Reading the certificate of analysis
A CoA is a batch's identity document. What information it must contain, how to recognise a reliable certificate and how the QR code on the label links to it.
The Certificate of Analysis (CoA) summarises the test results of a single batch. It is not a marketing document but a measurement record. It should look correspondingly sober.
Mandatory items of a reliable CoA
- Product name and CAS number: unambiguous identification of the substance
- Batch or lot number: identical to the label
- Molecular formula and molar mass: the basis for the identity test
- Test method: e.g. RP-HPLC, ESI-MS, with method details
- Specification and result: side by side, so the assessment can be followed
- Raw data: chromatogram and mass spectrum as figures
- Testing laboratory, date and release: who measured and released it, and when
Warning signs
- No lot number, or a number that is the same for all products
- Only a percentage, no chromatogram
- Purity without a stated method
- Identity “conforms” without a measured mass
- A date that precedes the batch’s manufacturing date
From label to report
Every PURA LABS label carries the lot number, along with a QR code. Both lead to the report for exactly that batch. You can also enter the number directly:
- on the reports page in the “Check batch” field
- or via the address
puralabs-research.com/coa/YOUR-LOT-NUMBER
Reading a specification correctly
A specification such as “≥ 98.0 %” is the limit set before the measurement. The result must meet it. A result of 99.4 % against a specification of ≥ 98.0 % therefore conforms. What matters is that the specification is fixed in advance and not adjusted afterwards to match the result.