Reviewed and Approved by Matt Traynor, PhD, Vice President, Innovation and Validation, Certified Laboratories
1-Minute Summary
- COAs provide key technical details that are often absent from the sample submission form.
- They help us choose the most appropriate method and verify specs efficiently.
- Submitting a COA supports faster turnaround, fewer questions, and more reliable results.
Want Faster, More Accurate Results? Start with a COA
When you submit a raw material or intermediate bulk for third-party lab testing, you want precise, reliable results delivered as quickly as possible.
There’s a simple way to help make that happen: Include the Certificate of Analysis (COA) with your sample. It helps…
- Complete testing as quickly as possible.
- Ensure accurate results.
- Use the correct method.
- Confirm technical details about your samples prior to testing.
Your supplier or manufacturer’s COA gives our lab team the context we need to get started right away. It helps us confirm the analyte, select the most appropriate method, and validate your specifications without delay. When it’s missing, we often need to reach out with follow-up questions and wait for clarifications before testing, wasting valuable time.
By including the COA, you’re helping us deliver exactly what you expect: accurate results with a faster turnaround.
The Submission Form Isn’t Always Enough
Even well-prepared sample submission forms can leave out critical details. For example, the form may list only the product’s trade name, which usually isn’t searchable in databases. That makes it difficult when performing analytical chemistry to know exactly what analyte to test for.
The COA, however, fills in those blanks. It often includes…
- Analyte name
- Declared actives and expected ranges
- Specifications
- The method used by the supplier
This information helps us test the right thing, in the right way, without needing to stop and confirm.
COAs Help Us Choose the Best Test Method
Most ingredients can be analyzed by several different methods. Choosing the right one depends on details that the COA can provide, such as…
- The specific chemical form of the analyte.
- Whether results should be reported on a dry-weight or as-is basis.
- What method was previously used (e.g., GC, HPLC, UV).
- Any unusually tight or custom specifications.
For example, a submission form may request an assay, but the COA reveals that your supplier used gas chromatography (GC). Knowing that allows us to align our method for consistency and understand how your results were originally derived.
Without that detail, we may have to delay testing while we wait for clarification.
Why a COA Also Matters for Finished Product Testing
Including your COA is especially helpful when submitting raw materials or in-process bulk, but there’s one finished-goods scenario where it’s just as critical: vitamin and supplement testing.
This is where miscommunication often happens. A common example is vitamin B12. Your submission form might say the product contains cyanocobalamin, but the COA reveals it actually contains methylcobalamin. These are different chemical forms of B12 that require different test methods.
When we receive the COA for the raw material used in your finished product, we can verify the correct analyte and run the right assay. This avoids delays, rework, and potential discrepancies in your final results.
If you’re submitting finished goods for testing vitamins or dietary supplements, it’s always a good idea to include the raw material COAs used during manufacturing.
The COA Can Help the Lab Spot Issues Early
Including the COA with the sample submission sometimes helps our lab team identify a problem before testing begins. For example, we might receive a sample in the form of a white powder, only to discover that the COA lists “Appearance” as a brown powder.
Rather than moving forward with a potentially incorrect sample, the lab can clarify first, helping ensure accurate results delivered according to your timeline.
Including the COA also helps…
- Clarify expectations for purity, potency, or assay.
- Flag potential discrepancies early.
- Allow us to proceed with confidence.
- Helps the lab evaluate the sample against claimed values and regulatory standards more efficiently.
This makes all the difference when testing according to tight timelines.
Make It Standard: Always Send Your COA
Whenever you submit a sample – whether it’s a raw material or in-process component – attach the COA if one is available.
Even if your submission form feels complete, the COA adds important technical insight. It helps us understand your sample the way you do, and that alignment streamlines the entire testing process. It’s a simple step that supports fast, accurate results.
Let us know if you have questions or want to discuss lab testing for your samples.