The number on the bottom of the bottle almost nobody types in.
Every bottle carries a lot code. On most brands it does nothing for you — it's internal factory tracking. On a few, it opens a document. This page shows you how to use yours.
How to do it, in four steps
Find the code.
It's printed on the bottom of the bottle or along the side of the label, usually in flat black ink, in a different typeface from the rest of the packaging. It mixes letters and numbers. It is not the expiry date.
Type it into the maker's site.
The report database is run by the manufacturer, not by us. The address is just below, and the lookup is open: no account, no purchase required.
Read the origin.
The report names the country where the plant was harvested and, in many cases, who grew it. If the same product comes from different origins depending on the harvest, that shows up — and that's normal.
Read the analysis.
The sheet carries the test results for that specific lot, not for a showcase batch. It's a technical document; the next section explains what each line means.
Opens the manufacturer's own site. We don't operate that database.
What each line means
GC/MS and LC/MS
Gas and liquid chromatography paired with mass spectrometry. They separate the sample into its components and identify each one. This is what shows whether the contents match the label.
Heavy metals
Screens for lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. It matters because a plant absorbs whatever is in the soil, and contaminated soil doesn't change the colour or the smell.
Microbiology
Counts of bacteria, mould and yeast. It's the test any packaged food ought to have and that few supplements publish.
Chirality
Many molecules exist in two mirrored forms. The ratio between them is a fingerprint: a ratio that doesn't match the plant suggests something synthetic was added.
Five questions worth asking any brand
- Where was the plant harvested — the country, not the continent?
- Can I see the analysis for the lot in my hand, not a generic one?
- Who ran the test, and are they independent of the factory?
- What is the word “fragrance” hiding in this formula?
- If I don't like it, what happens to my money?
If a brand can't answer those five, that's your answer. That applies to us too.
The kit these bottles came from
Three supplements that arrive together, once a month, if you want them to. No club, no fee, and the customer account is free.
See the first kit