Today, Reishi spore powder has become a popular health product due to its extensive pharmacological effects. However, some Reishi spore powders on the market contain heavy metals that exceed safety limits.

 

 

Long-term consumption of Reishi spore powder with excessive heavy metals will affect the function of various tissue cells in the human body, posing a toxic threat to the digestive, circulatory, nervous, and even blood systems.

 

Consuming Reishi is originally intended for the promotion of health. However, the inadvertent intake of inappropriate Reishi can result in an increased burden on the body.

 

Why is spore powder prone to heavy metal contamination? There are mainly two sources of heavy metal contamination in Reishi spore powder:

 

1. Pollution in the surrounding environment during the growth of Reishi

Firstly, it’s important to know that heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium are commonly present in the environment.

 

During the growth process of Reishi, it fully absorbs the mineral nutrients and trace elements in the surrounding environment, including soil, air, and water sources. As a result, it also accumulates various heavy metals from its surroundings.

 

The image shows Reishi growing in a natural environment.

If the surrounding environment is severely polluted, Reishi will absorb excessive heavy metals, leading to an excess of heavy metals in the Reishi. This highlights the importance of a superior natural environment for the growth of Reishi.

2. Heavy metal contamination during the production and processing of spore powder

The production process, equipment, and packaging materials used in the manufacture of sporoderm-broken Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can all potentially be affected by pollutants, which may result in an excess of heavy metals.

 

At this point, the choice of method for breaking the sporoderm becomes particularly important. Compared to other methods, the low-temperature physical sporoderm-breaking method used by GanoHerb introduces fewer metal substances, thus resulting in relatively less heavy metal contamination.

 

How to choose safe and high-quality Reishi spore powder?

1. Choose a legitimate channel: Purchasing from legitimate manufacturers and sales channels can prevent the purchase of counterfeit and inferior products. 

2. Understand the product ingredients: When purchasing Reishi spore powder, it’s important to understand the product ingredients and review the product’s quality inspection report. 

3. Pay attention to storage methods: Reishi spore powder should be stored in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight and high-temperature environments.

 

What efforts has GanoHerb made in terms of heavy metal pollution control and detection?

 

Firstly, in terms of Reishi cultivation and production: GanoHerb’s organic Reishi base selects independent plots that have been abandoned for more than 3 years. With drinkable spring water (GB 5749), pure air (GB 3095), and organic soil that meets national level 2 standards or above (GB 15618), GanoHerb has created a superior natural environment, nurturing each and every pure organic Reishi.

 

Additionally, during the processing of Reishi spore powder, GanoHerb adopts a low-temperature physical sporoderm-breaking technology. This introduces fewer substances and greatly reduces the risk of heavy metal contamination.

 

Secondly, stringent controls are implemented with respect to the detection of heavy metals, agricultural residues, and microbes:

 

The first round of testing is conducted at the time of spore powder harvesting. Random samples are drawn from GanoHerb Reishi base and sent to a third-party laboratory for 500+ agricultural residue tests. Concurrently, GanoHerb’s internal laboratory conducts tests for physical and chemical indexes such as moisture content and ash content, tests for freshness  indexes such as acid value and peroxide value, and tests for indexes of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury.

 

The second round of testing is carried out after the breaking of the sporoderm. Comprehensive testing is performed again in accordance with the GanoHerb’s internal control standards (which cater to both domestic and export requirements). This includes tests for physical and chemical indexes such as moisture content, ash content, sporoderm-breaking rate and protein content, tests for functional component indicators such as polysaccharides and triterpenes, tests for heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, chromium, nickel and copper, which comply with the strictest standards of different countries, and tests for hygiene indicators such as total plate count, molds and yeasts, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, for assessing cleanliness and hygiene.

 

The third round of testing is conducted on the finished products after production and processing. Whether it’s powder, hard capsules, or softgels, they are all randomly sampled and sent to the testing technology center for inspection, which is stricter than the national standard. In addition to the factory inspection items such as moisture, ash, polysaccharides, and triterpenes, heavy metals and agricultural residues like DDT and pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, which are required by the national standard to be tested only once a year, are tested for each batch.

 

Furthermore, GanoHerb Quality Testing Laboratory (Testing Technology Center) passed the review of the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) in June 2022 and officially obtained CNAS national laboratory accreditation. Its testing capabilities align with international high standards.

 

When it comes to what we ingest, the priority is to ensure that it’s safe, followed by its effectiveness! While Reishi products are beneficial, it’s crucial to make a careful and informed choice!