Anyone can put a PDF on a website. A Certificate of Analysis is only worth something if it belongs to the batch you are actually buying, and if the lab that issued it is real. Here is how to check, in about two minutes.
1. Does the Batch Number Match?
This is the check that catches most problems. The batch or lot number on the report should match the number on the package. A vendor showing one generic COA for every product they sell is showing you a marketing asset, not a test result.
2. Is the Lab Named — and Findable?
A genuine report carries the laboratory's name, address and contact details. Search the name. A real lab has a real website, a real location, and will confirm a report if you ask. No lab name at all is the loudest red flag on this list.
3. Is the Lab Accredited?
Look for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, and check it on the accrediting body's own site rather than taking the report's word for it. Accreditation is what separates a laboratory from a room with equipment in it.
4. Are There Dates?
A real report shows when the sample was received and when it was tested. A COA dated well before the batch was harvested belongs to a different batch. Undated reports tell you nothing at all.
5. Are There Numbers, or Just the Word “Pass”?
Legitimate reports publish measured values against defined limits — parts per million, colony-forming units, percentages. A document that says only “PASSED” with nothing behind it is a claim wearing the costume of a test.
6. What Was Actually Tested?
Check the scope. A report covering alkaloids alone says nothing about heavy metals or microbials. Partial testing presented as full testing is one of the more common forms of misdirection. The five panels worth having are covered in the five lab tests that actually matter.
7. Does the File Look Edited?
Mismatched fonts, misaligned columns, a number that sits oddly against its row, a logo at a different resolution from the rest of the page. Altered PDFs usually show their seams if you look for thirty seconds.
Just Ask
The simplest test is a human one. Ask a vendor for the COA matching your batch. A serious supplier sends it without friction. Hesitation, delay, or a generic file in place of a specific one is your answer — and it costs you nothing to find out before you spend money.
Ours are published here: Koala Tea lab results. If a batch you have does not match, text us and we will send the right one.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. These products are not meant to be sold to or used by persons under the age of 21. Please confirm the legality of any product in your state or locality before ordering.