How to Read a Certificate of Analysis (and What is It?)

When was the last time you read an ingredient list on a product you consumed? For most consumers, it’s not often. Most folks aren’t sitting on the couch with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and reading it for fun either, but it may be one of the more important things you read if you’re using CBD products.

At first glance, they may be confusing, but we’re here to tell you you don’t need a degree in chemistry to read one; in fact, you don’t even need a single chemistry course. Still, that doesn’t mean they don’t seem overwhelming, and we’re here to help.

Understanding a COA is one of the easiest ways to separate transparent, quality-focused companies from the rest (who might be hoping you don’t ask too many questions).

Quick Links:

• What Is a Certificate of Analysis (COA)?
• Why a CBD Certificate of Analysis Matters for Product Quality
• Certificate of Analysis Format: What You’re Looking At
• How to Read a Certificate of Analysis Step by Step
• Third-Party Lab Testing: What to Look for in a Quality Lab
• Red Flags to Watch for in a Certificate of Analysis
• Transparency Matters: Why We Believe Every CBD Product Should Have a COA

What Is a Certificate of Analysis (COA)?

A Certificate of Analysis, or COA for short, is a lab report designed to show exactly what is in a hemp or CBD product. COAs are produced by third-party labs and help verify cannabinoid content, purity, potency, and safety. They’re also, over time, a good marker of consistency in a product, especially when it comes to content and purity.

The goal of providing a COA is, ultimately, to help consumers know if they’re getting what’s promised on the label, including:

• How much CBD is in the product
• Are THC levels compliant?
• Has the product been tested for contaminants (pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, etc.)?

Why a CBD Certificate of Analysis Matters for Product Quality

COAs are really a transparency tool and essential for understanding what’s in a product, as labels don’t always tell the full story. A CBD Certificate of Analysis, essentially, completes the picture.

The truth is not all CBD products are the same, and that’s because not all sourcing is the same, nor extraction methods, nor formulations, nor production. Consumers tend to look at the final product alone, and while labels are important, true product quality begins well before anything reaches the bottle.

Hemp, like a lot of plants, is what’s called a bioaccumulator; it absorbs nutrients, chemicals, and more from the soil it’s grown in, so true quality starts in the field. Similarly, some extraction methods leave unwanted contaminants in the final product and, ultimately, impact its quality. It’s why we’ve always stressed the importance of plant genetics, sourcing, and extraction methods.

All of these are variables. As with any botanical product or herbal supplement, consistency is key. If you like the results you’re getting, you want to be sure you’re getting the same product every time you buy. A COA can help ensure this.

In short, shared COAs and third-party testing are a good indicator that a company stands behind its product quality, consistency, and purity. 

Certificate of Analysis Format: What You’re Looking At

Now that we know what it is and what kind of information it’s providing, let’s take a look at the COA itself. 

There’s nothing glamorous here and no real “certificate.” Instead, what you’re looking at is really a lab report. Because it looks a little technical, some folks might be tempted to gloss over it, but it’s really one of the most important documents to review before buying CBD oil, so let’s break it down. 

A few terms you should know first:

• LOQ- Limit of Quantitation, or the smallest amount a lab can possibly measure
• ND- Not Detected, any element that is below a traceable amount (this depends, in some cases, on what the lab is capable of and what tools they’re using)
• MG/G or MG/ML- This is how much of a compound is present by weight (grams) or volume (milliliters)

Most COAS include the following information:

General information

• Product Name- identifies which CBD product has been tested
• Batch or Lot Number- helps connect a test to a specific production batch
• Sample and Report Dates- notes when the product was received, tested, and reported
• Lab Information- identifies which lab performed the tests
• CBD Specific Data
• Cannabinoid Profile- includes the amount of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids present in the sample
• Potency Results-demonstrates, per serving, how strong or potent the product is (mg/g or mg/ml)
• Contaminant Testing- Does the product include pesticides? Heavy metals? Residual solvents, microbes, or mycotoxins?
• Pass/fail status- Does the product meet lab testing standards?
• Now that we understand the format and the lingo, let’s move on to what all of that means and how to really read the report

How to Read a Certificate of Analysis Step by Step

It’s easy to look at a lab report and get overwhelmed by numbers or trying to understand the full picture without first looking at the parts, so let’s start at the beginning.

1. Start with the product name- this may seem simple, but sometimes COAs are outdated. You want to make sure the COA matches the product you’re using.

2. Check the batch/lot number- much like the product name, the batch or lot number should match the number on the product label. This connects the report to that specific product.

3. Check the test date- Make sure the COA is current. Testing should be recent enough to verify its connection to the product being sold.

4. Review the cannabinoid profile- every cannabinoid is doing something a little bit differently, but in the big picture, this shows how much CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids are in the product. The CBD amount should match the label, and THC levels should be within legal limits (.3%).

5. Check potency and serving size- reported results will be in mg/g, mg/ml, or per serving. This way, you know what’s in a dose!

6. Review contaminant testing- reputable labs and high-quality CBD products include testing for pesticides, heavy metals, and other residual contaminants. 

7. Look for the pass/fail result- this is the baseline result. A quick scan can tell you whether the sample met the lab’s standards.

8. Confirm the lab- true COA testing comes from an independent third-party lab, not a company’s internal testing or lab facilities. 

COAs aren’t particularly complicated, and knowing how to read them can help consumers understand what they’re getting and make better choices about whether to trust the CBD products they use. 

Third-Party Lab Testing: What to Look for in a Quality Lab

So you have a COA, and you understand how to read it, but this part is often left out. That COA is only as valuable as the lab providing it. In other words, credibility matters. 

The first factor to consider, noted above, is independence. You want to be sure the lab providing the COA is truly third-party and independent from the company producing the CBD product. If you wouldn’t trust a student to grade their own homework, be wary of a company testing its own products.

So what should you look for? A quality lab should:

• List its name and contact info clearly on the COA
• Have useful, easy-to-read, transparent reports
• Include results specific to named batches/lots
• Test for potency and contaminants
• Use standardized testing methods and equipment

This doesn’t mean you, as a consumer, need to become a lab expert or even go down a massive research rabbit hole to research testing labs. Instead, a little trust goes a long way.

• Is the company sharing COAs?
• Are tests batch-specific?
• Is the lab identified and truly third-party? 

These are all green flags. In general, transparency matters, and companies that are confident in all aspects of their production, from the field to the formula. These companies are likely going to be not only transparent but also proud to share their testing results.

Red Flags to Watch for in a Certificate of Analysis

We’ve mentioned some green flags, but there are also a few clear red flags in a COA that should concern you as a consumer.

Red flags to watch for:

• Missing batch numbers - means you cannot trace the product to the test
• Outdated testing- may not reflect the current product at all
• No contaminant testing- means you may be getting the right potency and CBD/THC amounts, but what else is in there? Safety should be paramount.
• Unknown or unidentifiable labs- If you can’t easily find the lab's name or information about it online, proceed with caution.
• Labels that don’t match- CBD levels in the test that differ from the final product should be concerning.
• Generic or duplicated reports- If the same batch is used to create multiple products, or there’s small-batch production, no problem here. But if every product uses the same COA, this might be a concern.
• Incomplete data- A report should be complete and include all the information we’ve outlined above. If you see, for example, a notation that the report is multiple pages but only one page is provided, you should question what’s missing. A trustworthy COA should feel both complete and transparent.

Finally, trust your gut. If a company makes it easy to find its COAs, gladly shares them with consumers, and has done so before it was required by law, it reveals how much it values transparency in its processes and products.

Transparency Matters: Why We Believe Every CBD Product Should Have a COA

We believe in transparency, and always have, since we planted our first hemp, extracted our first oils, and tested our first batch (seen above).

A COA is about transparency in both process and product. It should give consumers confidence in a product's content, testing, and quality.

For us, this has always been the way we’ve done it; it’s not an afterthought or a response to changing regulations. We knew when we started, we had to do it better. We have always prioritized purity, consistency, sourcing, and the best possible extraction method because we started this first to provide for some very important people, and we knew that, eventually, we wanted to share our product with others seeking relief and help.

We start by carefully selecting our strains and plants, working with reputable farms, using supercritical CO2 extraction, and testing our products with a third-party lab company.

We also believe COAs should be readily available and easy to understand; that’s why they’ve always been available on our site. Whether you’re new to CBD products or just SuperTrees Botanicals, taking a few minutes to review the COA can help you, as a consumer, make better decisions about the products you choose.

Once you’ve taken a minute to review our COAs, we invite you to head over to the shop and check out our CBD products. As always, if you have additional questions, please reach out to our team. We’re always happy to help!