What to Look for When Buying Kratom? Read the Kratom Buying Guide

Not all kratom is equal. The difference between a trustworthy and an untrustworthy supplier is not in the price or the website, it is in measurable quality indicators that you can verify yourself. In this guide we show you which green flags and red flags you need to know before you order kratom, how to read a lab test, and where most vendors fall short. Whether you are buying kratom for the first time or switching from another supplier: this page gives you the knowledge to make an informed choice.

The 5 green flags of trustworthy kratom

1. Full alkaloid profile per batch

The most important indicator of kratom quality is the alkaloid profile, specifically the mitragynine content and the 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) content. These are the two primary alkaloids in Mitragyna speciosa. A trustworthy supplier publishes these percentages per batch, not as a generic "our kratom is tested."

What you want to see: a concrete mitragynine percentage (for example 1.2% to 1.8% for powder, depending on the strain) and a mention of the 7-OH content. The more specific the data, the more seriously the supplier takes quality. Suppliers who only claim "high alkaloid content" without numbers give you nothing to verify.

2. Independent laboratory testing

"Lab tested" is a term many kratom shops use. The question is: by whom? A trustworthy test is carried out by an independent, external laboratory, not by the supplier itself. Look for whether the name of the testing laboratory is mentioned and whether results are available per batch, not as a generic document that is years old.

Trustworthy laboratories:

Not every laboratory is equally qualified. In the world of kratom you need the right techniques and technology to measure the complete alkaloid profile. Additionally, you should always check whether the lab meets the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. This is an international standard for laboratories. A lab must meet strict requirements to obtain this certificate. If you come across a lab with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, you know it can be trusted. Examples of trustworthy labs that test kratom:

• Columbia Laboratories: One of the first laboratories capable of testing kratom.
• ACS Laboratory: The most comprehensive kratom testing panel in the industry.
• Murray Brown Labs: Known for their use of modern technologies and exceptional accuracy.
• Anresco Labs: This laboratory focuses primarily on locally compliant test results.
• Cambium Analytica: A specialised lab in botanicals and other natural products.

The difference between an in-house test and an external audit is comparable to the difference between a self-written review and an independent review: one proves nothing, the other proves everything.

3. Heavy metals screening

Kratom grows in the ground and absorbs minerals from the soil, including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. Place kratom in soil with a high level of heavy metals, and this will end up in the kratom as well. Causes of high heavy metal content in the soil include:

• Volcanic soil: Volcanic soil naturally contains a lot of metals.
• Contaminated irrigation water: Surface water used to irrigate plantations is sometimes contaminated with lead and arsenic as a result of local industrial pollution.
• Pesticides: Residues from older, poorly regulated pesticides or herbicides containing heavy metals seep into the soil and are subsequently absorbed by the tree.
• Mining: Mining activity near a kratom farm can cause other metals to rise to the surface through ore extraction. This can lead to additional heavy metal contamination in the leaf.

A supplier that only tests for alkaloids but not for heavy metals gives you an incomplete picture. Always ask whether a heavy metals test is available per batch.

Why should you watch out for heavy metals?

Consuming heavy metals does not immediately harm you. Only with prolonged exposure to such metals can the body reach a toxic threshold and cause damage at the cellular level. The symptoms are vague: headaches, muscle pain, fatigue. You do not always notice it and you do not feel it directly after using kratom. So always make sure your kratom is tested for this as well.

This is one of the most neglected quality aspects in the kratom market. Many suppliers simply do not test for this because the test costs extra. The absence of a heavy metals screening is a serious red flag.

4. Sterilisation method

Kratom is a dried plant product that is susceptible to bacteria, moulds and yeasts, especially if it has been processed or stored in humid conditions. The sterilisation method determines whether the end product is microbiologically clean.

Gamma irradiation is the number one choice

The most effective method is gamma irradiation, an industrial sterilisation technique that eliminates micro-organisms without affecting the chemical composition of the kratom. This is a standard method in the industry. Advantages of gamma irradiation are:

• Cold process: The kratom is irradiated in its packaging, without adding heat or moisture. This keeps the alkaloid profile 100% intact.
• Irradiated while packaged: The kratom can be irradiated while already sealed in its packaging. This drastically reduces the risk of cross-contamination or contamination after treatment.

Other methods: safe but not ideal

Ozone treatment is also a strong form of sterilisation. No heat is involved and it destroys all micro-organisms. Despite its effectiveness, this method is less common because it is more expensive than gamma irradiation. Methods such as UV irradiation or heat treatment are less effective or can affect the alkaloid profile.

They are not inherently dangerous, but they can compromise quality. Heat is the biggest enemy of alkaloids. If the powder is exposed to temperatures above 70 degrees, this can already lead to weakened potency. Flash heating, a method where kratom is briefly exposed to high temperatures, is the most common and effective among heat-based treatments.

Which method should you avoid?

• Ethylene oxide (EtO): This is a very powerful sterilisation gas sometimes used in agriculture. Quality brands and regulators, such as the American Kratom Association (AKA), strongly prohibit this. The gas is carcinogenic and can leave toxic residues in the powder.
• UV-C radiation: Sometimes sold by unreliable sellers as the primary sterilisation method. While UV light works excellently to disinfect factory floors and conveyor belts, light does not penetrate deeply. It sterilises at most the top layer of a pile of leaves, but does virtually nothing for a dense bag of kratom powder.

Ask your supplier which method they use. If they do not know the answer or evade the question, that says a lot.

5. Transparent customer reviews, solid track record and easy to reach

Customer reviews on a shop's own website are easy to manipulate. Look for reviews on independent platforms: Trustpilot, ValuedShops, WebwinkelKeur, or Google Reviews. Pay attention not only to the average score, but also to the number of reviews and how the company handles negative feedback. A shop with 50 five-star reviews is less trustworthy than a shop with 5,000+ reviews and an average of 8.5 including visible negative reviews with a professional response.

It is also always a good idea to check websites like ScamAdvisor or Reddit. Reddit in particular has an active community of people sharing their experiences about dealers in Europe or the US.

Trustworthy shops are also usually easy to reach. If a shop has no phone number and the email address is hard to find, that already raises a few alarm bells for us.

The red flags: when not to buy

1. No lab results available

If a supplier says "our kratom is lab tested" but cannot show any results, that is a fundamental trust problem. Testing kratom costs money and effort. Suppliers who actually do it publish the results. Suppliers who do not either have weak lab results, old lab results, are hiding something, or simply do not test at all.

2. Unrealistically low prices

High-quality kratom costs money to produce: direct sourcing, independent testing, sterilisation, fresh stock. If a price is significantly below the market, corners are being cut somewhere. Usually that is quality control, the freshness of the product, the purity of the powder, or it is a complete scam.

This does not mean expensive is automatically good, but if a price seems too good to be true, it usually is.

3. Health or medicinal claims

Kratom is not approved within the EU as a food, dietary supplement or medicine. A supplier who claims that kratom "relieves pain," "reduces anxiety," "improves sleep" or has other medical effects is violating European legislation. This is not only a red flag for trustworthiness, it is a legal risk for both the seller and the buyer.

Trustworthy suppliers describe kratom from the perspective of traditional use and community experiences, never as a medical product.

4. Vague about origin and processing

"Our kratom comes from Asia" is not an answer. A serious supplier can tell you: from which country, which region, what type of farm, how it is dried, how it is ground, and how it is stored and transported. The vaguer the story, the greater the chance that the kratom is sourced from shady suppliers.

5. No or hardly any customer reviews

A shop without reviews, or with only reviews on its own website, lacks the social proof that builds trust. Independent review platforms are the standard. Every serious European shop can be found on at least one external platform. Tip: check a platform like Reddit or X with the query "Reviews [Kratom Shop Name]." If a website is actually a scam, there is often a report about it on such a platform. Additionally, check the Google reviews. Watch out for fake reviews. If all reviews come from one location and were posted in quick succession, these may be fake reviews.

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How to read a kratom lab test?

A laboratory report (also called a Certificate of Analysis or COA) can look complicated at first glance. Here are the parts you need to understand:

Alkaloid profile The most important part. Look for the mitragynine content (indicated as a percentage or in mg/g) and the 7-hydroxymitragynine content. Mitragynine is the primary alkaloid and typically makes up 60-70% of the total alkaloid profile. The percentage varies per strain and batch. Red strains often have a different profile than green or white.

Heavy metals panel This shows the presence of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As), expressed in parts per million (ppm) or mg/kg. The results should be below the detection limit or well within safe norms. If this section is missing from the lab test, heavy metals are not being tested for.

Microbiological analysis (if applicable) This shows whether the product is free from bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella), moulds and yeasts. With suppliers who use gamma irradiation as their sterilisation method, this panel is often clean across the board, as the irradiation eliminates these organisms.

Batch number and test date Every report should be linked to a specific batch number and a test date. A generic report without a batch number is worthless. It does not prove that your product was actually tested.

View the lab results of all our kratom strains

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Checklist: the 5-point test for every kratom shop

Before you order from any supplier, check these five points:

1. Does the shop publish lab results per batch with batch number and test date? Not "on request," but publicly available and up to date.

2. Is testing done for both alkaloids and heavy metals? An alkaloid test alone is not sufficient.

3. What sterilisation method is used? Gamma irradiation is the industry standard. If the answer is "we don't know" or "we don't do anything," then it seems best to keep looking.

4. Can the shop tell you exactly where the kratom comes from? Region, type of farm, relationship with the grower. The more specific, the better.

5. Are there independent customer reviews on an external platform? At least one external review platform (Trustpilot, ValuedShops, Google Reviews) with a substantial number of reviews.

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How Kraatje meets these standards

We did not write this guide to pat ourselves on the back, but it would be strange to establish quality criteria and then not show how we meet them ourselves.

Alkaloid profile: Every strain in our range has a full alkaloid profile, published on the product page. You can view the mitragynine and 7-OH content per strain before you order. We also publish an overview page with all lab results.

Heavy metals screening: All our batches are tested for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by an external laboratory. The results are available per strain on the product page.

Sterilisation: We use gamma irradiation to sterilise every batch. This eliminates micro-organisms without affecting the alkaloid profile. Our kratom is therefore free from bacteria, moulds and yeasts, without any chemical treatment involved.

Direct sourcing: Kraatje has been sourcing directly from certified organic kratom producers on Borneo, Malaysia and Sumatra for over 12 years. We know the producers personally and they have been market leaders in Indonesia and Malaysia for years. These producers work together with the farmers, with an emphasis on strict quality control, sustainable farming methods and transparent origin. This is a fair relationship where every party benefits from the trade.

Customer reviews: 9.6/10 based on 7,250+ reviews on ValuedShops, 4.6/5 average across 4,300+ product reviews. All reviews, including negative ones, are publicly visible.

View our full kratom range

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise good kratom quality? Good kratom can be recognised by three measurable indicators: a published alkaloid profile per batch (with specific mitragynine and 7-OH percentages), a heavy metals screening by an independent lab, and a clear sterilisation method. Additionally, consistent customer reviews on an external platform and traceable origin per strain point to a trustworthy supplier.

Why is a lab test so important for kratom? Kratom is an unregulated botanical product. There is no government authority that checks quality before it goes on sale. That means the supplier itself is responsible for quality control. An independent lab test is the only proof that the product actually contains what is on the label, and is free from contaminants such as heavy metals.

What is gamma irradiation and is it safe? Gamma irradiation is an industrial sterilisation technique used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to eliminate micro-organisms (bacteria, moulds, yeasts). The process does not affect the chemical composition of the product. It is the same technique used for the sterilisation of spices, herbs and medical products worldwide.

Is it true that "Bali Kratom" does not come from Bali? That is correct. No kratom trees grow on Bali. The name "Bali Kratom" is a historical trade name that refers to the port of Bali, where kratom used to be shipped from. The product itself almost always comes from Borneo. A supplier who is honest about strain names is usually also transparent about other aspects of their product.

Where can I view Kraatje's lab results? The laboratory results for every strain are on the product page of that strain. We also publish an overview page with all lab results where you can view the alkaloid profile and heavy metals test per strain.

Ready to order kratom from a shop that meets all the green flags? View our full kratom range, including lab results per strain.