic (As): Under 2 PPM
- Lead (Pb): Under 1.2 PPM (parts per million)
- Mercury (Hg): Under 0.41 PPM
- Cadmium (Cd): Under 0.85 PPM
Safe levels for common bacteria and other pathogens in lab-tested kratom:
- Coliforms: Less than 10,000 CFUs per gram (colony-forming units)
- Salmonella: Should not be detected in the testing quantity (25 grams)
- E. coli: Should not be detected in the testing quantity (10 grams)
- Staphylococcus aureus: Should not be detected in the testing quantity (10 grams)
- Yeast: Less than 100,0000 CFUs per gram
- Mold: Less than 100,0000 CFUs per gram
When checking on the alkaloid content, look for the two primary active compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.
Mitra Bros Provide Only the Best, Lab-Tested Kratom
Mitra Bros’ kratom satisfies the American Kratom Association’ standards for Good Manufacturing Practices, including lab testing by certified third-party laboratories. Head over to our online shop to see our selection of lab-tested, AKA-approved products.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about the lab testing process, the quality of Mitra Bros’ kratom, or anything else about our kratom products.
