Product Testing

How to read a COA

Certificates of Analysis (COAs) outline actual test results of an actual lot of product.

INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN (COLUMNS):

  • Information about the lot (lot number, dates, ingredients)
  • Test types – what was determined to be appropriate tests to perform on this product type based on product, quality / food safety risk, & customer needs
  • Actual lab results – results of third party lab testing, summarized on our own COA letterhead
  • Specification – limits that we’ve established for each test type based on quality & food safety risk and customer needs. Note: actual lab results should fall within limits of the specification
  • Test method – method used to perform the test, often a widely known method that could be reproduced at most knowledgeable laboratories

TESTING SECTIONS OF BSHE COAS (ROWS):

  • Profile – confirmation of content
  • Microbiological – freedom from harmful microorganisms
  • Chemical – freedom from common contaminants (solvents, pesticides, Prop65 heavy metals), and oil stability for shelf life purposes (AV & PV)
  • Organoleptic – confirmation of appearance, odor
  • Physical dosage – confirmation of quantity and format