How to Spot a Fake or Low-Quality COA
Not all Certificates of Analysis are trustworthy. Here are the red flags our editorial team looks for when scoring vendors:
**Red flags:** - No named testing laboratory (just "third-party tested" with no lab identified) - No batch number linking the COA to the specific product - Purity stated without a method (HPLC? what column?) - No mass spectrometry confirmation of identity - A COA that looks identical across every product (templates, not real tests)
**Green flags:** - Named ISO-accredited lab with contact information - Batch-specific COA matching the vial you receive - Both HPLC purity AND LC-MS identity data - QR code on the vial linking to the specific batch COA
What COA practices have you seen that raised concerns? Share below (no vendor links — discuss by name).