Botanical ingredient specialist Sabinsa Corporation has scored the Alkemist Assured seal from Alkemist Labs for the company's Shagandha ashwagandha root extract.
The recognition comes as the ashwagandha category is experiencing fast-paced growth and so the seal of assurance from an industry-recognised botanical testing authority will differentiate Sabinsa's product in an increasingly crowded market.
Sabinsa's Shagandha is derived from the dried roots of Withania somnifera, standardised to a minimum of 2.5% withanolides and 0.25% withaferin A and is analysed using the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) method via HPLC.
The firm added that its extract is 100% free from aerial plant parts, which is significant given that ashwagandha root powder can be adulterated with undisclosed plant parts, additives, or diluents.
In its statement, Sabinsa stressed that undisclosed adulteration — adding lower-cost leaf or aerial plant material to products labelled as root-only ingredients —was a pressing issue in the category.
These adulterants cannot be detected through withanolide-based testing alone.
Alkemist Labs conducted two independent tests on Shagandha: an HPTLC identity test confirming consistency with Withania somnifera root and an HPLC quantitative test validating the 2.5% withanolide specification.
Both tests used USP methods and confirmed that Shagandha is authentic, unadulterated ashwagandha.
"Sabinsa's participation in the Alkemist Assured programme with Shagandha reflects exactly why this programme exists: to help quality-focused brands demonstrate, not merely claim, their commitment to verified ingredients," said Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs.
At a time when ashwagandha quality is receiving well-deserved scrutiny, rigorous third-party testing and transparency are what allow responsible suppliers to stand apart.
Launched in 2022, the Alkemist Assured programme is the top tier of Alkemist's transparency initiative for botanical and fungal products.
Level One, Next Generation Transparency, requires companies to publish updated test results every six months.
Level Two, the Alkemist Assured seal, mandates that Alkemist perform identity, potency and contaminant testing for a minimum commitment of one year per product.
"With ashwagandha sales growing in the double digits in recent years, extra caution in sourcing becomes crucial to guard against the adulteration that often follows rapid growth in demand for an herb," said Shaheen Majeed, Global CEO and Managing Director of Sabinsa.
Earning the Alkemist Assured seal reinforces what Shagandha has always stood for: a correctly standardised, root-only extract that our customers and their consumers can trust completely.