How to Read a Certificate of Analysis
April 9, 2026 · 6 min read
A certificate of analysis is a third-party lab's report on a specific batch. It is the difference between a claim and a measurement, and it is the single most useful document in this category.
The two figures that matter most are purity, usually expressed as a percentage determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and identity, confirmed by mass spectrometry against the expected molecular weight.
Also worth checking: the batch number on the certificate should match the batch number on the vial. A certificate for a different lot tells you about a product you do not have.
Any supplier unwilling to provide a batch-matched certificate has answered the more important question already.
This article is general information about areas of active research. It is not medical advice and does not describe expected outcomes from any product. Read the full Research Guide for the wider picture.
