Our In-House Chinese Herbs Testing Laboratory
Most herbal suppliers outsource testing and simply forward whatever the third-party report says. We do not. Every batch of decoction pieces is analysed inside our own 9-million-RMB testing laboratory in Pingliang, Gansu — to Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards, by our own quality-control inspectors, on results we generate and can stand behind.
Why In-House Testing Changes What You Receive
When a supplier sends samples to an outside contract laboratory, three things happen: you wait in that laboratory’s queue, the testing panel stays minimal because every assay is billed separately, and the underlying data belongs to someone else. We built our own quality-control laboratory precisely to remove those limits. Testing is faster because it runs on our own floor; the panel is as complete as the batch requires, from identity and assay through to safety analysis; and when your quality-assurance team raises a question about a result, we can walk you through the method, the instrument and the reading behind every line on the report.
What Every Batch Is Tested For
One complete panel, performed before any material is released.
Identity
macroscopic and microscopic identification, supported by thin-layer chromatography and chromatographic fingerprint analysis, confirming the material is the genuine, geo-authentic (dao di) species.
Assay of active constituents
quantitative determination of marker compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), verifying the decoction pieces meet the potency thresholds set by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.
Heavy metals and harmful elements
lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and copper, measured to trace levels against your destination market’s import limits.
Pesticide residues
multi-class screening across organochlorine, organophosphorus and pyrethroid groups, aligned to United States, European Union and Japanese limits.
Safety and routine analysis
aflatoxins, sulfur dioxide residue, total ash and acid-insoluble ash, moisture content, and microbial limit testing (total aerobic count, yeasts and moulds, and specified pathogens).
No batch is released on the strength of a spot-check. The material passes the full panel, or it does not ship.
A Laboratory Built to Be Audited, Not Just Trusted
This is not a sampling bench in the corner of a warehouse. In July 2020 we completed a full upgrade of the laboratory at a total investment of more than nine million RMB. It is equipped with five imported analytical instruments — including a Shimadzu high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system — together with more than twenty additional analytical units, and is staffed by twelve full-time quality-control inspectors. Its testing methods have been validated through comparison testing and on-site inspection by the Gansu Institute for Drug Control, the provincial drug-control authority. In 2022 the operation was designated a Traditional Chinese Medicine Materials Inspection and Research Technology Innovation Center — recognition that the laboratory does not merely release product, but advances how geo-authentic herbal materials are tested.
A Certificate of Analysis That Holds Up Under Inspection
Every batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) tied to that specific lot and traceable, through our enterprise resource planning system, to its source region and warehouse. Because the data is generated in-house on validated testing methods, we can provide the method reference, the instrument and the actual reading behind every parameter — not a forwarded document we are unable to explain. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, Kampo houses and importers who must satisfy United States Food and Drug Administration, European Union or Japanese inspection, that is the difference between a Certificate of Analysis that withstands scrutiny and one that invites further questions.
Testing Laboratory — Frequently Asked Questions
Do you test Chinese herbs in-house or outsource it?
We test entirely in-house. Every batch is analysed in our own quality-control laboratory in Pingliang, Gansu, staffed by twelve inspectors and equipped with a Shimadzu high-performance liquid chromatography system and other imported analytical instruments.
What is the Chinese Pharmacopoeia testing standard?
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the official national standard that defines how each medicinal material and decoction piece is identified, assayed and checked for safety. We test identity, marker-compound content, heavy metals, pesticide residues and microbial limits against its requirements, and against your destination market’s import limits where these are stricter.
How are Chinese herbs tested for heavy metals and pesticide residues?
Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury are measured to trace levels, and pesticide residues are screened across organochlorine, organophosphorus and pyrethroid groups. Each batch is checked against the limits of the importing market before release.
Do I receive a test report with my order?
Yes. A per-batch Certificate of Analysis accompanies every shipment and is traceable to the source lot. A sample report is available on request before you place an order.
See the Numbers Behind a Batch
Before you commit to an order, see exactly how we test. Ask for a sample Certificate of Analysis, or tell us your destination market’s specification and we will set the testing scope — identity, assay of marker compounds, heavy metals, pesticide residues and the routine safety panel — before we quote.
What you can request:
Tell us the herb and the specification, and our quality-control team replies with the testing scope and a sample report — usually within one business day.