How to read a COA

What a COA is

A COA is a report from a testing lab showing the results for one specific batch of a product. For 7-OH, it answers two questions: is the 7-OH amount what the label says, and is the product free of contaminants? A good COA comes from an independent lab — not the brand itself.

Check the header first

• Lab name and contact details. Look for an accreditation such as ISO/IEC 17025, the standard for testing labs.
• Product name and batch (lot) number. It should match the batch printed on your pack. A COA for a different batch tells you nothing about yours.
• Test date. It should be recent relative to when the batch was made.
• Sample ID. Many labs let you look the report up on their website by this ID or a QR code.

Potency: does it match the label?

The potency section lists the alkaloids found and how much. For a 7-OH product, find the 7-hydroxymitragynine result — usually in mg per tablet or serving, or as a percentage of weight — and compare it to the label. Small differences are normal; a big gap is not. You may also see mitragynine and other alkaloids listed.

Contaminants: look for "pass"

A full panel checks for:

• Heavy metals — lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury.
• Microbials — mold, yeast and bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.
• Residual solvents — chemicals left over from extraction.
• Pesticides — residues from farming.

Each line shows a result next to an allowed limit, with a pass or fail. Every line should pass.

Red flags

• No lab name, address or accreditation.
• The batch number doesn't match your pack, or there's no batch number at all.
• Only potency is tested — no contaminant results.
• The lab can't find the report when you look it up by its ID.
• Blurry, cropped or obviously edited PDFs.
• The seller won't show you a COA at all.

Our COAs

Every product we carry is third-party lab tested. Want the COA for something in our lineup? Ask us — choose "Lab results (COA)" and we'll send it.