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Testing guides and reference
Plain-language guides to Certificates of Analysis, contaminant limits and the rules that shape what supplements, hemp products and foods need tested.
Quick answer
These guides explain what a Certificate of Analysis shows, which limits apply to heavy metals, microbes, mycotoxins and residual solvents, and which rules shape testing for supplements, hemp products and foods. Verified Analytical Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio keeps each guide dated and linked to the primary sources it draws on.
Which guides explain the Certificate of Analysis?
- Certificate of analysis (CoA): what it is and how to get one: what a CoA is, what it should contain and how to get one for a product or ingredient.
- How to read a certificate of analysis: an annotated sample report that walks through units, LOQ, ND results and red flags.
Where can I find contaminant limits?
- Heavy metal limits for supplements, drugs and food: lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury limits from ICH Q3D, Prop 65 and FDA, with a worked conversion from ppm to micrograms per day.
- USP 61, 62, 2021, 2022 and 2023 microbial limits explained: what the compendial microbial chapters cover and how acceptance criteria are written.
- Prop 65 testing for supplements and food: how California Proposition 65 exposure is calculated and where testing fits.
- Mycotoxin and aflatoxin testing for products: aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in botanicals, nuts, grains and other at-risk products.
- Residual solvent testing for extracts and supplements: solvent classes and limits that apply to extracts.
Which rules set testing requirements?
- 21 CFR 111 testing requirements for dietary supplements: the testing responsibilities in FDA’s supplement manufacturing rule, section by section.
- Testing requirements by sales channel: what federal rules, marketplaces, retailers, California and hemp programs expect, compared in one table.
How is shelf life tested?
- Accelerated shelf life testing: how it works and how to calculate it: accelerated and real-time stability studies, storage conditions and a worked example of how results are extrapolated.
For the test categories themselves, see testing services, or follow the steps to submit a sample.
Have a product that needs testing?
Tell us what it is and what you need to know. We will recommend the right tests and send a quote.