How to Read a Kanna Label (and Check a Certificate of Analysis)
Most kanna labels give you a milligram number and little else. Here is what to look for, what the number can't tell you, and which questions to ask the brand.
A kanna label can look reassuring and tell you almost nothing. "Premium kanna extract, 25 mg" is a sentence, not a specification. This guide walks through each part of a kanna label, in the order you would read it, and explains what a certificate of analysis adds. It applies to capsules, powders, tinctures and drinks alike. One difference: drinks sold as conventional foods carry a Nutrition Facts panel and an ingredient list instead of a Supplement Facts panel, and the extract and lab-report checks below still apply.
On a kanna label, check that the Supplement Facts panel names the plant, the plant part and whether the milligrams are herb or extract [2][3]. Ratios like 10:1 describe yield, not potency [7]. A mesembrine or total-alkaloid figure is the most informative number, and a lot-matched certificate of analysis is the best way to verify it [4].
What must a kanna supplement label include?
A Supplement Facts panel with serving size, servings per container and every dietary ingredient, plus a separate ingredient statement for the rest.
The FDA says the panel must list the serving size and number of servings per container and declare each dietary ingredient [1]. For plant ingredients, US rules add three things that matter for kanna: the listing "shall specify the part of the plant" [2]; for a dried extract, the weight listed is the weight of the dried extract; and for a liquid extract the label lists the volume or weight of the total extract and identifies the solvent [2][3]. Binders, fillers and flavors go in the ingredient statement below the panel [3].
What the rules do not require is an alkaloid percentage, an extraction ratio or a lab report. Those are voluntary, which is why they are worth looking for. Note also that the FDA does not approve supplements or their labels before sale; the firm is responsible for compliance [1].
What names does kanna go by on a label?
Several: Sceletium tortuosum, Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, kanna, and traditional names for fermented material.
Mesembryanthemum tortuosum L. is the synonym for Sceletium tortuosum (L.) N.E.Br. [9]. Fermented preparations are traditionally called "kougoed" or "channa" [11]. A label that says only "kanna blend" without a botanical name makes it hard to know what you are getting. The Latin name is the part to look for. Fermentation matters because it changes the alkaloid mix: in one controlled experiment, mesembrine fell from 1.33% to 0.05% while a related alkaloid rose from below the quantitation limit to 0.11% [11].
Does the label say herb or extract, and at what ratio?
If it says only "kanna 50 mg", you cannot tell, and the answer changes what the number means.
Ground herb and extract differ in concentration, and the plant itself varies by growing site [12]. A ratio such as 10:1 means roughly 10 g of dried plant per 1 g of native extract. The Frontiers review of extract ratios stresses that this reflects yield, not potency, that a higher ratio is not automatically better, and that carriers added to an extract lower its native content [7]. See kanna extract for the full explanation. In a Supplement Facts panel, look for the extract's name or ratio, the solvent for liquids, and whether the weight is native extract or extract plus carrier.
What does mesembrine content on a label mean?
It is the amount of one specific alkaloid, and it is a different number from total alkaloids or from the milligrams of extract.
Kanna contains many mesembrine-type alkaloids. The published specification of the Zembrin extract gives 0.35 to 0.45% total alkaloids, with mesembrenone and mesembrenol at least 60% of those and mesembrine under 20% [8]. So a label citing "mesembrine" and a label citing "total alkaloids" can describe quite different products, and a product can be low in mesembrine yet still well characterized. A figure per serving helps: for instance, 25 mg of an extract at 0.4% total alkaloids would contain about 0.1 mg of them (our arithmetic). Ask which alkaloids are counted, which lab method was used, and whether the number comes from the exact lot. Read more in the mesembrine explainer.
Be wary of "mesembrine content" figures with no method, lot or lab attached. Percentages mean little without those.
What is a kanna certificate of analysis, and what should it show?
A certificate of analysis (CoA) is a lab report on a specific batch. A useful one names the lab, the lot, the methods and the results.
Federal manufacturing rules show what a trustworthy supplier certificate looks like: it must describe the test methods used, the limits of those tests and the actual results, and the manufacturer relying on it must first qualify the supplier and periodically reconfirm the certificate [4]. Applied to a consumer-facing CoA, check:
- Lot number: does it match the one printed on your package?
- Identity test: does it confirm the species, not just an alkaloid reading? The rules require at least one appropriate identity test for a dietary ingredient [4].
- Alkaloid assay: which alkaloids, which method, what result per gram or per serving?
- Contaminant screens: reports often include heavy metals, microbes or residual solvents. Their presence is a good sign; their absence is worth asking about.
- Lab and date: is the lab named, and is the test recent relative to the lot?
- Match to the label: does the tested material correspond to the milligrams you are buying?
A CoA is not a guarantee. It is one batch tested at one lab. But a brand that will not show one is telling you something.
How can you tell real kanna from fake?
Not from the label, and not reliably by taste or appearance.
Verifying identity takes a lab test, which is why the manufacturing rules require one [4]. WebMD states that the FDA has not tested sceletium products to confirm they contain the ingredients on their labels and that some sceletium supplements have contained other ingredients, such as ephedrine [6]. NCCIH puts the general point plainly: "What's on the label may not be what's in the product" [5]. Practical steps are to buy from brands that publish lot-matched lab reports, to prefer clearly named extracts, and to be wary of unusually large doses or "proprietary blends". A blend lists only the total weight of its contents, which hides each ingredient's amount [3].
What label claims should you be skeptical of?
Any claim that a kanna product treats a condition, or that the FDA has approved it.
The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed [1]. Structure or function statements must carry a bold disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated them and that the product is not intended for any disease, and they may not claim to diagnose, mitigate or address a specific disease [10]. WebMD says sceletium is not approved by the FDA [6]. A kanna label promising to ease a diagnosed condition, or boasting FDA approval, has crossed a line. See is kanna legal.
Look for a medication warning too. WebMD lists SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, antipsychotics, triptans and St. John's wort as possible interaction concerns, and says safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is unknown [6]. A responsible label says so. See is kanna safe.
Kanna label checklist at a glance
| Label element | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Sceletium tortuosum or Mesembryanthemum tortuosum [9] | Only "kanna blend" or "botanical complex" |
| Plant part | Stated (for example, aerial parts) [2] | Not stated |
| Herb or extract | Named extract, ratio and solvent [3][7] | A single mg figure with no form |
| Alkaloid figure | Total alkaloids or mesembrine, with method and lot | "Highly potent" with no number |
| Proprietary blend | Each ingredient with its own amount | Blend total only [3] |
| CoA | Lot-matched, named lab, methods and results [4] | None, or generic and undated |
| Claims | Structure/function wording with the FDA disclaimer [10] | Disease claims, or claims of FDA approval [1][10] |
| Safety text | Serotonergic medicine and pregnancy warnings [6] | None |
Does this apply to kanna drinks?
Yes, and drinks often disclose the least.
Many cans print a milligram figure with no extract name or alkaloid level. That is why our drinks ranking records the amount, the extract if named, and "not stated" when a brand is silent, and why kanna dosage warns against comparing cans milligram to milligram. For the broader forms picture, see the kanna supplements guide.
This page is general information, not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Kanna products are not intended for any disease or health condition. kannadrinks.com is published by Psilly Goose, a kanna drink maker.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. fda.gov
- 21 CFR 101.36, Nutrition labeling of dietary supplements. law.cornell.edu
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide: Chapter IV, Nutrition Labeling. fda.gov
- 21 CFR 111.75, Dietary supplement current good manufacturing practice: component specifications and identity. law.cornell.edu
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. nccih.nih.gov
- WebMD. Sceletium: Uses, side effects, interactions. webmd.com
- Monagas M, et al. Understanding plant to extract ratios in botanical extracts. Front Pharmacol 2022;13:981978. Frontiers
- Murbach TS, et al. A toxicological safety assessment of a standardized extract of Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) in rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2014;74:190-9. PubMed
- Brendler T, et al. Sceletium for managing anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment: a traditional herbal medicine in modern-day regulatory systems. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021;19(9):1384-1400. PubMed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Notifications for Structure/Function and Related Claims in Dietary Supplement Labeling. fda.gov
- Patnala S, Kanfer I. Investigations of the phytochemical content of Sceletium tortuosum following the preparation of "Kougoed" by fermentation of plant material. J Ethnopharmacol 2009;121:86-91. PubMed
- Reddy K, et al. Mass spectrometry metabolomics and feature-based molecular networking reveals population-specific chemistry in some species of the Sceletium genus. Front Nutr 2022;9:819753. PMC
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a kanna supplement label?
A Supplement Facts panel with serving size, servings per container and each dietary ingredient [1]. For plants, the label must name the plant part, and the amount is the weight of the extract if it is an extract [2][3]. Ingredients not in the panel go in a separate ingredient statement [3].
What does mesembrine content on a label mean?
It is the amount or percentage of one alkaloid, mesembrine, in the product. It is not required on US labels, and it differs from total alkaloids: the Zembrin extract is specified at 0.35 to 0.45% total alkaloids with mesembrine under 20% of them [8].
What is a kanna certificate of analysis?
A lab report for a specific batch. Under federal manufacturing rules, a supplier's certificate must describe the test methods, their limits and the actual results, and the manufacturer must qualify the supplier before relying on it [4]. Ask for one that matches your lot number.
How can you tell if kanna is real or fake?
You cannot from the label alone. Identity needs a lab test [4]. WebMD notes the FDA has not tested sceletium products to confirm label contents and that some sceletium supplements have contained other ingredients such as ephedrine [6].
Does 'standardized' on a kanna label guarantee quality?
No. NCCIH says 'standardized' does not necessarily guarantee product quality or consistency [5]. Look for what is standardized, to what level, and whether a lab report backs it.