Boreal Ingredient Partners

This document defines the minimum quality and verification requirements applied to every ingredient sourced, tested, or distributed by Boreal Ingredient Partners, a division of SellByChat Inc. (British Columbia, Canada). It governs our supplier qualification, batch-level testing, release decisions, and documentation practices. It is binding internal policy and is made available to buyers and supplier partners on request.

This standard applies to all specialty nutraceutical ingredients brokered, repackaged, or distributed by Boreal, with detailed specifications currently defined for:

• Functional mushroom extracts — Hericium erinaceus, Ganoderma lucidum, Cordyceps militaris, Inonotus obliquus, Trametes versicolor, Grifola frondosa, Lentinula edodes
• Botanical extracts and adaptogens
• Nutraceutical amino acids and their derivatives

Specifications for additional ingredient categories are developed prior to first release of any product in that category.

No supplier enters the Boreal network without:

1. Complete document review — current COA, certifications (USDA NOP, EU Organic, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP as applicable), facility audit records, and prior customer references.
2. Direct verification of every certification with the issuing body. No certification is accepted from a supplier copy alone.
3. Independent third-party lab testing of a commercial-grade sample against the supplier's declared specification.
4. A minimum of one reference call with a prior customer of the supplier.

Suppliers whose independent lab results deviate from their declared specification by more than 15 percent are not onboarded. Onboarded suppliers are re-verified annually, or at any material change in their operations.

Every commercial batch released by Boreal is independently tested at a third-party laboratory before delivery. Primary lab partners: Eurofins Scientific (Madison, Wisconsin) and Alkemist Labs (Costa Mesa, California).

For functional mushroom extracts, the applied parameters are:

• Beta-1,3 / beta-1,6 D-glucan content by enzymatic assay — Megazyme K-YBGL, AOAC Method 2017.16. Minimum specification: 30.0% for 30% extract grade.
• Alpha-glucan screen — maximum 5.0% to exclude substrate (rice, oat) contamination.
• Heavy metals by ICP-MS(USP <232> and <233>): Pb ≤1.0 ppm, As ≤1.5 ppm, Cd ≤0.5 ppm, Hg ≤0.5 ppm.
• Microbiological(USP <2021> and <2022>): total aerobic plate count ≤10,000 CFU/g, yeast and mold ≤1,000 CFU/g, absence of Salmonella and E. coli per 25g sample.
• Pesticide residue(USP <561>) on all products bearing organic claims.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on all Inonotus obliquus (chaga) products, given birch substrate risk.
• Triterpene content by HPLC on all Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) products — minimum 2.0% for dual-extract grades.
• Cordycepin by HPLC on all Cordyceps militaris products — minimum 10.0% for extract grade.
• Species identification by DNA barcoding when adulteration is suspected or species verification is contractually required.

A batch is released for delivery only when every applicable parameter passes the specifications above. Batches failing any single parameter are returned to the supplier, downgraded to a lower grade, or destroyed — at Boreal's sole discretion. Failed batches are not re-sold under any label.

Any ingredient destined for the European Union is screened against current EFSA Novel Food authorization status under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Ingredients not authorized at the time of shipment are not delivered into EU member states for supplement or food use. Authorization status is reconfirmed for every EU-bound order.

As of the effective date of this standard, Cordyceps militaris is not authorized as a Novel Food in the EU and is excluded from EU shipments. Cordyceps sinensis was authorized in 2025.

Every customer order includes:

• Supplier-issued Certificate of Analysis
• Independent third-party lab report (Eurofins or Alkemist)
• Pre-shipment inspection certificate where applicable
• Customs clearance documentation and CFIA / FDA FSVP paperwork as required by destination
• Batch record linking product to specific lot, production date, and qualified supplier

Records are retained for a minimum of five years from the date of release.

Deviations from this standard require written approval from the managing officer of Boreal Ingredient Partners, documented with the reason and the compensating controls applied. No deviation is applied to heavy metals limits, microbiological limits, or EU Novel Food compliance.

This standard is reviewed annually, or upon any material change in ingredient scope, regulatory environment, or laboratory partnership. Revisions are versioned and communicated to active customers in writing.