Guide
How to verify a peptide certificate of analysis
A certificate is verifiable when it names the batch printed on your vial and a laboratory that can confirm it independently. Match the batch number, check the laboratory exists and is accredited for the tests reported, then confirm the document with the laboratory itself — through its verification portal or by contacting it — rather than trusting the PDF on its own.
Five checks, in order
- Match the batch. The batch number on the certificate must be the one printed on the vial in front of you. A certificate for a different batch describes different material.
- Identify the laboratory. The certificate should name the issuing laboratory with enough detail to contact it independently — not only a logo.
- Confirm the document with the laboratory. Many analytical laboratories run a verification portal where a code or link on the certificate retrieves the original record. Use the laboratory's own site, found independently, rather than a link supplied with the PDF.
- Check accreditation. ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, granted by a body that is a signatory to the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement, covers specific tests. Check that the scope includes the methods on the certificate.
- Read the results against their specifications. Each result should state its method, its specification and whether it passed, with a date of analysis.
Red flags
- No batch number, or one that does not match the vial.
- The same certificate shown for a product for months or years, which implies either no new batches or no new testing.
- A purity figure with no method, no specification and no issuing laboratory.
- A laboratory that cannot be found, or whose verification portal has no record of the document.
- Results reported to implausible precision, or identical values across different batches.
What verification does and does not prove
A verified certificate proves the named laboratory analysed a sample from that batch and obtained those results. It does not prove how the vial was stored after it left the manufacturer; seal integrity and storage conditions are what cover that interval.
How certificates in this catalogue can be checked
Every batch page in the certificate library names the issuing laboratory, lists each test with its method and result, and links to that laboratory's own verification record for the document. The batch index publishes the same records in one table.
Common questions
How can I tell if a COA is fake?
Confirm it with the issuing laboratory directly. A genuine certificate can be retrieved from the laboratory's own records by its verification code or by contacting the laboratory; an edited or borrowed one cannot.
What does ISO 17025 accreditation mean for a COA?
That the laboratory has been assessed as competent to perform specific tests. Accreditation is test-specific, so the scope should include the methods reported on the certificate.
Should the batch number on the COA match the vial?
Yes. A certificate describes one batch. If the numbers differ, the certificate is not evidence about the material you have.
References
- ILAC MRA and Signatories — International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
- Why do I need a Certificate of Analysis? — Zolner WJ, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, 2012
- ICH Q6B: Specifications — Test Procedures and Acceptance Criteria for Biotechnological/Biological Products — International Council for Harmonisation (ICH)
- ICH Q2(R2): Validation of Analytical Procedures — International Council for Harmonisation (ICH), 2023
From the catalog
Compounds referenced on this page
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption.