How to Assess Quality in Granule Products

Assessing the quality of crude herbs requires a significant degree of specialized skill. Different regions use different techniques to cut and process medicinals, so practitioners need to be familiar with multiple forms of the same medicinal before grading and quality assessment becomes possible. In granule form, the appearance of each item is generally the same except for its color. Thus, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to knowing what to look for in granules.

To start, look at the gross texture of the granule. Is it a fine powder or a coarse, large kernel granule? Neither form is necessarily better than the other, but they tend to use different excipients (fillers), often at different quantities. Fine powders tend to encounter more problems with clumping unless they have starch or dextrin as an excipient. Ideally, a fine powder should have minimal excipients without clumping upon exposure to air.

There is a wide variety of fine powder-style granules on the U.S. market. Most of the Taiwanese and Japanese granules on the market fall into this category. The manufacturing approach in Taiwan and Japan typically yields a product that does not clump easily, but the approach used often relatively high levels of starch (around 35-50%). Some products made in mainland China are also sold as a fine powder; due to differences in manufacturing trends, many of the fine powder extracts produced in mainland China use less excipient but tend to clump together after they have been exposed to air.

Coarse granules can often achieve a higher concentration than fine powders without clumping together. However, coarse granules perform best when dissolved in hot water, so they are not as good for patients that eat the powder directly without dissolving it first. Coarse granules also tend to have a milder fragrance in their dry state because there is relatively little surface area to release the fragrance of their essential oils.

To test granules for quality, get more than one brand and test them side by side. Naturally, a full lab will give the best test because constituent levels can be assessed. As most people do not have access to analytical equipment, using the sensitivity of the human senses is the next best method. Open the bottles and smell the powder. It should smell clean and aromatic herbs will tend to have a deep fragrance.

Next, boil water and dissolve a weighed amount of granules from each brand into a different cup with the same volume of water. It is important to use a scale instead of a spoon because different granules vary significantly in their density. If one measures by volume instead of weight, one spoonful of large granules will weigh more than the same spoonful of fine powder.

Pay attention to the dissolution time. The whole product should dissolve in water within a few minutes of stirring in freshly boiled water. Next, let it sit and cool for a few minutes. If powdery sediment precipitates out of the solution, the carrier used is most likely starch or raw herb powder. The amount of starch at the volume of the cup may vary from one brand to another, and some brands may have no sediment at all. Sediment is unpleasant for most patients because it has a muddy texture; for this reason, patients that take granules by dissolving them in water generally prefer granules that dissolve completely.

After checking the dissolution, do a taste test to check out the flavor. The flavor should be deep and rich, just like a decoction. Pay attention to whether your palate can detect distinctive flavors of individual substances such as Mu Dan Pi, Dang Gui, or Ren Shen. The more the flavor and color resembles a decoction, the better. There should be a slight fragrance to the steam coming off the cup, indicating that the essential oils are intact. Distinctive flavors should come through; one should be able to taste the individual ingredients rather than just tasting one uniform flavor. The flavor should be vibrant and dynamic, not bland or unpleasant.

Beyond what one can see with the naked senses, there are several other features to look for in a manufacturer. They should meet GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, preferably with third party certification from the US, Australia, Japan, or Europe. They should test for heavy metals, pesticide residues, microbiological contaminants, constituent levels, and species identity. Their label should clearly state the contents, excipients, and concentration ratio in an open and transparent manner.

At Herban Pharmer, the granules used are sourced by true experts in the field of herbal pharmacy. Our sourcing specialist Eric Brand has visited all the major factories in China and Taiwan, and he has painstakingly selected a product that excels in its safety, efficacy, and quality. We would encourage you to try a simple taste test of our granule products side-by-side with your favorite brand. If you can find anything better on the market, we’d love to hear about it!

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