MONOGRAPH No. 016
🇪🇺 EU-Specific
How to read a COA — EU lab edition.
A Certificate of Analysis is the primary quality document for research peptides. Knowing how to read one — and spot a fake — is the most important skill for any EU peptide buyer.
Last reviewed:
What a valid COA must contain
COA ELEMENTS
| ELEMENT | STATUS | WHY IT MATTERS |
|---|---|---|
| Lab name + contact | Required | Must be verifiable — call or email them |
| Batch / lot number | Required | Must match the number on your vial |
| HPLC purity % | Required | Minimum 98% for research use |
| HPLC chromatogram | Required | Verify peak shape — single peak expected |
| Mass-spec identity | Required | Confirms molecular identity (MW match) |
| Endotoxin (LAL test) | Recommended | Critical for injectable use in research |
| Heavy metals panel | Optional | Some premium EU labs include this |
Which EU labs are reputable?
⭐
Janoshik Analytical (CZ)
Most common independent lab on EU peptide COAs. Results publicly verifiable via their website with your report ID. Widely trusted.
Most common independent lab on EU peptide COAs. Results publicly verifiable via their website with your report ID. Widely trusted.
⭐
Eurofins Scientific (EU-wide)
Major international contract lab with EU operations. GMP-grade testing capability. COAs from Eurofins carry significant weight.
Major international contract lab with EU operations. GMP-grade testing capability. COAs from Eurofins carry significant weight.
⭐
SGS Group (EU-wide)
Global testing giant. Highly credible but less common on peptide COAs. When you see SGS on a COA it is a positive signal.
Global testing giant. Highly credible but less common on peptide COAs. When you see SGS on a COA it is a positive signal.
⭐
Liquilabs (NL)
Dutch analytical lab used by several NL-based PeptideCompare vendors. HPLC and LC-MS. Results verifiable by contacting the lab directly.
Dutch analytical lab used by several NL-based PeptideCompare vendors. HPLC and LC-MS. Results verifiable by contacting the lab directly.
✗
In-house or unnamed labs
A COA from "our internal quality team" or an unverifiable lab is not a COA — it is a document. Any vendor that cannot point to a verifiable third-party test should be treated with significant caution.
A COA from "our internal quality team" or an unverifiable lab is not a COA — it is a document. Any vendor that cannot point to a verifiable third-party test should be treated with significant caution.
How to spot a fake COA
Red flags: batch number on vial does not match COA, lab is unverifiable, HPLC chromatogram shows multiple peaks or is a low-resolution image, purity is exactly 99.00% (suspiciously round), test date is missing or very old, no mass-spec data. When in doubt, contact the lab directly with the report ID.
How PeptideCompare verifies COAs
We cross-reference batch numbers, verify lab names, and flag COAs older than 12 months as expired.