quality assurance

How The Future of Kratom Relies On The GMP Program

June 9, 2020 by LCK

The kratom industry in America has always been a bit shaky, especially from the outside looking in. Due to strict rules, importation problems, and changing laws, the status of kratom is not always clear or consistent. This can lead to some fear and discomfort among both kratom vendors and kratom consumers.

Due to this uncertainty, the GMP program was established by the American Kratom Association in an attempt to organize and plan for the future of the kratom industry. Varying laws and disorganization were putting the industry’s future at risk. The GMP program has, in many ways, smoothed out many of those risks.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into understanding the GMP program and what it is all about. How can a single program change the future of the industry forever? Find out today!

All About The GMP Program

If you aren’t familiar with the GMP program run by the American Kratom Association, don’t worry! We’ll cover it (and why it matters for consumers like you) today.

The GMP Program, also known as the Good Manufacturing Practices Program, is a standards program that was set up to help kratom vendors establish a high level of manufacturing. The program sets up certain industry standards that help to ensure every batch of kratom sold is safe and reliable for consumers.

What Guidelines Are Established?

The specific guidelines established by the GMP program are very detailed. If you want to read the full guidelines, you can check them out on the AKA website here.

Generally, these guidelines set up provisions to ensure the following:

Kratom is being tested regularly
Kratom is being tested in batches that are tracked with proper documentation.
The facilities are being managed in safe, secure ways.
The workers are in safe conditions and are also being encouraged to follow safety procedures properly.
The labeling on kratom is not misleading for consumers.
The business is being properly audited by a 3rd party every year.
There are systems in place to track the complete kratom supply chain being used.

Each of these areas, as well as all of the others covered in the complete guidelines, are important to ensure that the kratom sold to customers is being monitored for safety. Before these guidelines existed, there were discrepancies within the community about what level of testing was necessary.

With industry standards like the GMP rules in place, it makes it easier to share and apply all new research about what is best for kratom processing as well.

How Are Vendors Added?

If a vendor wants to join the GMP program, they have to make sure that they are compliant with all of the guidelines. That, however, is just one step of the complete process. Joining the GMP isn’t necessarily simple, but it is a worthwhile time investment for vendors.

Here is what vendors have to do to join the program:

Enroll on AKA’s website.
Complete the initial 3rd party audit within 90 days.
If the 90-day audit window is missed, AKA will work with the vendor to find out if this was a reasonable mistake or if their practices are out of the GMP requirements. The AKA will update their participant list accordingly.
Every year, the vendor must complete another 3rd party audit.

As long as a vendor remains in line with the guidelines laid out by the AKA’s program, they will be able to stay in the program for many years to come.

Why Does GMP Matter?

Has it become clear to you why the GMP is so important yet?

If not, that’s okay!

It can be confusing to pay attention to the behind-the-scenes workings of an industry when you are just a consumer in that area. Let’s focus on why the GMP program should matter to you.

There are a few major reasons why having this program in place is so important for kratom consumers:

Gives you an easy way to check if your preferred vendors take safety seriously
Ensures that only safe and tested kratom is being sold
Helps track any contaminated batches and who bought them if that should happen
Builds up the community into a respected, safe place

Kratom’s status in the United States can be scary and confusing when the laws are different depending on where you live. A program like GMP helps to ensure that regardless of limited state laws and actions, the industry as a whole is being held to a level of high-quality.

Left Coast Kratom and GMP

Left Coast Kratom is a proud member of the GMP program. In addition to passing the initial screenings after we made sure that our business was in line with the guidelines, we continue to update our processes to follow the best practices as they are updated by the GMP program.

As time goes on, we believe that having such high standards in the industry is going to make it a better place for consumers and vendors alike.

Support The GMP Program

The best way that you, as a consumer, can support the GMP program is to make sure that you are only buying from vendors that are actively working towards accreditation or are, even better, already participants.

The complete list of qualified vendors is updated on AKA’s website regularly.

Buying from vendors on this list rather than those that do not take these protections seriously helps to ensure the future of safe kratom in America. When low-quality products make it to the market, they put the entire industry at risk.

Shopping Locally

Kratom lovers that love to shop for kratom locally can still follow this rule by checking out the list of vendors before they hit up their local shop. In the shop, you should be able to find more than one brand option for kratom. And if your local shop doesn’t carry any qualified vendors, you can strike up a conversation and find out why not!

In some cases, they may not be able to source from those vendors, or they may not be aware of the program’s importance. Either way, getting involved with kratom advocation at the local level is a great thing to do.

Good Manufacturing Practices Matter: Why We Take GMP Seriously

November 20, 2019 by LCK

In every industry, there is an expected standard for safety, manufacturing, and consumer knowledge. For food products, for example, manufacturers must meet health codes and label all products properly before the consumer ever sees them.

In the kratom industry, however, such standards are still being established. Without strict regulation or rules due to the precarious legal status of kratom in some states, some vendors and producers are not being monitored in any way. This leaves consumers at risk, and that’s not okay.

The American Kratom Association has stepped up to the plate to create the GMP Compliance Program, also known as Good Manufacturing Practices. These industry standards are meant to protect kratom consumers, and we can’t wait to see them take effect on a larger scale.

Introducing The American Kratom Association

Before we get into the specifics of how good manufacturing practices make a difference, let’s introduce some information that you should know about the American Kratom Association. Also known as AKA, this association has committed itself to ensure that kratom consumers and vendors are legally protected.

This means that the nonprofit organization wears a lot of different hats while working, but the main goals that they have set out to accomplish are as follows:

• Support customers
• Educate politicians, vendors, and consumers
• Amplify the voices of kratom lovers everywhere
• Raise global awareness of safe and practical kratom information
• Protect natural kratom resources

The work that we have seen American Kratom Association do is absolutely amazing. They make a real difference in the way that people can use and access Kratom. For example, they’ve spent a lot of time in the last three years helping to pass legal regulations and protections for kratom consumption in various states.

Our Involvement With AKA

We find that the work the American Kratom Association is doing is essential. Inspired by their mission and messages, we’ve taken a lot of time to ensure that we are doing our part to educate our consumers.

These blog posts, for example, are just one way that we are trying to make information about kratom, how it is used, and what is going on behind-the-scenes in the industry more accessible to anyone who is curious. We hope that consumers like you find these pieces to be useful for your own educational purposes.

Another way that we are keeping up with AKA’s practices is by joining their GMP program. GMP, which stands for Good Manufacturing Practices, are generally standard practices used in specific industries to ensure that all products that make it to consumers are safe and legal.

These standards did not officially exist in the kratom industry, so AKA has set out to change that. Since AKA created its GMP program, many vendors have taken the time to improve their practices and follow the new industry standard. Some states have even adopted a variation of the GMP rules as official legal regulatory guidelines for kratom in that state.

GMP: Good Manufacturing Practices

What exactly are the Good Manufacturing Practices that the American Kratom Association asks of any vendors who want to be recognized as GMP-compliant? By understanding what these measures are, you’ll gain a better idea of the industry.

The GMP Program

Kratom products are sold as food products, so the only legal requirements placed on them by the federal government are the basic rules set by the FDA. The American Kratom Associate researched what needed to be done for manufacturing, labeling, and verification requirements that go above and beyond what the FDA has in place.

Specifically, the vendors that want to be GMP-compliant must pay attention to the following:

• Annual 3rd party audit to ensure all procedures are being followed
• Proper personnel training
• Clean, sanitary, and functioning equipment
• Random sampling for pathogens or contamination
• Proper procedures for all aspects of receiving and monitoring supplies
• Proper recordkeeping
• Manufacturing records according to the AKA’s outline
• Keeping thorough batch records
• Appropriate quality control standards
• Establish and follow a reporting system for any discovered problems
• Proper labeling and advertising

The complete guidelines laid out by AKA are thorough, and the yearly audit completed by a third-party carefully ensures that the vendor is following them. If a vendor misses their audit period, they will have to improve their standards and reapply in the future for AKA to consider their reinitiation into the program.

What We’re Doing

We’ve posted before about our efforts to follow these standards. While we are officially recognized by AKA as a GMP-qualified vendor, we are still constantly striving to improve our manufacturing practices.

A few things that we are always doing include:

• Finding new ways to test for potential pathogens
• Revamping our sanitation controls and procedures
• Screening our supplier and products
• Testing more accurately
• Testing more comprehensively

Everything that AKA suggests that we do, we do our best to implement as quickly and effectively as possible. AKA has done a lot of work to figure out what needs to be done to maintain the safety of kratom, and we appreciate that. The very least that we can do is make sure that we follow their great example!

Why You Should Care About Quality Control

You might be wondering why we think you care about quality control, and the answer is pretty simple. You should care!

When you use kratom, the product can have some very real effects on your life and body. If you were to be sold contaminated kratom or something that isn’t what it says it is, wouldn’t you be upset? By supporting companies that have good manufacturing practices in place or only buying from those that are AKA GMP compliant, you are protecting yourself.

That’s not the only reason to care about GMP-compliance, either. There have been a few instances of contaminated kratom causing problems for users in the past, and we want to avoid repeating those situations at all costs.

Vendor-focused programs like the GMP programs help to ensure that consumers are protected at the legal level as well. If there are no contamination incidents, such incidents cannot be used to change the laws about kratom. And that is key to protecting the future of the kratom industry!

AKA, LCK, and Compliance: What We Think You Should Know

November 13, 2019 by LCK

If you were to open up a newspaper right now or watch the local news, the chances are pretty high that you would see a story about a company causing problems with untested or fake products. We see it everywhere, and it can make consumers very wary of buying from anyone.

It’s scary, really, to think that you could be buying things without even truly knowing what is in them.

In the kratom industry, this problem is just as prevalent, and that is why we find the work that the American Kratom Association is doing so important. Today, we’re going to discuss AKA, their compliance programs, and what our role in the future of kratom’s safety is.

All About The American Kratom Association

Have you heard about the American Kratom Association? If not, it’s time that you learned more about this group, their mission, and how they have already made a difference in your life!

What is AKA?

AKA, also known as the American Kratom Association, is a kratom advocacy nonprofit organization that works to standardize kratom manufacturing procedures, protect consumers, and improve the regulatory laws that affect the industry as a whole.

AKA’s Mission

The mission of the American Kratom Association is pretty simple. Here’s what they want to do:

“Make natural kratom safe and to keep it available for millions of Americans who use it for health and wellness; manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers whose livelihoods depend on a safe and robust market; and for scientific and research communities that are actively exploring its potential.”

There are a few specific ways that AKA works to do these things. They work with politicians, vendors, consumers, suppliers, shop owners, and more. Realistically, they have become involved at nearly every stage of kratom production and sales to ensure that consumers may continue to safely and confidently use kratom.

AKA Victories

If you’ve ever used kratom before, there is a good chance that work done by the American Kratom Association has already had a positive effect on your life. The organization has been working at every turn for years to ensure that kratom lovers like you can continue to use kratom safely and legally.

While they have had a lot of different victories, these are a few key accomplishments by AKA that have found to be the most inspiring:

• Helped specific states and counties pass kratom regulation laws
• Set up the GMP program for safer kratom sales
• Responded to misleading claims by the FDA for the kratom community
• Reached out to Indonesia government officials about potential export ban

These are just a few of the many things that the American Kratom Association has done to help protect the availability and quality of Kratom. In the future, there will be more and more updates to check out from their hard work!

AKA Science

Another cool thing that AKA puts a lot of money and time into is researching the science of kratom. One of the biggest complaints or points made about kratom when it is being discussed in the political arena is the lack of solid scientific proof for or against its effects.

The existing science doesn’t say it is truly dangerous, but it doesn’t say it is fully safe, either. AKA wants kratom users to be able to know for sure what the risks, potential benefits, and chemicals involved in kratom, and that is why they have put a lot of effort into deep-diving into the science of kratom.

GMP Compliance Program

One of the victories we mentioned above is AKA’s Good Manufacturing Practices program, also known as the GMP compliance program. This program helps to certify that kratom vendors are following complete and thorough safety procedures with all of their products.

To remain in the program, vendors initially accepted must complete a yearly audit with a third-party tester. This auditor ensures that all of the proper procedures are being followed so that consumers are only sold safe and well-tested kratom.

We’re proud to be part of AKA’s GMP compliance program.

We Have A Big Role To Play

Here at Left Coat Kratom, we know that we have a big role to play in the future of kratom. Every day, we connect with customers when we sell our kratom and other products. Every week, people visit our website to learn more about how kratom is manufactured and everything else there is to know about it.

As a reputable vendor, it’s up to us to help support the good name that AKA is helping to build for kratom. We want our consumers to be able to safely and legally use kratom, and we want to ensure that our products are the best that they can possibly be.

With these thoughts in mind, we’ve made it a big part of our mission to ensure we are following AKA’s GMP compliance standards and staying up-to-date with all of their news about kratom. When we can, we even help support their cases in various states to protect kratom’s legal status.

We have a big role to play – and we’re ready to help!

What You Can Do To Help

We’re not the only ones who can make a difference in the future of kratom, however. You, too, can be a key player in how kratom will be used, viewed, and accepted in years to come. While it can be overwhelming to think about becoming an active advocate, your involvement doesn’t have to be that extreme.

In fact, there are a lot of simple things that you can do to make a difference:

• Donate to AKA – funding them funds the future of kratom.
• Purchase from GMP-qualified vendors – supporting them supports quality.
• Get involved locally – visit local shops that sell kratom and see what they need help advocating for.
• Support kratom laws – regulatory laws protect consumers like you; show your support for them to make a change.

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to get involved in supporting the kratom industry. It’s in your best interest to seek safe kratom that comes from a vendor that focuses on quality control. We hope that you’ll consider that as you do your future kratom shopping.

Kratom Lab Testing: Why You Should Care If It’s Being Done

May 15, 2019 by LCK

As we go about our daily lives, there are a lot of different things that get tested before we use them. Cars and buses go through rigorous safety tests before they can hit the roads. Facilities that process produce must ensure their safety, and restaurants have to pass regular cleanliness tests to be permitted to serve food.

Testing products that we are eating is one of the most important things that we rely on companies to do. When we buy something at a store, we feel safe. We trust that the item has been handled appropriately, and we feel that it is safe to eat.

Why would we feel any differently about Kratom?

Like other substances that are ingested, Kratom is going into your body and can thus have very serious effects on your body. While uncontaminated Kratom is unlikely to cause any big problems, contaminated Kratom can cause serious shock and illness.

So what can be done about this?

Kratom vendors, makers, and middle-men can ensure that Kratom is being tested properly before it makes its way into the hands of consumers. We’re going to discuss how the testing process should happen and why it’s so important that it does happen!

Testing Kratom

All in all, it is relatively easy for a company to have their Kratom tested. They have to hire a third-party service to take samples of various product batches and then analyze those samples to ensure that there are no contaminants.

When talking in the world of Kratom, we usually call qualified testing labs accredited labs.

All About Accredited Labs

What makes a lab an accredited lab? Simply put, an accredited lab has passed a set of exams to ensure that they are following the right methodology when performing ISO/IEC tests at their facilities.

Testing at an accredited lab is essential because other labs might not do the test the right way, or they might not be legally allowed to certify the results of the exams.

GMP Standards In The World Of Kratom

GMP Standards, also known as Good Manufacturing Practices, are a part of most manufacturing industries. These rules are created (often at the national level) and monitored to ensure that the items being produced are safe for consumers to use.

For Kratom, there is no national governing body that regulates the production and processing of Kratom. As such, there have been cases of contaminated Kratom making it to the market and causing users to get ill.

To prevent the spread of those type of issues, the American Kratom Association created a set of Good Manufacturing Practices, based on the FDA’s GMP standards, for Kratom vendors and makers to follow.

As a GMP qualified vendor, we are confident that our products are safely made and processed. Gaining recognition as a qualified vendor in this program is very special to us because we know that we are doing everything that we can to ensure our customer’s safety when choosing to use Kratom!

Our Testing

Here at Left Coast Kratom, we like to be confident that we are going to be selling the best possible Kratom to our customers.

As such, we’ve implemented a number of safety protocols to align with AKA’s GMP standards:

Test for pathogens in our facilities
Ensure proper sanitation techniques
Screen suppliers thoroughly
Have complete tests done more regularly
Use more than one third-party testing lab

By doing all of these things, we are ensuring that our products are properly stored, maintained, and created before they get to you.

Possible Kratom Contaminants

You may be curious about what type of contaminants can be found in Kratom. While there are a wide variety of potential cross-contamination issues, the main areas that are focused on when testing Kratom include the following:

• Pathogens:
Coliforms, mold, yeast, salmonella
• Heavy metals:
Lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, arsenic

Those are the most common problems found in batches created and processed by dishonest Kratom sellers that are trying to make a quick buck. These sellers don’t worry about safety practices, and that allows their product to be contaminated with dangerous growth like mold or yeast.

Kratom Testing: What Is Tested For

When an accredited lab carries out a test on Kratom, there is a specific set of things that they will look for.

The test will include all of the following:

• Ensure the product is actually Kratom
• Ensure that there are no microbials in the substance
• Check heavy metal concentrations
• Check for any contamination
• Ensure the alkaloids present are real, not synthetic
• Confirm the presence and percentages of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two most common alkaloids found in Kratom

How You Can Be Confident In Your Purchase

When you’re planning on trying a new Kratom store or you simply want to restock on your favorite product, it’s important that you check that all the vendors you like to use have up-to-date testing procedures and practices.

Most qualified GMP vendors will have that information clearly and proudly listed on their website. After all, it’s quite a feat to be accepted into AKA’s program!

If you cannot find any clear information about testing on a vendor’s website, reach out to their customer service contact and find out about their testing policy. It will only take you a couple of hours to get the information that you need, and you will be able to feel safer and more confident in your purchase!

Taking Kratom Is Serious

Here at Left Coast Kratom, we love Kratom! We know that it can have a lot of benefits for different people, and we love that we get to be a part of making that connection.

That being said, we are also fully aware that Kratom is a very serious substance. When used incorrectly or contaminated at the source without a customer’s knowledge, Kratom can be dangerous.

That is why we want to reiterate one last time how important it is for you to make sure that you are only buying fully vetted, properly tested Kratom. When you take Kratom that has not been tested, you’re taking a risk that isn’t worth taking.

Lab testing is important; ask your favorite vendors to join AKA’s compliance program to help ensure the safety of Kratom users across the country!

Why You Shouldn’t Buy Cheap Kratom (And How Regulation Could Help)

April 24, 2019 by LCK

In the eyes of the FDA and other parts of the government, Kratom is a dangerous substance. For consumers who have found a place for Kratom in their lives, it’s a life-saver.

But in the eyes of disreputable sellers, Kratom is nothing more than a great way to cut a huge profit margin! The problem with these sellers getting worse every year. As Kratom becomes more popular, more sellers are releasing untested and dangerous products.

Everybody loves a good deal, but when you find a Kratom seller that is consistently priced far below market value, you would be right to be suspicious.

Cheap Kratom Means Cutting Costs

Every reputable business, like ours here at Left Coast Kratom, is able to cut costs from time to time. We do our best to balance our desire to turn a profit (we are a business after all!) with the desire to keep our prices fair for our customers.

Even if we didn’t want to make any profit, however, there is a limit to how low we could make our prices while still providing quality Kratom.

Daily, however, we see dishonest Kratom sites selling at prices lower than we find to be possible. Just how is it that these sites are getting their prices so low?

There are three main ways that we believe these sites are able to keep operating.

Not Employing Qualified Staff

Kratom is a specialized substance that has very real effects on your body. To ensure that the best products are sourced, the information on the website is correct, and the customer service to help you get the right Kratom are up to par, it’s necessary for companies to invest in qualified staff.

Here at Left Coast, we’re very proud of the team that we have put together to keep this site running and to keep our priority, customers like you, happy throughout their entire purchase process.

Not Hiring QA Staff

Another type of staffing that is very important is what we call QA staff. QA, short of quality assurance, is an essential part of the Kratom staffing we think that every company should have.

These staff members are responsible for ensuring the Kratom is inspected, tested, and packaged in ways that will keep it safe and secure for our customers. Many sites that sell Kratom for very cheap cut QA staff out altogether.

Because there are no formal rules about requiring QA staff to be able to sell Kratom, they can easily do this to increase their profit margin.

Limited (If Any) Testing

Finally, we’ve come to the most important thing: testing.

Testing Kratom is an essential step in the sales process. Without the right tests, consumers might receive products that have been contaminated with pathogens or heavy metals that will ultimately cause damage to your body.

We don’t believe in or agree with selling untested products.

There are many parts of the supply chain that need to happen to ensure that only safe products ever make it into customers’ hands:

• Quality checking at the supplier’s warehouses
• Product testing for any type of contamination
• Sanitation procedures
• Quality control tests

Keeping all of these tests going can be expensive, but we know how important it is to be sure that our product is as safe as possible.

How Can We Fight Back Against Cheap Kratom?

As we said before, we know that everyone loves a good bargain, but getting your supply of Kratom for a great price and buying cheap, untested Kratom are two very different things.

In fact, cheap Kratom saturating the market actually makes the case for the legalization and regulation of Kratom even harder. These substances help to build on the bad public perception that Kratom already has because they are untested and unpredictable.

With those types of cheap products representing all that Kratom can be, what else would we expect to see happening?

For that reason, it’s incredibly important that we take steps to fight back again cheap Kratom. And there are a few ways that you can help do just that!

Check For Testing

Before you buy from any Kratom vendor, make sure that you look on their website for any information that they have about testing.

At Left Coast Kratom, we test every lot of Kratom that we sell. When you receive our product, you’ll be able to see which lot number the Kratom is part of, and this will let you know where it fell into line when it came to quality control checks.

Only buying from vendors that support and follow through with lab testing their Kratom is essential for Kratom customers. By doing this, you’re showing the market that there is a desire for safety checks, and that will help to weed out cheap kratom vendors.

Support The AKA Good Manufacturing Practices Standards

Another thing that you can do is to only buy from vendors who become certified by the American Kratom Association for following GMP standards.

GMP standards, also known as Good Manufacturing Practices Standards, are a set of rules and regulations that vendors must prove that they can follow accurately in order to become certified. This certification lets the world know that the vendor is committed to creating and selling safe products.

If your favorite vendor is not yet part of this program, contact them and let them know that it would mean a lot to you as a customer if they took the time and energy to become certified. By letting consumers know about your needs, you’ll be able to help make big changes in the Kratom industry!

Signal Boost AKA’s Work

The Kratom industry would be safer if there were rules put in place by a governing body, such as the FDA, that the vendors needed to sell. At this time, however, the FDA is more interested in banning Kratom than it is investing time into these types of regulations.

AKA, the American Kratom Association, is working tirelessly to ensure that Kratom continues to be available to consumers that want to use it. This work is largely based on testing, education, and safety practices. By supporting AKA, you’ll be supporting the growth of a healthier Kratom industry.