To read a kratom lab report, check five things in order: who tested it, whether the lot number matches your bag, the alkaloid results (especially 7-OH), heavy metals, and the microbial panel. If any of those is missing, or the report can't be tied to your batch, treat the product as unverified. This guide walks through each section using a real, published certificate of analysis (COA) as the example.
Lab reports matter for kratom because contamination has been documented: the NIH's NCCIH and NIDA both note that some kratom products have been found to contain heavy metals or bacteria.
Where to find a COA
Vendors publish lab reports in different ways. As of September 2026:
| Method | Example vendors |
|---|---|
| Batch lookup by QR code or lot number | Super Speciosa, Kats Botanicals |
| PDF per product or size | Golden Monk, MIT45 |
| COA page (contents not verified by us) | Happy Hippo |
| On request only | Kraken Kratom |
| No public COAs found | Kona Kratom, Left Coast Kratom |
Batch lookup is best, because it ties the report to the exact bag you have. That's why lab transparency carries 30% of the score in our method.
Worked example: a published COA
We'll use MIT45's publicly posted Gold Cap COA for batch 271189. It's an extract product rather than leaf powder, but it shows every section a complete report should have. According to the document:
- Lab: Cambium Analytica
- Sample received: September 5, 2024; report published: September 12, 2024
- Alkaloids: 73.96 mg mitragynine and 0.27 mg 7-hydroxymitragynine per serving
- Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, all below action limits
- Microbial: Salmonella, E. coli, total coliforms, aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and mold, all non-detectable
- Pesticides: not included
- Overall result: pass
Now let's go through what each part means.
1. The header: lab, sample and date
The top of a COA should show:
- The lab's name and contact details. An unnamed lab is a red flag. Some vendors name their labs on their websites; Super Speciosa lists Cora Science and Murray-Brown Laboratories, both described as ISO 17025-accredited.
- Accreditation. ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard testing labs are accredited against. If the COA shows it, note the accreditation body.
- Sample name and lot or batch number. This must match the lot printed on your package. A report for a different lot tells you nothing about your bag.
- Dates. When the sample was received and when results were issued. Old reports are fine only if they match your lot.
2. Alkaloids: mitragynine and 7-OH
This section shows the main alkaloids, usually as a percentage of the sample (for powder) or milligrams per serving (for extracts and capsules).
- Mitragynine is, with 7-OH, one of the two most studied kratom alkaloids, according to NIDA. Compare the number to the label claim.
- 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) occurs naturally only in trace amounts in leaf, as the DEA notes. In the example, 7-OH is 0.27 mg against 73.96 mg mitragynine, well under 1% of that value. A 2026 legal tracker notes that state Kratom Consumer Protection Acts typically cap 7-OH at 2% of the alkaloid fraction.
- Other alkaloids. Fuller reports may include paynantheine, speciogynine and speciociliatine. Super Speciosa says its panel covers up to five alkaloids.
Red flag: 7-OH close to or above mitragynine, or a product marketed around 7-OH. That is not plain leaf kratom and is the category the DEA moved to temporarily schedule in July 2026. See what is 7-OH and why we don't list it.
3. Heavy metals
A complete report tests the four metals most panels include: arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Kraken Kratom, for instance, says it tests all four using the AOAC 2013.06 method.
Each result should show:
- the measured amount (often in parts per million or micrograms per gram)
- the limit it was compared to
- a pass or fail
"ND" means not detected. "< LOQ" means below the limit of quantitation, the smallest amount the method can measure reliably.
Red flag: a metals section that's missing, or results with no limits shown.
4. Microbial panel
The microbial section checks for bacteria and fungi. Common tests include:
- Salmonella and E. coli (should be not detected)
- Total coliforms and aerobic plate count
- Yeast and mold
- Sometimes Staphylococcus aureus, as in the MIT45 example
This section matters because bacterial contamination has been found in some kratom products, according to NCCIH.
5. What's often missing
- Pesticides. The MIT45 example didn't include them, and many kratom COAs don't. If it matters to you, ask the vendor.
- Residual solvents. Relevant for extracts, less so for plain leaf.
- Identity testing. Some labs confirm the sample is Mitragyna speciosa; the MIT45 example reports an identity "quality index" score.
Red-flag checklist
- No lab name, or a lab you can't find online
- Lot number missing or doesn't match your package
- Only alkaloids tested, with no metals or microbes
- Results with no units or no limits
- 7-OH marketed as a feature or reported near mitragynine levels
- The vendor only offers a single "sample" COA for all batches
Why COAs are not the whole story
A COA confirms a batch passed specific tests. It doesn't make kratom safe to use. The FDA has not approved kratom for any medical use and warns consumers not to use it, citing risks including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. The AKA's GMP program is similar: it verifies manufacturing standards through an annual audit, and the AKA says it "does not endorse the quality of the product."
Kratom is banned in several states and some cities; see kratom legal status by state. Vendors should sell only to adults 21+.
Next steps
- See which vendors publish the best lab data in our kratom vendor list.
- Compare our top vendors: best kratom vendors.
- Learn what strain labels mean: kratom strains explained.