What a lab report is
A certificate of analysis, often shortened to COA, is the report a laboratory issues after testing a sample from one batch of material. It records what was tested, how, and what was found.
The report only means something if it comes from a lab independent of the seller and if it belongs to the batch in your hands. Both are things you can check.
What to look for on the report
A complete report carries these details:
- The name of the laboratory that ran the tests.
- The sample name and the batch or lot number.
- The date the sample was tested.
- Identity: confirmation that the material is the peptide named on the label. Labs commonly confirm this by mass spectrometry, which measures the molecular mass and compares it with the expected value.
- Purity: usually measured by HPLC and given as a percentage.
- Quantity: the amount of peptide measured in the vial, usually in milligrams.
- A verification code or report number that can be checked with the lab.
What the purity figure means
HPLC separates the sample into its components and draws each one as a peak. Purity is the size of the main peak compared with all the peaks together. A result of 99% means the peptide accounts for 99% of what the instrument detected, and related substances account for the rest.
Purity and quantity are different measurements. Purity describes how much of the material is the named peptide. Quantity describes how much material is in the vial. A report can show high purity and still show less material than the label states, so read both lines.
A purity figure also covers only what was tested. If a property is not listed on the report, the report says nothing about it.
Match the report to the vial
Every batch is made and tested separately, so a report applies to one batch only. The batch number on the report should match the batch number printed on the vial. A report for a different batch tells you nothing about the vial you received.
On this site, the product page shows the batch currently being sold together with its report, and your order page links the report for the exact batch you were sent.
Verify the report with the lab
A PDF can be edited, so the strongest check is to confirm the report with the laboratory itself. Our reports come from Janoshik Analytical, which publishes a verification page.
- Open the product page and find the batch box.
- Select the link to Janoshik's verification page.
- Enter the code shown under the link.
- The lab's own site shows the report it issued. Compare it with the one we published: the batch, date and results should be identical.
Signs a report cannot be trusted
Be cautious about a report when any of these apply:
- No laboratory is named, or the lab is the seller itself.
- There is no batch number, or it does not match the vial.
- There is no test date, or the date is years old.
- The same report is shown for every batch or every product.
- There is no way to confirm the report with the lab.