Traceability

Harvest

Harvesting cultivated crops or wildcrafted plants is done when the plants are ready, fruits are ripe, flowers at peak and roots at their optimal age.  Many operations are certified organic, so harvesting is done according to strict guidelines.

Quality Assurance & Cleaning

Each lot of incoming raw plant materials is carefully checked by trained botanists for correct species, crop quality, purity and lack of adulteration.  Fruits, vegetables, roots and other hard plant parts are thoroughly washed free of residual soil and impurities. 

Sizing

Incoming raw botanical materials are cut into the proper sizes for optimal surface area exposure prior to extraction.  Sizing may involve cutting, mashing, or pulverizing and sifting to optimal mesh sizes.

Extraction

The botanical raw materials are loaded into the extractors for processing at precise temperatures, durations, pressures, and concentrations.

HTST/UHT Sanitization

The liquid menstruum that is created by full spectrum extraction of botanical materials undergoes flash sanitization for assurance of purity and low microbiological plate counts.

High Temperature/Short Time (HTST) Sanitization
The menstruum is heated to 72 °C for approx. 15 seconds.

Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) Sanitization
The menstruum is heated to 130-150 °C for 0.5-1.0 second.

Spray Drying

After the extract menstruum undergoes vacuum concentration, the concentrated liquid extract is fed into a large two story tall spray dryer that instantly removes the water, rendering a pure fine extract powder that is free from cellulose, carriers, or excipients. 

Quality Control & Testing

Extensive analytical testing is performed on each extract produced at Draco.  Testing includes HPLC, High Density HPTLC, gas chromatography, and organileptic testing, microscopy analysis, microbioligical plate counts to ensure correct potency of marker compounds and a full spectrum of natural botanical constituents.

Vacuum Packaging

Finished extracts are carefully vacuum packaged and heat sealed in low permeability mylar bags and special shipping drums for delivery.  This operation takes place in a temperature and humidity controlled clean room that is sanitized between production runs. 

Delivery

Every outgoing lot of finished Draco botanical extract is accompanied by an official Certificate of Assurance (C of A), assuring that the extract is traceable back to the original plant material, that all processes were within strict tolerance ranges, and that the product contains all specified chemical markers and constituents.