Grade names the application route, not just purity
Two extracts can share the same assay % yet travel on completely different regulatory routes. Natural borneol, for example, is supplied at three real grades: pharma grade d-Borneol 99%+ (GC / HPLC, for API and TCM actives), Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard 96% (general pharmaceutical and TCM use), and cosmetic / flavor grade 98% (skincare, oral care and flavor cooling). Green-tea extract is offered on a food-grade production route, including an instant water-soluble beverage grade at 50% tea polyphenols. The grade tells the supplier which documentation and release path apply — it is not a synonym for a higher number on the COA.
Each grade carries a different document set
A pharma route expects Pharmaceutical GMP (supplier route review), batch-specific COA with heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg), microbiology and residual-solvent scope. A food / supplement route expects a food-grade production route with HACCP / GMP document review and, where the market requires it, Halal / Kosher document review. A cosmetic route expects allergen status plus TDS / MSDS and residual-solvent control. HerbalSourcing prepares the document set per destination market on request; we do not imply certificates we cannot show.
Match grade to finished format and market
Capsules, tablets and powders usually call for food / supplement grade with Halal / Kosher review where needed; skincare and serums call for cosmetic grade with allergen confirmation; cardiovascular and topical TCM formulas call for pharma-grade borneol. Destination market also matters: US supplement buyers typically need cGMP and FDA facility documentation, EU buyers need food-supplement and novel-food compliance, and Halal / Kosher are reviewed per buyer market. Naming the finished format and market up front narrows the correct grade.
Specify grade explicitly in the RFQ
State the exact grade name, active marker, assay %, test method, intended finished format and destination market in one RFQ so the supplier confirms the correct SKU and COA, rather than a generic grade that fails your incoming release testing. Pair this with a clear marker-and-method specification (see the ratio vs standardized and spec-sheet reading guides) so what ships matches what you release.