How do you read a kratom COA?
A certificate of analysis is only useful if you know what you are looking at. This guide walks a real kratom lab report top to bottom: the header, the four test panels, what ND means, and the red flags that separate genuine batch testing from marketing theater. When you are done, open our public archive and practice on a real Garuda batch.
What is a certificate of analysis?
A certificate of analysis, or COA, is the report an independent laboratory issues after testing a specific batch of product. It is not a brand document; it is a lab document. For kratom, a complete COA covers four things: the alkaloid profile, heavy metals, microbial contamination, and pesticides.
The key word is batch. Kratom is an agricultural product and every harvest differs, so a trustworthy vendor tests every batch and ties each report to a batch number printed on the packaging. At Hudson Valley Botanicals, no Garuda Kratom batch is packaged without passing an ISO 17025 accredited independent lab first, and every report is published in a public archive searchable by that batch number.
What should the header tell you?
Before any numbers, the header answers four questions: who tested it, what was tested, which batch it belongs to, and when. Five things to find:
Check the header
The top of a real COA identifies the laboratory by name, the sample, the lot or batch number, and the test date. If you cannot tell which lab produced the report, stop there.
Match the batch number
The batch number on the report must match the batch number printed on the pouch in your hand. A COA that cannot be tied to your specific batch tells you nothing about your specific batch.
Read each panel
Work through the alkaloid, heavy metals, microbial, and pesticide panels one at a time. Each row lists the analyte, the measured result, and the limit it was tested against.
Compare result to limit
For safety panels, the result should sit under the limit printed on the report, or read ND, meaning not detected. For alkaloids, the mitragynine percentage is the headline number and varies naturally by harvest.
Verify the signature and date
A credible COA is signed or certified by the issuing laboratory and carries a recent test date. Old reports on fresh inventory are a warning sign.
What do the four test panels mean?
Every panel follows the same grammar: the analyte being measured, the measured result, and the limit or specification it was tested against. Read result against limit, row by row. Here is what each panel is checking and what a good outcome looks like.
| Panel | What is measured | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Alkaloids | Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, reported as a percentage of the sample. | The mitragynine percentage is the headline number and varies naturally by harvest, region, and vein color. 7-OH should appear only at trace, naturally occurring levels; an elevated 7-OH figure suggests an adulterated or converted product. |
| Heavy metals | Lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, usually in micrograms per gram (ppm). | Each result should sit under the limit printed in the report's specification column, or read ND (not detected). The limits themselves are stated on the report; a result with no limit next to it is not a pass. |
| Microbials | Total plate counts plus yeast, mold, E. coli, and Salmonella. | Counts under specification, and for the pathogens, absent or ND. Salmonella and E. coli rows should never show a detection. |
| Pesticides and foreign matter | A screen across common agricultural pesticide residues, plus checks for foreign material and moisture where included. | ND across the pesticide screen. Moisture matters for shelf stability; dried leaf should be exactly that. |
How do you spot a fake or recycled COA?
Most bad COAs are not forged; they are misused. A real report gets stretched across products and months it does not cover. Six warning signs:
No batch number
A report with no lot or batch identifier cannot be tied to any specific product. It may be real, but it proves nothing about the pouch you bought.
No named laboratory
If the document does not say which lab produced it, or names a lab you cannot find, treat it as marketing material rather than evidence.
"COA available on request"
Testing that exists is testing you can see. Vendors with real programs publish reports openly; a request form is often where the trail ends.
One report, many products
A single COA recycled across every strain and every restock is a strong sign the testing does not track actual batches.
Results with no limits
A number without the limit it was tested against is not a pass. Real reports show the specification next to the result.
Stale test dates
Kratom is sold in rolling batches. If every report on a site is a year old, current inventory is not the inventory that was tested.
Open a real Garuda COA and walk it through.
Every batch we have ever shipped has its report in the archive. Pick any strain, or type the batch number from a pouch you own, and apply the five checks from this guide to a live document. No account, no request form.
Quick answers, straight up.
What is a kratom COA?
A COA, or certificate of analysis, is the lab report an independent laboratory issues after testing a specific batch of product. For kratom it typically covers the alkaloid profile, heavy metals, microbial contamination, and pesticides. Every Garuda Kratom batch has one, published in our public archive.
What does ND mean on a lab report?
ND means not detected. The lab looked for the substance and found none above the method's detection threshold. On safety panels such as heavy metals or Salmonella, ND is the result you want to see.
What mitragynine percentage is normal?
Natural leaf varies by harvest, region, and vein color. Across Garuda batches, red vein lots typically test lower in mitragynine than white, green, and gold lots. The exact measured percentage for any pouch is on its batch COA, which is why we publish one for every batch instead of quoting a single number.
What is ISO 17025 and why does it matter?
ISO 17025 is the international accreditation standard for testing laboratories. Accreditation means the lab's methods, equipment, and competence are independently audited. A COA from a non-accredited source is a much weaker document. Every Garuda batch is tested by an ISO 17025 accredited independent lab.
How do I look up the COA for my pouch?
Find the batch number printed on your pouch label, go to our COA archive at hudsonvalleybotanicals.com/coas/, and enter the batch number or strain name. The matching lab report appears immediately. No account and no email request are required.
This guide covers how to read laboratory documentation and is provided for transparency. It is not medical or legal advice. Kratom products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
