Kratom Pasteurization
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
OG Botanicals is committed to quality and safety so we made this to discuss our whole Kratom Pasteurization process and to explain why we do it in the first place. Pasteurization has been used for hundreds of years in everyday products that you might consume already.
Why Pasteurize Kratom?
Since Kratom is a natural plant grown in tropical Asian regions, OG Botanicals wanted a way to ensure safety and protect customers from potential bacterial contaminants like E. Coli and Salmonella. Pasteurization is the most effective and consistent method for killing bacteria, but it has to be done right. We made this page to go over our processes to assure you we’re doing it properly.
When it comes to lab testing, some Kratom vendors test each individual strain. But they inevitably have to pass that large cost onto customers, which leads them to price at close to double what we charge. It also limits how many strains they stock to keep the number of lab tests down. We pride ourselves on giving customers customization and variety without markup, so instead of testing each strain, we test a few samples per shipment. We then pasteurize to remove the chance of bacterial contamination in any of our kratom strains that may not have been individually tested.
What is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization is simply the process of heating something up hot enough to kill any potential bacteria but not too hot to ruin whatever is being heated. Pasteurization was originally discovered by Louis Pasteur and it was named after him. In 1863, Pasteur was studying wine contamination which he found out was caused by microbes. In response, he heated the wine to 120-140°F and this process came to be known as Pasteurization. This can be applied to other things such as milk and many other products that can host bacteria harmful to humans. Learn More
How does Pasteurization Kill Bacteria?
Bacterium has a ton of different components that all need to be working properly for it to be effective. If one link in the chain to keeping bacterium alive is broken then the entire thing can fall apart. The most important aspect is the Enzymes. Enzymes are important to a cell because it is essentially the main component of its metabolism. Once the Enzymes in the Bacterium are heated up enough they become denatured which basically destroys the entire cell and makes it useless. Learn More
OG Botanicals Pasteurization Process
Step 1: Cleaning and Preparation
We first start out by sanitizing our work area and everything used in the Pasteurization process with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. We also have to prepare paperwork and bags to keep track of everything during this process and make sure there are no mistakes.
Step 2: Preheating and Getting Started
Next, we preheat the glass containers until they are at least 160°F in our lab oven. After that is complete we start pouring the Kratom out of the vacuum-sealed bags we receive it in and cover it up in the glass containers.
Step 3: Pasteurization and Monitoring
We put the strains inside the lab oven one at a time and we put a probe inside to monitor the core temperatures. If we see uneven heating we make adjustments accordingly and try to maintain around 160°F for at least four hours. This ensures there is no potential for any bacterial contaminants to survive.
Step 4: Cooling and Bagging
After the Kratom has been Pasteurized for at least 4 hours we take them out of the lab oven, bag the Kratom, and rapidly cool it to room temperature by using a very cold freezer. We try to get the Kratom down to room temperature within 20-30 minutes of taking it out of the oven. This ensures no Bacteria can grow back while it’s warm, the prime temperature range to do so.
We pasteurize Kratom in small batches and leave the rest in the original packaging until it’s needed. Additionally, we double-bag the Kratom to properly seal and keep it fresh. These procedures are added steps we take to prevent contamination and ensure safety and quality.