How to read a certificate of analysis
By Swyft Bio, Store operations · Published
In short
A certificate of analysis records what a testing laboratory measured for ONE specific lot: the identity of the compound, its measured purity, the analytical methods used, and the date of the test. Match the lot number printed on the vial label to the lot number in the certificate header — a certificate for a different lot describes different material.
Certificates are published per lot as analytical results come in, and each one is linked from the product page for the material it describes. A certificate is a record about a single lot, not a statement about a product line.
Start with the lot number. The lot printed on the vial label must match the lot in the certificate header. If the two differ, the document in front of you describes material other than the material in your hand.
Then read the method. Identity is typically confirmed by mass spectrometry, and purity is typically reported from high-performance liquid chromatography as a percentage of total peak area. The method belongs with the number: a figure quoted without the method that produced it cannot be compared to anything.
Check the test date. A certificate reports what was measured on that date, under the conditions named on the document. Storage and handling after testing are outside what any certificate can speak to.
Keep lyophilized material sealed, refrigerated, and protected from light. Where a lot carries specific handling notes, those notes appear on its certificate.
Every material Swyft Bio lists is supplied for laboratory research use only. Nothing sold here is a drug, a supplement, or a medical device, and nothing is for human or veterinary use.
Frequently asked questions
Does one certificate cover every lot of the same material?
No. Each certificate describes the single lot named in its header. A new lot is tested separately and gets its own certificate.
What does the reported purity figure mean?
It is the result the testing laboratory measured for that lot, by the method named on the certificate, on the date shown. It is a measurement, not a specification the material is guaranteed to hold indefinitely.
Where do I find the certificate for the lot I received?
The lot number is printed on the vial label. Certificates are listed by lot on the product page and in the certificates index on the home page.