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KP implements industry-leading quality standards and attains a consistency of excellence unmatched by its peers. The quality of our herbs is the foundation of KP's success. Staying at the forefront of premium herbs is our guiding mission.
KP's quality assurance protocols are the basis of KP's high quality products.
Herb Selection and Identification
KP ensures complete safety, efficacy and authenticity of its product line. KP leads the industry in the breadth and comprehensiveness in herbal identification and authentication of raw herbs.
The features of our authenticating protocol include:
- Macroscopic inspection by qualified experts to 'weed out' commonly substituted herbs.
- Microscopic examination of the herb's surface, grain and distinguishing characteristics
- TLC (Thin layer chromatography) a chemical 'fingerprint' unique to each species
After authentication, batches of herbs are sorted through by trained technicians, who pick out the damaged or subpar herbs.
Herb Cleansing and Extraction
Once the best herbs are selected and sorted from substandard herbs, they are cleaned and prepared according to a protocol customized for that herb. Dirt and other foreign materials are meticulously removed and the herbs are then sliced or prepared with traditional pao zhi methods before being cooked in a large vat, called a rotary extractor.
The rotary extractor spins to mix the herbs in a decoction liquid while increasing temperature to cook the herbs. The precise extraction temperature and timing is strictly controlled. This extractor also features a KP-patented essential oil retrieval system. This essential oil retrieval system allows the vat to capture and preserve the volatile oils, which are reintroduced when the herbs are in the granulation phase. Essential oils increase efficacy and infuse the herbs with their natural aroma.
This includes aKP-patented essential oil retrieval system,
which allows the vat to capture and preserve
the volatile oils, which are reintroduced later
in the granulation phase.
Herb Concentration
After extraction, the decocted herbal liquid flows out through a valve directly into a state-of-the-art concentration system. The decoction liquid slowly evaporates in a low-temperature vacuum system. The low-temperature preserves the potency of the herbal extract's potency which would be otherwise damaged under extended exposure to high temperatures.
Granulation and Tablet
The concentrated herbal extract, now in the form of a viscous liquid, is piped into a flow coater. The flow coater (granulator) sprays the concentrate onto minute particles of a base material as the moisture slowly dissipates. With the moisture evaporated, the granules are dry and ready to be packaged.
The flow-coater's process is automated and it is completely sealed off to prevent the possibility of cross-contamination. The base material (excipient) used is potato starch, but an alternate base can also be formed from a ground up version of the herbs themselves. Potato starch is chosen because it is hypoallergenic and non-GMO. The granules can be pressed into easy to swallow tablets or encapsulated.
The sprays the concentrate onto
of its own herb
in powdered form and dries them to create
concentrated granules.
Laboratory Testing
High-precision laboratory tests check multiple samples from each batch to measure the potency and to establish the safety of the product. These tests include:
- Microbiological assays to screen for E. coli, salmonella and various other possible bio-contaminants such as molds or yeasts.
- GC (Gas Chromatography) to ensure safety by testing for the presence of over 200 harmful substances such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides
- HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) to measure key active ingredients, thereby indicating the general efficacy of the herb or herb formula
- ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry) to test heavy metals up to a range of parts per billion (ppb). ICP-MS is by far the most precise and sensitive technology available today to test for heavy metals.
Appearance and Lot Numbers
Like all plant products, the characteristics of herbs vary from season to season and year to year depending on the environment in which it was picked. Naturally, it is normal for the resulting granules to vary slightly in color, texture or aroma, reflecting the variations in the source herbs from which it was produced. KPC's herb granule extracts are produced in batches with each batch assigned a unique lot number, which can be found in the bottom corner of the bottle's label.
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