How to Read a 7-OH Product Label

What a 7-OH label can and cannot tell you

Read a 7-OH label by identifying the named ingredient, the amount, and what that amount applies to: one tablet, a labeled serving, the whole package, or a defined percentage basis. These details describe a label claim, not proof of the contents or a safe amount to consume.

7-OH means 7-hydroxymitragynine, a compound associated with kratom that acts at opioid receptors. Natural kratom leaf and concentrated 7-OH products are not interchangeable; FDA distinguished them in its July 29, 2025 announcement and warned that some concentrated products are inaccurately labeled or marketed as kratom. FDA July 2025 7-OH announcement

This guide is for consumers and families trying to understand a package or prepare questions for a clinician. It gives no buying recommendations, dosing instructions, or conversion between kratom leaf and concentrated products. For background, read What Is 7-OH?.

First identify what the milligram number measures

A milligram, abbreviated mg, is a unit of mass: 1,000 mg equals 1 gram. A number such as "20 mg" is incomplete unless you know both the substance being measured and the unit or serving it describes.

• Ingredient: Does the number name 7-OH, mitragynine, total alkaloids, or an entire extract? An extract's weight is not automatically its 7-OH content.
• Per unit: "mg per tablet" describes the claimed amount in one tablet. A unit could instead be a gummy or another named item.
• Per serving: "mg per serving" refers to the labeled serving size, which may contain more than one unit. NIH explains that supplement labels state amounts per serving and manufacturers suggest the serving size. NIH consumer fact sheet
• Per package: A package total is different from a per-unit or per-serving amount. Check whether a front-panel number specifies which it means.
• Liquid concentration: "mg per mL" means milligrams per milliliter of liquid. It is not the same as milligrams per bottle unless the bottle's volume is also specified.

Do not treat the manufacturer's serving size as a medically established safe amount. If the front panel and ingredient panel use different units, record both rather than assuming they agree.

Fictional label A: per tablet is not per serving

Every numerical example below is fictional and educational. These are original text examples, not actual product labels, verified formulations, or advice about how much to consume. The arithmetic describes claimed contents only.

Imagine a label that says:

• 7-OH: 4 mg per tablet.
• Serving size: 2 tablets.
• Package count: 10 tablets.

The claimed amount per labeled serving is 4 mg multiplied by 2, or 8 mg. The claimed amount in the package is 4 mg multiplied by 10, or 40 mg. Those numbers refer to different quantities of the same fictional product; they are not three different strengths.

Now imagine a different label that says "4 mg per serving" and defines a serving as 2 tablets. That is not the same claim as "4 mg per tablet." It implies an average of 2 mg per tablet if the contents are evenly distributed. Arithmetic cannot verify that distribution or the actual amount in any individual tablet.

Useful annotation: write "ingredient / amount / basis" beside each claim. For label A, that would be "7-OH / 4 mg / one tablet." If any part is missing, the comparison remains unresolved.

Fictional label B: a percentage needs a denominator

A percentage describes a proportion, not an amount on its own. For a percentage stated by mass, the calculation is: percentage divided by 100, multiplied by the mass of the specified material. You must know what material the percentage refers to before doing the calculation.

Imagine a fictional tablet with a total mass of 500 mg:

• If a label explicitly claims "7-OH is 1% of the whole tablet by mass," the claimed 7-OH amount is 0.01 multiplied by 500 mg, or 5 mg.
• If instead the tablet contains 50 mg of total alkaloids and the label claims "7-OH is 1% of total alkaloid mass," the claimed amount is 0.01 multiplied by 50 mg, or 0.5 mg.

The same "1%" produces different amounts because the denominators differ. Neither example is a safety threshold. A percentage for an extract ingredient also cannot be applied to the entire finished tablet unless the label establishes that basis.

If a package says only "1% 7-OH" without defining the basis, do not fill in the missing denominator. Likewise, "purity" or "total alkaloids" is not a substitute for an explicitly stated 7-OH amount. Comparisons with natural leaf require the same care about what the percentage measures.

A real recall shows why label math is not verification

In a company announcement dated February 13, 2026, posted by FDA on February 17, Shaman Botanicals recalled Alkaloids Chewable Tablets - White Vein, lot B# AAW.501.3. The announcement says testing found more 7-OH than the declared 7.5 mg per tablet. It does not disclose the measured amount, so the notice cannot support a calculation of how far the label was off. FDA-hosted recall announcement

The notice applies to the identified lot, not proof that every product has the same mismatch. FDA hosts the company's announcement as a public service, not an endorsement. If the product and lot match, follow the notice's instructions to stop using the recalled product and arrange its return; contact a healthcare provider about related health problems. Recall details and instructions

The practical lesson: correct arithmetic can clarify a printed claim, but it cannot establish what is actually inside the package.

A testing certificate does not establish safety

A certificate of analysis, often abbreviated COA, is a report of analytical test results, not a clinical safety assessment. When reviewing one, ask which sample was tested, whether its lot matches the package, when testing occurred, what substances were measured, and what units and methods were used. Treat missing information as a limitation, not reassurance.

A report about one sample does not by itself establish the contents of every unit, address substances that were not tested, or show how the product will affect a particular person. NIH explicitly cautions that independent quality-testing seals do not guarantee safety or effectiveness. NIH discussion of quality testing

Nor does a Supplement Facts panel mean FDA has approved a product. FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before marketing. Its July 2025 7-OH announcement states that there are no FDA-approved 7-OH drugs. FDA supplement information and FDA 7-OH announcement

For the difference between chemical measurements and evidence about effects in people, read Science and Evidence.

A reader checklist for a clinician conversation

Use this checklist to record what is known without turning a label into a consumption plan:

• Photograph the front, ingredient panel, serving-size information, lot number, and expiration date. Keep the original wording visible.
• Record each relevant claim as ingredient / amount / basis. Separate 7-OH from extract weight and total alkaloids.
• Note the number of units per labeled serving and per package. Mark missing or conflicting information as unknown.
• For percentages, record the stated denominator. Do not invent a whole-product basis or estimate a missing ingredient mass.
• Check whether the product name and lot match the FDA recall linked above. A different lot or absence of a recall does not establish safety.
• Keep any test report with its sample identifier, date, methods, and units. Note whether the lot matches; do not label the product "safe" because a report exists.
• If someone has already used the product, record what they report using, when, any symptoms, and other medicines or substances for the clinician. Do not replace their account with an assumed amount based on an uncertain label.

NIH recommends sharing a record of supplements and medicines with healthcare providers. NIH guidance on keeping a record

What to do with uncertainty

The goal is to make uncertainty visible, not to calculate a safe exposure. A label, percentage, or certificate cannot answer every question about composition, dependence, interactions, or individual risk.

If you or a family member is worried about symptoms or difficulty stopping, use Get Help for emergency and treatment-support pathways and bring the package information to a healthcare professional. Do not wait to finish this checklist when urgent help is needed.