A Certificate of Analysis is the single document that separates a verified peptide from a guess. This plain-English guide explains what's in a CoA, what's not, and how to spot the ones that aren't worth the PDF they're printed on.
What a Certificate of Analysis is
A Certificate of Analysis (CoA) is a lab-issued document that describes what's inside a specific batch of peptide. It is batch-specific: one CoA covers one batch, not a company's entire catalogue. A CoA from a real analytical laboratory tells you the peptide's identity, purity, and (ideally) quantitative content.
Who issues a real CoA
A trustworthy CoA is issued by a third-party analytical laboratory, independent of the company whose peptide it is. The laboratory should be identifiable, and any claimed credentials should be independently verifiable. NATA/ISO 17025 accreditation and TGA/APVMA registration are different regulatory concepts and must not be presented as interchangeable. A CoA on company letterhead with no laboratory name is a marketing document, not a CoA.
What's actually on a CoA
Peptide name and sequence: the labelled peptide and its amino acid sequence.
Batch number: must match the label on your vial.
Manufacture and test dates: a CoA dated months before your vial was made is a reused document.
LC-MS spectrum: confirms identity. See LC-MS vs HPLC.
HPLC chromatogram: confirms purity. The trace matters more than the percentage.
Quantitative peptide content: how many mg of peptide are actually in the vial.
Testing laboratory's name and signature: the chemist who performed and signed off the analysis.
What a CoA does not prove
A CoA proves what's in a specific batch at the time of testing. It does not prove:
The vial in your hand is from that batch (unless the batch number on the vial matches).
The sample is sterile. Sterility is a separate test.
That the product is approved or suitable for any use. Most research peptides are not approved.
Storage and shipping conditions preserved the peptide between testing and delivery.
Red flags in a CoA
No batch number, or a batch number that doesn't match your vial.
No LC-MS: purity without identity is meaningless.
No chromatogram: just a number with no trace is a screenshot, not evidence.
"Lab" with no address or verifiable credentials: legitimate laboratories are findable and describe their regulatory status accurately.
The same CoA reused across many batches: check the test date against your vial's manufacture date.
Hosted only on the company's own site: independent verification (like labdoc.org) means the document is publicly auditable.
How to verify a CoA yourself
Check the batch number on the CoA matches the vial.
Confirm the testing laboratory exists and is independent of the company: search the laboratory's name and verify any registration, licence, or accreditation it claims.
Check the LC-MS measured mass is within a few daltons of the theoretical mass for that peptide.
Look at the HPLC chromatogram for a clean single peak, not a forest of small peaks.
If you want a second opinion, you can submit a sample to LabDoc and we'll have the sample independently tested.
Where LabDoc fits
LabDoc aggregates third-party certificates and coordinates independent testing in Australia. Every published result links to the original CoA so you can audit it yourself, see the live results feed or our testing methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Certificate of Analysis for peptides?
A Certificate of Analysis (CoA) is a batch-specific lab document showing a peptide's identity (LC-MS), purity (HPLC), and content. A real CoA is issued by an independent third-party analytical laboratory.
How do I know a peptide CoA is real?
A real CoA names an identifiable testing laboratory, states any claimed registration or accreditation accurately, is dated, references a batch number that matches your vial, and includes the underlying chromatogram and mass spectrum, not just a summary.
Can a company fake a Certificate of Analysis?
Yes. Fake CoAs are common. They typically reuse one document across many batches, omit the testing lab's name, or skip the LC-MS identity test. Independent re-testing through services like LabDoc is the only way to confirm.
Should a certificate name the batch?
Yes. A certificate is only meaningful for the batch it names. Without a batch number that matches the vial, it says nothing about that vial.
Is a company's in-house CoA acceptable?
No. An in-house CoA from the company whose peptide it is is not third-party verification. A trustworthy CoA comes from an independent analytical laboratory.