LeafWorks launches enhanced DNA tests to verify botanical ingredients, detect contaminants
The expanded testing platform covers 75 key herbs and fungi, helping supplement and food brands strengthen quality control and comply with regulatory standards.
U.S.A. – LeafWorks, a botanical genomics and testing company, has broadened its DNA-based species identification services to include widely used herbs, fungi, and their common adulterants in natural products, dietary supplements, and foods.
The expanded testing platform provides manufacturers, sourcing managers, and quality-control teams with highly accurate, scalable tools to confirm botanical identity, even in complex multi-ingredient formulations.
By identifying multiple plant and fungal components simultaneously, the service helps companies verify ingredient authenticity, prevent adulteration, and maintain consumer trust.
“The natural products industry has long faced significant gaps in robust identification testing for challenging herbs and complex formulations. Our genetic approach fills those gaps,” said Kerin Law, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at LeafWorks.
LeafWorks’ Botanical ID Testing now offers two complementary options: LeafWorks® Botanical DNA ID Tests, which verify whether a sample contains a specific target species, and LeafWorks® Adulteration DNA ID Testing, which detects common adulterants or substitutions such as peanut, rice, or wheat, ingredients that often escape visual or chemistry-based detection.
This expanded service addresses the top 75 herbs and fungi used in global natural products, along with frequently encountered adulterants, meeting a wide range of industry needs.
Adulteration, whether intentional or due to supply chain complexity, remains widespread.
A peer-reviewed study assessing five top-selling herbal ingredients found adulteration rates ranging from 17% to as high as 57% of products tested. Such findings underscore the need for more reliable, technology-driven verification methods.
Unlike traditional identification approaches such as microscopy or macroscopy, which are limited in highly processed materials, or chemistry-based assays, which can miss ingredients with overlapping profiles, DNA analysis works at the genetic level.
LeafWorks’ methods are validated against an extensive global genomic library containing thousands of authenticated Botanical Reference and Certified Reference Materials.
“DNA cannot be masked or changed. If it’s present—even at trace levels—we will detect it and identify it accurately using our industry-leading genomic database,” Law explained.
By embedding genomic science into routine quality-control workflows, LeafWorks’ testing helps companies meet regulatory requirements, guide product development, and ensure ingredient purity.
The company’s Botanical ID Testing is available immediately for applications in dietary supplements, herbal medicine, foods, cosmetics, and other natural products.
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