Checking a laboratory record
How to verify a certificate of analysis
A certificate should be checked against the issuing laboratory’s record. A logo, QR image or downloaded PDF can help you find that record, but its appearance alone does not establish authenticity.
Start from the issuing laboratory
Open the laboratory’s known website and locate its verification tool, or contact it using independently obtained details. For a Pepper Tester certificate, use the Verify page and enter the Report ID or verification link.
Before following a QR code or link, inspect the destination. Check the complete hostname rather than a familiar word inside it. Do not send a private access key to an unrelated site.
Compare the full record
Match the Report ID, revision, sample description, lot or batch and recorded results with the document you hold. Read any status message rather than assuming that finding a record means every version of the document remains current.
- Use the current revision where a record has been amended.
- Seek clarification if a record is revoked or identifiers disagree.
- For a private certificate, obtain an authorized link or key from the report holder.
- If a report cannot be found, contact the laboratory; a failed lookup alone does not prove forgery.
Separate document authenticity from sample provenance
A genuine certificate can still be irrelevant to a different sample. Ask how the tested container was selected and how its identifiers connect to the material being evaluated. Do not transfer a result to another lot merely because the compound name matches.
ICH Q7 discusses batch identification and the reliability of supplier certificates within its regulated manufacturing context. It is useful background for the importance of traceability; this guide does not claim that a Pepper Tester report is a regulatory approval or that the service follows a particular certification scheme.
Keep the evidence and resolve discrepancies
Save the complete document, the verification record and the identifiers used for the check. If you see a mismatch, contact the issuing laboratory with the Report ID, document version and the specific difference.
After authenticity is checked, read the methods and measurement limits. Verification does not turn an unperformed analysis into a result and does not establish suitability for medical use.