How we test
The full process behind every result, from anonymous purchase to published certificate.
Every result on KratomSource comes from a product we bought ourselves, tested at an accredited lab, and published in full. This page is the whole process, step by step, so that anyone can check our work.
The seven steps
- We buy anonymously. Every product is ordered at full retail price, using accounts and Canadian shipping addresses that are not linked to KratomSource. Vendors do not know they are being tested and cannot send us their best batch.
- We film the unboxing. The sealed package, the batch number and the receipt are all on camera before anything is opened.
- We split the sample. Half goes to the lab in a serial-numbered, tamper-evident bag. The other half is sealed the same way and kept for 12 months, so a disputed result can be retested.
- We send it to Murray-Brown Laboratories, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab, with a written chain-of-custody record and, for samples crossing the border to a US lab, the customs declaration and courier manifest. The lab receives a coded sample ID, not the vendor’s name.
- We score the result using the published formula below. A second person checks every number before anything is published.
- We notify the vendor 7 days before publishing a failed result, with the full certificate of analysis, and invite a response. Failures are confirmed at a second accredited lab first, using the retained sample.
- We publish everything: the certificate of analysis, the score, the video and the vendor’s response, word for word.
What the lab tests
| Panel | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Alkaloids | Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) content | Shows whether the product matches its label and stays within the natural range for leaf |
| Heavy metals | Lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel | Metals build up in the body over time; kratom has a documented history of contamination |
| Microbial | Salmonella, E. coli, total yeast and mold, and other indicators | Kratom was behind a multi-state Salmonella outbreak in the US in 2018; Canadian powder comes from the same Indonesian supply chain |
| Pesticides | A multi-residue screen | Agricultural residues on imported leaf |
| Mycotoxins | Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A | Produced by mold during storage and shipping |
The Lab Score
Every vendor gets a Lab Score out of 5. It is built from four parts:
| Component | Weight | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 50% | Heavy metals, microbial, pesticides and mycotoxins against our published limits |
| Accuracy | 25% | Measured alkaloid content against the label claim; 7-OH within the natural range |
| Consistency | 15% | How much results vary between re-tests of the same vendor over time |
| Transparency | 10% | Whether the vendor publishes batch-level certificates and whether the batch number on our bag matched theirs |
A failed safety panel caps the Lab Score at 2.0, no matter how the other parts score. Safety is not something a good label can make up for.
Why Canada first
Our first testing programme covers vendors that ship from inside Canada, because that is where the gap is widest: Health Canada does not test kratom, the US lab-testing ecosystem does not cover Canadian stores, and Canadian buyers pay by e-Transfer with no chargeback protection. US vendors follow once the Canadian round is published. The lab, the panels and the scoring formula are identical for both.
Re-testing
One test is a snapshot. We re-buy and re-test every vendor every 3 to 6 months, and each vendor page charts the results over time. If a vendor fails and then fixes the problem, that shows up. If a vendor starts strong and slips, that shows up too.
Bench checks
Alongside the lab work, we run simple checks on our own bench and show them in every video: weight against the label on a calibrated scale, grind consistency through stacked sieves, and a look under the microscope. These are shown as observations next to the lab results. They do not count toward the Lab Score, and a microscope cannot detect bacteria, metals or alkaloids. When we see something unusual on the bench, we say “we’ll see what the lab finds”, and then we do.
Disputes and corrections
Any vendor can dispute a result. We will send the retained, still-sealed sample to a second accredited lab and publish both results side by side. If we got something wrong, we fix it and record the correction, with the date, on our public corrections log.
Frequently asked questions
Which lab tests the kratom?
Murray-Brown Laboratories, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab specializing in botanical testing. It receives coded samples and does not know which vendor a sample came from.
What does the lab test for?
Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine content, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel), salmonella, E. coli, total yeast and mould, a pesticide screen and mycotoxins.
Do vendors know when they are being tested?
No. Products are ordered at full retail price with accounts and Canadian addresses that cannot be linked to KratomSource.
What happens if a vendor fails?
The result is confirmed at a second accredited lab using the retained half of the sample, the vendor gets the full certificate seven days before publication and can respond, and then everything is published, including the vendor's response word for word.