Read a real report
Read the sample identifiers and individual results before the headline percentage. The public Freedom Diagnostics certificate below reports 99.84% purity and 10.80 mg for a sample labeled Retatrutide 10mg. Those are different measurements. Its identity result is a separate line again.
- 01 · Report and sample
- The accession identifies the report. The lot identifies the submitted sample as recorded by the lab. Match both to the relevant record; a matching printed lot does not establish chain of custody.
- 02 · Received and reported
- This sample was received June 23 and reported June 25, 2026. These dates describe the test history, not an expiry date or a guarantee about later storage.
- 03 · Identity
- The analytical-results section lists LC-MS and “GLP RT.” Read the method as well as the summary’s “Confirmed” label; ask the laboratory what supports that assignment.
- 04 · Purity and amount
- 99.84% is the reported HPLC-UV purity. “Net Content” is this report’s label for 10.80 mg. Ask how amount was calibrated and how counterions, moisture and uncertainty are handled.
- 05 · Missing tests
- This report does not show endotoxin or sterility results. Record those as unreported. Neither the purity nor the identity result supplies them.
Separate purity from quantity
Chromatographic purity describes relative detector response under a particular method. Quantity estimates an amount. HPLC separates components over time; the detector produces peaks. An area percentage compares one integrated peak with the included peak areas. It does not measure every possible contaminant equally, and compounds that co-elute may share a peak. Bachem’s quality-control guide explains why complementary methods matter.
Relative to the integrated areas in this table.
A separate quantity result in the Conc. / Unit columns.
The large peak explains the high area percentage. It does not establish amount by itself: quantification needs a calibration and sample-preparation method. A sample can have a high purity percentage and still contain less or more peptide than its label claims.
Powder weight is another distinction. Water, counterions and other nonpeptide material can contribute mass without being represented by the reported peptide peak area. In Bachem’s terminology, net peptide content and HPLC purity are separate measures. Labs may use “content” differently, so check the definition and units. There is no universal conversion from purity percentage to mg per vial.
Know what each test measures
| Test / result | What it supports | What it leaves open |
|---|---|---|
| HPLC purity · % | Relative peak area under the reported separation, detection and integration conditions. | Amount per vial, all possible impurities, complete identity, endotoxin and sterility. |
| Quantification · mg/vial or concentration | An amount estimate using the lab’s calibration and preparation method. | Results for untested vials; accuracy without a suitable method, reference and uncertainty assessment. |
| Identity · LC-MS or another stated method | Evidence consistent with the assigned compound, within the method’s resolving power. | Every sequence or stereochemical difference; some isomers share the same mass. |
| Endotoxin · EU/mL, EU/mg or EU/vial | Bacterial endotoxin detected or bounded by the assay’s reporting limit. | All pyrogens, live microbes, sterility or a universal safe exposure. |
| Sterility / microbial testing | The outcome for the tested portions under the specified method and conditions. | Whole-batch sterility assurance. Enumeration or DNA screening is not automatically a compendial sterility test. |
Identity needs more than a familiar peak. Intact molecular mass is useful evidence, but it cannot uniquely resolve every same-mass variant. Waters’ GLP-1 isomer work illustrates why additional separation and structural methods may be needed. Do not assume every lab’s standard identity check uses MS.
Endotoxin and sterility are separate questions. Bacterial endotoxin can remain when bacteria are no longer viable. Endotoxin acceptance limits depend on the product, route and exposure; there is no universal “safe EU/vial” figure. Read the units and reporting limit. See the FDA’s endotoxin-testing guidance.
Ask what “sterility” means in the order. A microbial count, a DNA screen and a growth-based sterility test answer different questions. USP ⟨61⟩ covers microbial enumeration; USP ⟨1211⟩ explains why testing alone cannot assure a whole batch’s sterility. Ask for the method, number of units tested and suitability checks. No combination of these results establishes that an unregulated product is safe for human use.
Verify the record, then check its relevance
Document authenticity and sample provenance are different checks. Finding the issuing lab’s matching record helps establish what it reported. It does not show that the submitted vial was selected randomly, that every result was published, or that your vial contains the same material.
- Start at the lab’s own site. Find its verification tool independently. For Janoshik, the verification form asks for a task number and unique key. Other labs use accessions, search codes or report pages.
- Compare the fields. Check compound, result, units, dates, report identifier and any recorded lot against the document you were given. A QR code is a route to a page, not authentication by itself.
- Resolve a mismatch with the issuer. An altered result or a different sample requires explanation. A dead link or failed lookup may also reflect a typo, access restriction or site change; it does not by itself prove forgery.
- Trace the sample. Ask who bought it, selected it and submitted it, and what ties it to the product being discussed. An outside lab can test a vendor-selected sample; “third-party lab” does not mean independent sampling.
A missing batch, an old report, a rounded percentage or an absent chromatogram is a reason to ask for more context. None alone proves fabrication. A printed zero also needs the laboratory’s reporting convention and detection limit before interpretation. A test date does not establish shelf life: FDA’s explanation of expiration dating ties it to stability data and storage conditions.
Choose a test that answers your question
Before paying, specify the compound and physical form, the question to answer, and the individual methods required. Ask the lab about sample quantity, unopened-vial requirements, shipping acceptance, turnaround, reporting limits and whether testing consumes the sample. Requirements vary; do not reuse another lab’s shipping or sample-size instructions.
For current services, prices and dated accreditation evidence, use Choose a lab to test your peptides. Accreditation belongs to a named laboratory and a defined scope, not every service on its menu; the ILAC accreditation FAQ explains how scopes work. Use How to Get a Peptide Tested to plan the submission.
If you already have a document, look up its report number. If you have a vial’s batch code instead, use Find Your Batch. A match can help locate relevant evidence; it cannot authenticate the physical vial in your hand.
Sources, review and corrections
Reviewed October 15, 2026 by the TitrateLab Research Desk. This is a synthesis of laboratory-method references and public documents, not a new laboratory experiment or a representative market sample. The two report excerpts were selected for readable fields and a clear distinction between purity and amount. Their dates remain visible; neither is a claim about current stock or vendor quality. Images are cropped renderings of the linked original PDFs, with source values unchanged. The lookup image is an actual browser screenshot. Adjacent text preserves the key information for readers who cannot inspect the images.
This revision replaces the June guide and incorporates the October 9 correction notice. It removes unsupported universal purity and fill thresholds, fixed report-age cutoffs, blanket accreditation claims, outdated price estimates and visual “fake COA” rules. Historical corpus measurements remain in the separately dated June 2026 market report; they are not presented as a current sample here.
Prepared with AI-assisted source review and editing. Laboratory and manufacturer references describe methods; they do not independently validate the example samples. See our methodology, read the fuller COA verification guide, or send a correction. TitrateLab sells research access; naming a laboratory or a printed client is not an endorsement. This guide provides no medical or dosing advice.
