UF Study: 85% of Kratom Products Are Mislabeled, Some Definitively Not Kratom

Why it matters

Consumers purchasing kratom products have almost no reliable information about what they are actually taking. This study shows that mislabeling is the norm, not the exception — a finding with direct public health consequences as concentrated 7-OH products enter Schedule I and regulators push for tighter manufacturing standards.

The big picture

University of Florida College of Pharmacy researchers have been at the center of U.S. kratom science for years. This new lab analysis adds critical context to the current regulatory moment: even as the DEA moves to ban concentrated 7-OH products, consumers cannot trust the labels to tell them what is inside. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug Testing and Analysis, lending it significant weight in ongoing regulatory discussions.

Key findings

• Researchers lab-tested 44 commercially available kratom-derived products purchased online and in stores across multiple U.S. states
• 85% of products had alkaloid content or ingredients that did not match their labels
• Some products labeled as single-alkaloid contained multiple undisclosed alkaloids
• Other products listed alkaloids not detected in the lab, or omitted alkaloids that were detected
• Black Liquid Kratom (OPMS), linked to multiple deaths, showed significant variability between label claims and actual chemical composition
• Researchers concluded some products are definitively not kratom based on their altered chemical profile

What they say

"Right now, consumers are part of a large experiment in which they are taking products that they believe are properly labeled as to the composition of ingredients, yet they are being deceived intentionally or unintentionally by the manufacturers, putting the public at risk," said co-author Christopher McCurdy, PhD, Associate Dean at the UF College of Pharmacy.

Bottom line

Eight in ten kratom products tested by University of Florida researchers did not match their labels — meaning most users have no reliable way to know what they are actually consuming.