Organic herbs

Organic herbs are grown without chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They are certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and all organic products are compliant with the USDA NOP (National Organic Program). Our organic herbs also go through an independent pesticide screening. We whole-heartedly support organic farming not only for the purity of the herbs but for the benefit it provides for the people doing the farming and for the environment in general. We feel the holistic approach to healing that characterizes Chinese medicine begins with an attitude that treats the earth with respect and the realization that the health of the environment and the health of the body are one and the same.

Premium herbs

Premium Grade herbs are high quality herbs that meet the following requirements:

1. No detected pesticides. (Tested for at least 135 pesticides and in most cases over 250 pesticides). Each lot is tested and tracked. Testing is done by an independent laboratory in either the US or Germany.

2. Sulfur dioxide - we test each lot for SO2 via vapor sampling and accept only readings of 1.0 ppm or less. The choice of this level of testing is to allow naturally occurring SO2 (a natural result of decaying plant matter) yet rule out added sulfur gassing. Some of our suppliers do titration testing for sulfites. We also accept a non-detection result from this test for our Premium Grade herbs.

3. Though we have not yet had occasion to do so, if we have any reason to suspect contamination by other substances we test for them as well.