A generic botanical supplier checklist under-weights the two things that actually go wrong with licorice. Its headline marker cannot identify the species, and a cheap legal commodity can lift that marker without adding any root. A licorice supplier assessment therefore has to test for capabilities most botanical assessments never ask about — specifically, whether the supplier can produce a fingerprint and whether they will put a species claim in writing.
Three Disqualifying Red Flags
Not point deductions. Reasons to stop.
- They will not name the species in writing. If a supplier's documentation says "licorice" or "Glycyrrhiza sp." rather than "Glycyrrhiza glabra L.", they either do not know or do not want to be held to it. Both are disqualifying for a regulated market.
- They cannot supply an HPLC fingerprint. A single glycyrrhizin peak is not sufficient control on this botanical. A supplier without fingerprint capability cannot detect glycyrrhizinate spiking even in their own incoming material — which means they may be passing it on in good faith.
- They quote DGL against a glycyrrhizin maximum only. Ask what the flavonoid specification is. A supplier who has never been asked, or who treats DGL as "licorice with less glycyrrhizin", is selling you dilution.
The fingerprint question is the fastest supplier filter in this category. Ask early: "Can you provide an HPLC fingerprint chromatogram against authentic G. glabra reference material, and will you report liquiritin alongside glycyrrhizin?" The answer sorts serious manufacturers from traders in one exchange, and it costs you nothing to ask.
The Scoring Framework
Weighted to 100 points. Score before you see price, so commercial pressure does not colour the technical view. Note that species and fingerprint control carry more weight here than in a generic botanical assessment — deliberately.
1. Species Control and Identity — 25 points
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Glycyrrhiza glabra declared by binomial on every batch CoA | 8 |
| TLC identity against authentic G. glabra reference material | 6 |
| HPLC fingerprint chromatogram available on request | 6 |
| Glabridin reported (positive G. glabra indicator) | 3 |
| Raw-material origin and collection status (cultivated/wild) declared | 2 |
2. Assay Rigour and Anti-Spiking Controls — 25 points
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Glycyrrhizin by HPLC (not UV), stated on dry basis, measured figure given | 8 |
| Liquiritin or total flavonoids reported alongside glycyrrhizin | 6 |
| Willing to sign a "no added glycyrrhizin salts" declaration | 6 |
| Acid-insoluble ash and residual solvent lines present | 3 |
| Carriers and excipients declared by name and percentage | 2 |
The declaration in row three is the highest-leverage item on this entire checklist. Ammonium glycyrrhizinate is legal and cheap; adding it is invisible to a single-peak assay. A written declaration converts an undetectable practice into a documented misrepresentation, which is a materially different decision for a supplier to make.
3. Grade Capability — 15 points
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| DGL specified on both ends — glycyrrhizin maximum and flavonoid minimum | 6 |
| Multiple glycyrrhizin strengths available (10 / 20 / 25%) | 3 |
| Glabridin cosmetic grade available with its own HPLC assay | 3 |
| Native-ratio grades quoted with glycyrrhizin reported anyway | 3 |
4. Compliance and Testing Readiness — 20 points
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Heavy metals by ICP-MS with numeric per-element limits | 6 |
| Full USP microbiological panel including pathogens | 4 |
| EU pesticide MRL screening with a real report | 4 |
| Non-ETO declaration with LC-MS/MS testing available | 3 |
| Testing at a NABL-accredited (or ISO 17025 equivalent) laboratory | 3 |
Heavy metals deserve their weighting on licorice specifically. It is a deep-rooted perennial harvested after several seasons, drawing from a far larger soil volume than an annual crop — which makes soil contamination a more material risk than for most botanicals, not less.
5. Consistency and Commercial Terms — 15 points
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Three consecutive batch CoAs showing assay and fingerprint consistency | 5 |
| Incoterms quoted properly to your named destination | 3 |
| Written payment terms on a proforma invoice | 2 |
| Samples supplied with the same CoA standard as bulk | 2 |
| Technical questions answered by someone who understands the chemistry | 3 |
Interpreting the Score
| Score | Reading |
|---|---|
| 85–100 | Qualified for bulk supply. Proceed to sample and pre-shipment verification. |
| 70–84 | Workable with conditions. Close the gaps in writing before first bulk order. |
| 55–69 | Trial quantities only, with independent testing on every lot. |
| Below 55 | Not a supplier for a regulated market — particularly if the shortfall is in section 1 or 2. |
One weighting note: a supplier can reach 70 points while scoring badly on species and spiking control, and that combination is worse than the total suggests. Treat sections 1 and 2 as having their own floor — below 30 of the available 50, decline regardless of the overall score.
The Sample Stage
- Does the sample CoA name the species by binomial? If the sample documentation is vague, the bulk documentation will be too.
- Ask for the fingerprint with the sample. How they respond is more informative than the chromatogram itself.
- Check the sweetness against the assay. An informal but genuinely useful check — material noticeably sweeter than its stated glycyrrhizin content suggests is worth a question.
- Assess flow and colour. Unusually pale, unusually free-flowing licorice extract is a bulking signal.
- Did they ask about your market? A supplier who does not ask whether you are shipping into a jurisdiction with a glycyrrhizin labelling threshold is not thinking about your problem.
First-Order Protocol
- Nominate an independent laboratory — Eurofins, SGS or Intertek — for pre-shipment sampling. Request glycyrrhizin and a flavonoid marker, not assay alone.
- Compare against the supplier CoA line by line. On licorice, pay particular attention to whether the flavonoid-to-glycyrrhizin relationship looks proportionate.
- Retain a sealed, dated sample of the shipped lot for the material's shelf life.
- Re-verify at batch three, then annually, and always on a change of raw-material origin or manufacturing site.
SV Botanica supplies bulk licorice extract from certified manufacturing facilities in India with species declared per batch, identity by TLC against G. glabra reference material, glycyrrhizin by HPLC and flavonoid reporting on request. Buyer-nominated third-party pre-shipment testing is welcome. See the product page, the buyer's guide, or adulteration and authenticity for the failure modes this checklist defends against.
Source Standardised Licorice Extract from India
Glycyrrhizin NLT 20% by HPLC · DGL, glabridin 40% & full-spectrum grades · CoA-backed · samples for qualified buyers