Empirical Health
Purity • Quality • Potency
Herbal Quality & Testing Framework
Empirical Health’s Herbal Quality & Testing Framework ensures every herb we supply meets the highest possible standards of identity, purity, safety, and traceability. Rather than ranking herbs by “better” or “best,” this framework outlines three distinct quality grades, each designed for specific clinical needs and practitioner preferences.
Learn more about our Organic, Premium & Conventional grades below.
Raw Herbs and Granules
ORGANIC
Our Organic grade is designed for practitioners who require the highest level of assurance around organic certification, purity, and verification. This category includes Australian Certified Organic (ACO) raw herbs as well as premium single-granule extracts that undergo extensive, highly sensitive analytical testing.
Raw Herbs and Granules
PREMIUM
Previously AA & AAA Grade. Our Premium grade is designed for practitioners who require high-grade herbs with both traditional provenance and modern analytical assurance. These herbs are sourced from Dao Di (道地) regions, these are areas recognised for producing the most authentic and potent medicinal material. Comprehensive testing can be done on request.
Raw Herbs
CONVENTIONAL
Previously A Grade. Our Conventional grade offers practitioners dependable access to a wide range of essential herbs used in routine clinical practice. While positioned as our entry category, each batch is still subject to strict identification and quality controls to ensure it meets Empirical Health’s minimum professional standards.
- •Certified organic sourcing, compliant with ACO, ACOS, and International Organic Standards
- •Species verification to confirm correct botanical identity
- •Quality and organoleptic assessment evaluating appearance, aroma, and structural integrity
- •Arrival and post-processing inspections to detect any contamination or compromise
- •Batch recording for complete traceability throughout the supply chain
- •Advanced analytical testing, may include GC, GC-MS, HPLC, HPLC-MS-MS, AA, ICO-OES, ICP-MS, and/or HPTLC
- •Comprehensive pesticide screening of over 100 pesticides, requiring Non-Detectable (ND) results
- •Heavy metals and aflatoxin testing to verify compliance with international safety limits
- •Full microbiological screening, including Total Plate Count, yeast, mould, and E. coli
- •Certificate of Analysis (COA) available (processing fees may apply for select items)
Practitioner note: Organic herbs and granules provide the highest level of purity and verification, ideal for sensitive populations and stringent clinical standards.
- •Species verification to confirm correct botanical identity
- •Premium quality assessment evaluating integrity, colour, aroma, and overall condition
- •Organoleptic evaluation assessing aroma, texture, and appearance
- •Arrival inspection to screen for visible contamination or compromise
- •Batch recording for traceability and consistency
- •Authentic-region (Dao Di) sourcing for optimal ecological and medicinal quality
- •Certificate of Analysis (COA) available by request (processing fees may apply for select items)
- •Advanced analytical testing on request, may include GC, GC-MS, HPLC, HPLC-MS-MS, AA, ICO-OES, ICP-MS, and/or HPTLC
Additional testing on request includes:
- •Comprehensive pesticide screening of over 100 pesticides
- •Heavy metals and aflatoxin testing to verify compliance with international safety limits
- •Full microbiological screening, including Total Plate Count, yeast, mould, and E. coli
Practitioner note: Premium herbs provide the assurance of the highest quality, raw material combined with the depth and authenticity of Dao Di sourcing.
- •Species verification to confirm correct botanical identity
- •Quality assessment evaluating integrity, colour, and general condition
- •Organoleptic evaluation assessing aroma, texture, and appearance
- •Arrival inspection to screen for visible contamination or compromise
- •Batch recording for traceability and consistency
Practitioner note: Conventional herbs do not undergo pesticide testing. This category is designed for reliable, consistent, and cost-effective everyday prescribing.
Dao Di Yao Cai (道地药材)Authentic Area Medicinal Material
Daodi medicinal materials, more specifically known as Dao Di Yao Cai (道地药材) translated as, Authentic Area Medicinal Materials, refer to medicinal substances cultivated and harvested in specific geographic regions distinguished by unique natural conditions and ecological environments.
These areas are carefully selected for their optimal cultivation techniques, harvesting methods, and processing practices, resulting in medicinal materials of superior quality. Recognised for their exceptional clinical efficacy compared to similar botanical products from other regions, daodi materials have earned a well-established and long-standing reputation in the practices of Chinese herbal medicine.
Traceability & Quality Systems
Regulated facilities: Our manufacturing is regulated by the NSW Department of Primary Industries – Food Authority, Australian Certified Organic (ACO) Standards, and we operate under GMP and HACCP-aligned procedures. We also work with suppliers using robust internal traceability standards recognised internationally.
- GAP-compliant agricultural practices
- Environmental, soil, and water monitoring
- Batch identification and recording
- Washing, cleaning, and classification
- Air drying
- Batch recording
- Sample recording
- Testing: identification, assay, pesticides, heavy metals, moisture
- Approval & release documentation
- Batch traceability
- GMP-aligned environment
- Water quality monitoring
- Equipment sanitation records
- Full batch production tracking
- Final sampling & testing (ID, assay, pesticides, heavy metals, microbiology, aflatoxins)
- Approval and release documentation
- Batch production records
Quality Above All
Regulated facilities: Our manufacturing is regulated by the NSW Department of Primary Industries – Food Authority, Australian Certified Organic (ACO) Standards, and we operate under GMP and HACCP-aligned procedures. We also work with suppliers using robust internal traceability standards recognised internationally.
- Facilities process over 3,000 tonnes of herbs annually under GMP-aligned standards
- Advanced extraction technologies: solid–liquid extraction, vacuum concentration, spray drying, vacuum belt drying
- Purification methods including liquid–liquid extraction
Every extract is standardised with strict controls to ensure consistent composition, safety, and potency.
- Species ID (TLC, HPTLC, HPLC)
- Pesticides (GC-MS, LC-MS-MS)
- Heavy metals (AA, UV, ICO-OES, ICP-MS)
- Active components (HPLC, UV-VIS)
- Solvent residues • Microbiology • Mesh distribution & bulk density
Certificates of Analysis include all core results; additional testing available upon request.
Our Commitment
Sourcing… with intention.
We partner with GAP-certified farms and ethical wildcrafters, ensuring every herb begins its journey in environments aligned with traditional practice and ecological responsibility.
Certified Organic Leadership.
Empirical Health is proud to be the first Chinese Medicine company in Australia to achieve Australian Certified Organic (ACO) and USDA Organic certification.
Testing… with rigour.
Through our Herbal Quality & Testing Framework, each category—Conventional, Premium, and Organic—undergoes clearly defined identity, purity, and safety assessments so practitioners can prescribe with confidence.
Managing… with care.
Advanced stock and batch management systems safeguard freshness, potency, and full traceability from field to clinic.