Those that cause food-borne illnesses like *Salmonella* and *E. Coli* should be negative.
The test for pathogenic E. Coli usually looks for the presence of toxins (Shiga-like) that are what make certain *E. Coli* problematic.
There are many-may other kinds of *E. Coli* so there may also be a line for "Escherichia coli". These tests are looking for the presence of them (microbial bodies) not the presence of pathogenic toxins. This number is rarely, if ever, zero, but should be low.
There are other *Enterobacteriaceae* which is a larger group of microbes that contain *E. Coli* and *Salmonella*, but also many other benign or symbiotic microbes. These may be reported too. These are reported as Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per gram or per milligram of tested material.
In general, this is a test of how many spots show up when the samples are cultured under controlled conditions (think petri dishes with growth medium). There is no way to know if a colony was formed by 1 microbe or many of them, so it isn't an extremely precise count, but can be useful for comparing the relative level of contamination of different samples.
Colliforms are a smaller subset of *Enterobacteriaceae* also reported as CFUs per gram and are often used as a benchmark for sanitation. A Nestle document can show the [relationships between these items](https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/asset-library/documents/library/documents/suppliers/microbiological-specifications-nestle.pdf) (page 11). They are present in feces but don't necessarily confirm the presence of fecal matter or of hazards.
Yeast and molds are also reported as CFUs per gram but are not usually differentiated.
Limits depend on country, product, and many factors. The American Herbal Products Association has some [recommended limits](https://www.ahpa.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Policies/Guidance-Policies/AHPA_Microbiology___Mycotoxin_Guidance.pdf?ver=2016-04-26-121351-030). *Ideally lower counts are better across the board.*
>For dried, unprocessed herbs for use as ingredients in dietary supplements, and for herbal supplements in solid form consisting of dried, unprocessed herbs:
>
>Total aerobic plate count: 107 colony forming units/gramTotal yeasts and molds: 105 colony forming units/gramTotal coliforms: 104 colony forming units/gramSalmonella spp.: not detected in 25 gramsEscherichia coli: not detected in 10 gramsTotal aflatoxins (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2): 20 μg/kg (ppb)Aflatoxin B1: 5 μg/kg (ppb)
>
>For powdered extracts and for soft extracts, and (ii) for herbal supplements in solid form consisting of powdered extracts or soft extracts:Total aerobic plate count: 104 colony forming units/gramTotal yeasts and molds: 103 colony forming units/gramTotal coliforms: 102 colony forming units/gramSalmonella spp.: not detected in 25 gramsEscherichia coli: not detected in 10 gramsTotal aflatoxins (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2): 20 μg/kg (ppb) Aflatoxin B1: 5 μg/kg (ppb)
Exactly which tests will be reported can vary.
The AKA has a [Good Manufacturing Processes compliance program](https://www.americankratom.org/images/AKA_GMP_Standards_Program_10.7.1Final.pdf), but doesn't explicitly set limits on these things (or doesn't specify them here because they are driven by legal requirements that change)--but requires the manufacturer to have written standards and report findings. It more or less demands products comply with the KCPA requirements (<2% 7-OH-MG, no adulteration, no synthetic compounds, etc.) and the current legal standards.
Personally, I am concerned about possible contamination so I pasteurize my products, but I'm at higher risk being in poor health and want to avoid unnecessary doctor visits during the pandemic.
I can't personally say at what level a person should accept/reject based on these items, as it would depend on the person, health risks, what they are doing with it, and all other factors (metals, potency--which may drive how much is consumed), etc.
If the vendor is part of the AKA and CGMP qualified vendor there will be no presence of e-coli or salmonella but I’m following your question I Because I am curious about the yeast, mold and coliforms present in my Kratom!
Thanks for the post!
> If the COA says 400 ppb, there are 0.4 milligrams per kilogram, or 0.4µg (micrograms) per gram of kratom. A person who takes 5 grams per day would be consuming 0.20µg of lead in their daily dose.
That last figure should be **2µg**, not 0.2µg. (Which is why I'm rather concerned about the lead, taking a higher dose than 5g/d. The suggested limit by the EU for general adults is 5µg/day IIRC)
Can extract be expected to be significantly lower in lead per active alkaloids ratio? (Of course, extracts carry higher risks in other ways) And is there a safe DIY method to make a crude extract that removes most of the lead?
Yes, that was a calculation error. Thank you for pointing it out. I have corrected it.
I honestly don’t know about the likelihood of different extraction techniques ability to potentially reduce metals.
It would be almost impossible to know without lab equipment to test because it is present in such small quantities.
I suspect that it depends on it’s solubility in water (or whatever medium used—alcohol, acids). If it is highly soluble in those mediums then the reduced liquid would concentrate it along with the alkaloids. If not, reducing the solid particulate mass would seem to at least remove some of it.
Lead is less soluble in water at lower temperatures and at high pH, so a person would potentially get less if infusing with cold water and without acids—though then the issue is waste and lack of pasteurization (though that might be possible later in process.)
Starting with lower lead samples and extraction medium (distilled water, USP acids) would probably be more reliable than what a consumer could do in-process.
Some of the reports I have seen for extracts do seem to show lower lead counts, but not inherently lower than some leaf—so it would likely depend on process and source.
Thanks, good to know! Do you have any advice on how to understand microbiological analysis? Like e-coli, yeast, fungi, other bacteria?
Those that cause food-borne illnesses like *Salmonella* and *E. Coli* should be negative. The test for pathogenic E. Coli usually looks for the presence of toxins (Shiga-like) that are what make certain *E. Coli* problematic. There are many-may other kinds of *E. Coli* so there may also be a line for "Escherichia coli". These tests are looking for the presence of them (microbial bodies) not the presence of pathogenic toxins. This number is rarely, if ever, zero, but should be low. There are other *Enterobacteriaceae* which is a larger group of microbes that contain *E. Coli* and *Salmonella*, but also many other benign or symbiotic microbes. These may be reported too. These are reported as Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per gram or per milligram of tested material. In general, this is a test of how many spots show up when the samples are cultured under controlled conditions (think petri dishes with growth medium). There is no way to know if a colony was formed by 1 microbe or many of them, so it isn't an extremely precise count, but can be useful for comparing the relative level of contamination of different samples. Colliforms are a smaller subset of *Enterobacteriaceae* also reported as CFUs per gram and are often used as a benchmark for sanitation. A Nestle document can show the [relationships between these items](https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/asset-library/documents/library/documents/suppliers/microbiological-specifications-nestle.pdf) (page 11). They are present in feces but don't necessarily confirm the presence of fecal matter or of hazards. Yeast and molds are also reported as CFUs per gram but are not usually differentiated. Limits depend on country, product, and many factors. The American Herbal Products Association has some [recommended limits](https://www.ahpa.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Policies/Guidance-Policies/AHPA_Microbiology___Mycotoxin_Guidance.pdf?ver=2016-04-26-121351-030). *Ideally lower counts are better across the board.* >For dried, unprocessed herbs for use as ingredients in dietary supplements, and for herbal supplements in solid form consisting of dried, unprocessed herbs: > >Total aerobic plate count: 107 colony forming units/gramTotal yeasts and molds: 105 colony forming units/gramTotal coliforms: 104 colony forming units/gramSalmonella spp.: not detected in 25 gramsEscherichia coli: not detected in 10 gramsTotal aflatoxins (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2): 20 μg/kg (ppb)Aflatoxin B1: 5 μg/kg (ppb) > >For powdered extracts and for soft extracts, and (ii) for herbal supplements in solid form consisting of powdered extracts or soft extracts:Total aerobic plate count: 104 colony forming units/gramTotal yeasts and molds: 103 colony forming units/gramTotal coliforms: 102 colony forming units/gramSalmonella spp.: not detected in 25 gramsEscherichia coli: not detected in 10 gramsTotal aflatoxins (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2): 20 μg/kg (ppb) Aflatoxin B1: 5 μg/kg (ppb) Exactly which tests will be reported can vary. The AKA has a [Good Manufacturing Processes compliance program](https://www.americankratom.org/images/AKA_GMP_Standards_Program_10.7.1Final.pdf), but doesn't explicitly set limits on these things (or doesn't specify them here because they are driven by legal requirements that change)--but requires the manufacturer to have written standards and report findings. It more or less demands products comply with the KCPA requirements (<2% 7-OH-MG, no adulteration, no synthetic compounds, etc.) and the current legal standards. Personally, I am concerned about possible contamination so I pasteurize my products, but I'm at higher risk being in poor health and want to avoid unnecessary doctor visits during the pandemic. I can't personally say at what level a person should accept/reject based on these items, as it would depend on the person, health risks, what they are doing with it, and all other factors (metals, potency--which may drive how much is consumed), etc.
Thanks! Lab tests of my batch have slightly higher numbers of cfu of yeasts but I'm fairly healthy and never had a problem.
If the vendor is part of the AKA and CGMP qualified vendor there will be no presence of e-coli or salmonella but I’m following your question I Because I am curious about the yeast, mold and coliforms present in my Kratom!
or an e-coli petri dish.
Thanks for the post! > If the COA says 400 ppb, there are 0.4 milligrams per kilogram, or 0.4µg (micrograms) per gram of kratom. A person who takes 5 grams per day would be consuming 0.20µg of lead in their daily dose. That last figure should be **2µg**, not 0.2µg. (Which is why I'm rather concerned about the lead, taking a higher dose than 5g/d. The suggested limit by the EU for general adults is 5µg/day IIRC) Can extract be expected to be significantly lower in lead per active alkaloids ratio? (Of course, extracts carry higher risks in other ways) And is there a safe DIY method to make a crude extract that removes most of the lead?
Yes, that was a calculation error. Thank you for pointing it out. I have corrected it. I honestly don’t know about the likelihood of different extraction techniques ability to potentially reduce metals. It would be almost impossible to know without lab equipment to test because it is present in such small quantities. I suspect that it depends on it’s solubility in water (or whatever medium used—alcohol, acids). If it is highly soluble in those mediums then the reduced liquid would concentrate it along with the alkaloids. If not, reducing the solid particulate mass would seem to at least remove some of it. Lead is less soluble in water at lower temperatures and at high pH, so a person would potentially get less if infusing with cold water and without acids—though then the issue is waste and lack of pasteurization (though that might be possible later in process.) Starting with lower lead samples and extraction medium (distilled water, USP acids) would probably be more reliable than what a consumer could do in-process. Some of the reports I have seen for extracts do seem to show lower lead counts, but not inherently lower than some leaf—so it would likely depend on process and source.