How to read a mad honey lab report
A usable mad honey certificate of analysis names the laboratory, carries a certificate number and date, identifies the batch, states the analytical method, and gives measured grayanotoxin values with units. If any one of those five is missing you cannot use the document to judge potency. Below we walk through a real published certificate line by line.
The five fields that make a certificate usable
- The laboratory’s name and address. A real lab can be looked up. “Tested by an accredited third-party lab” with no name cannot.
- A certificate number and issue date. This is what makes the document referenceable — and what tells you how old it is.
- A batch identifier. Without it, the certificate describes an unknown jar. Ideally it matches a code printed on the pack you receive.
- The analytical method. For grayanotoxin the standard is LC-MS/MS. A method line means someone actually measured something.
- Quantified results with units. µg/kg or mg/kg. Words like “high”, “potent” or “within safe limits” are grades, not measurements.
A worked example from a real certificate
One brand in our comparison publishes its certificate in full. Here is what it actually contains, transcribed from the PDF:
| Laboratory | Vereenigde Laboratoria Drs. W.H. Nagel B.V., Rapenburg 101–103, 1011 TW Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Certificate number | 2502051, issued 30 April 2025 |
| Issued to | Himaida Nepal Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu — the Nepali supplier, not the retail brand |
| Sample | “Said to be honey”, glass jar of about 250 g |
| Batch | Cliff Honey Nepal, batch 003, filled 28 January 2025 |
| Method | LC-MS/MS |
| Grayanotoxin I | 35,038 µg/kg |
| Grayanotoxin III | 13,520 µg/kg, stated as an estimated value |
That is what a usable certificate looks like: five of five fields present, and a number you can compare against another number.
Four things a certificate quietly does not tell you
Reading the fields that are present is the easy half. The valuable half is noticing what is absent — and this applies to the example above as much as to anyone else’s:
- Which analytes were not tested. The certificate above reports grayanotoxin I and III. It contains no heavy-metal, pesticide or microbiological results. A seller whose marketing mentions “purity and heavy metals” needs a certificate that actually shows them.
- Who supplied the sample, and whether it was sealed. Trade certificates almost always test a sample the client sent in, often recorded as unsealed. The lab is certifying the jar it received — not the supply chain behind it, and not the jar on your shelf.
- Whether the accreditation is stated. Look for an ISO 17025 reference. Its absence does not mean the lab is bad, but it is a fair thing to ask about.
- How old the batch is. A certificate for a batch filled 18 months ago describes that lot. Grayanotoxin content varies sharply between harvests, so it is not a permanent statement about the brand.
How we score certificates
Our lab-testing criterion is 25% of the total score and reflects exactly this hierarchy: quantified values published before purchase score highest, batch reports without numbers score in the middle, a certificate that only arrives with the order scores lower, and an unsupported testing claim scores lowest. Of the eight brands we scored, one publishes quantified values, two publish reports without numbers, one ships a certificate in the box, and four publish nothing at all.
What to ask a seller who has no published certificate
Email them one sentence: “Can you send the certificate of analysis for the batch you would ship me, including the grayanotoxin figures and the method?” The answer, and how long it takes, tells you most of what you need to know. A seller with the document sends it. A seller without it explains why you do not need it.
Frequently asked questions
What grayanotoxin level is normal in mad honey?
There is no single normal level — published figures vary widely between harvests and regions. The one certificate published in our comparison reports grayanotoxin I at 35,038 µg/kg. Treat any single figure as describing one batch, not the product line.
Does a certificate of analysis prove the honey is authentic?
It proves the sample the laboratory received contained the measured compounds. It does not by itself prove that the jar you receive came from the same batch — which is why a batch code you can match to the certificate matters.
Is LC-MS/MS the right method?
Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry is the standard approach for quantifying grayanotoxins and is what you should expect to see named on the report.
What if a seller refuses to share a certificate?
Treat the potency claim as unverified and price the risk accordingly. It is not proof of a bad product, but it means you are dosing an unknown — see the dosage guide.