Every product on our Independent Analysis page has one or more Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) from MZ Biolabs, an independent analytical laboratory in Tucson, Arizona. We publish them so you don't have to take our word for what's in the vial or tablet.

A CoA is only useful if you know how to read it. This guide goes through one of our reports section by section, explains what each number means and shows you how to check that a CoA, ours or anyone else's, is genuine.

We'll use our Ostarine (MK-2866) report, analysed March 2023, as the worked example. Open it alongside this post and follow along.

All information is for educational and research purposes only.

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1. The Header: Who Tested It and Who For

At the top of every report you'll see:

  • The laboratory: MZ Biolabs, with its full address and contact details.
  • The client: Peak Body Nutrition, with our registered address and website.

Why it matters: a CoA should always name an independent third-party lab, not the seller and not the manufacturer. A report with no lab name, no address or no way to contact the lab tells you very little.

2. Compound Identification

Beneath the title, the report identifies exactly what was tested:

  • Compound name: e.g. MK-2866.
  • Full chemical (IUPAC) name: for Ostarine, (2S)-3-(4-cyanophenoxy)-N-[4-cyano-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide. This describes the exact molecular structure.
  • PubChem CID: a reference number in the US National Library of Medicine's public chemical database. For Ostarine it's 11326715, and the report links straight to it.

Why it matters: the PubChem CID lets you check independently that the compound named on the report is the one you expect. Click through and compare the structure and molecular weight.

3. Lot Number, Analysis Date and Sign-Off Date

  • Lot number: identifies the specific production batch tested (on this report, 2023-02-27).
  • Analysis date: when the lab ran the test (2023-03-07).
  • Sign-off date: next to the analyst's signature at the bottom (2023-03-09).

Why the dates differ: the analysis date is when the sample was tested, and the sign-off date is when the report was finalised and issued. A gap of a day or two is normal. We publish reports exactly as the lab sends them.

4. Purity % and Method

The two most-read lines on any CoA:

  • Purity %: on this report, 99.51%.
  • Method: Mass Spectrometry & UV.

These two techniques do different jobs:

  • UV detection measures how much of the sample is the target compound compared with anything else present. This gives the purity figure.
  • Mass spectrometry (MS) confirms what the main compound is by measuring its molecular mass.

Together they answer both key questions: is it the right compound, and how pure is it?

5. The Chromatogram

The graph in the middle of the report is a chromatogram. The sample is passed through a column that separates its components, and a detector records each one as it comes out.

  • The horizontal axis is time in minutes (retention time).
  • The vertical axis is the detector's signal strength.
  • Each peak is a separate substance. The larger the area under a peak, the more of that substance is present.

On our Ostarine report there is one tall, sharp peak at 6.15 minutes. That's the Ostarine. There's a tiny second peak at 7.75 minutes. The small spike at the very start of the run and the gentle drift of the baseline are normal instrument background, not impurities.

What good looks like: one dominant, sharp peak with little or nothing else. Several large peaks would mean several substances in the sample.

6. The Peak List

Below the chromatogram, the peak list gives the numbers behind the graph:

Time (min)Area%Area
6.152.34E+0699.51MK-2866
7.751.15E+040.49
  • Time: the retention time of each peak.
  • Area: the size of each peak.
  • %Area: each peak's share of the total. The main peak's %Area is the purity figure at the top of the report.

So the sample is 99.51% Ostarine, and the one minor peak makes up the remaining 0.49%.

7. Mass Confirmation

At the bottom left you'll see:

  • Purity determined using UV detection
  • Peak identity confirmed by mass spectrum evaluation
  • Expected mass: 389.1
  • Measured mass: 389.1
  • Molecular weight confirmed

This is the identity check. The lab measured the molecular mass of the main peak and compared it with the known mass of Ostarine. A match confirms the peak really is Ostarine and not a different compound with a similar retention time.

Why it matters: purity alone isn't enough. A sample could be 99% pure something else. Mass confirmation shows that the 99.51% is the compound on the label.

8. Signature and Analyst

Every report is signed and dated by the analytical chemist who performed or approved the analysis, with the lab's contact details. This makes the lab accountable for the results.

Peptide Reports: Same Format, Bigger Molecules

Our peptide CoAs (BPC-157, TB-500, Ipamorelin and others) follow the same layout: compound, lot, analysis date, purity %, method, PubChem CID, chromatogram, peak list and mass confirmation.

The main difference is scale. Peptides are much larger molecules than SARMs, so the expected and measured masses are much higher. TB-500, for example, is in the thousands, compared with Ostarine's 389.1. The principle is the same: measured mass should match expected mass closely.

Stacked SARM Reports: Dosage, Not Purity

Our Stacked SARM reports (Minotaur, Griffin and Chimera) look different, and deliberately so. Each tablet contains several compounds, so a single purity percentage wouldn't mean much. These reports measure how much of each compound is in each tablet:

  • Active ingredients: each compound listed, with its chemical structure shown.
  • Expected dosage: what the label says each tablet contains, per compound.
  • Measured dosage: what the lab actually found, per compound.
  • Replicate data: each measurement was performed in duplicate, with both results and the average shown. Replicates show the measurement is repeatable and not a one-off reading.
  • Method: LC-MS (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) used to measure concentrations.

How to read it: compare the expected and measured columns for each ingredient. The stacked products use the same raw materials as our single-compound products, so the purity data on those reports also applies.

How to Spot a Fake or Meaningless CoA

Not all CoAs are equal. Whenever you look at one, from us or any other supplier, check for these:

  • Is the lab named, independent and contactable? Supplier-issued "in-house" reports are not independent.
  • Is there a chromatogram? A purity figure with no chromatogram and no peak list can't be checked.
  • Is there identity confirmation? Look for mass spectrometry or a similar identity test, not just a purity number.
  • Does the PubChem CID or chemical name match the product? Check it yourself.
  • Is there a lot number and dates? A report should relate to a specific batch.
  • Is it signed? An analyst's name and signature add accountability.
  • Does it look edited? Mismatched fonts, blurred numbers or missing sections are warning signs. If in doubt, contact the lab directly.

Our Approach

Independent testing is a significant cost, and we invest in it because we think every researcher should be able to check what they're buying. We add new reports to the Independent Analysis page as batches are tested. Where we've tested a product more than once, we keep the earlier reports up as well, so you can see consistency across batches.

If there's a product you'd like to see a report for, or a lab you'd like us to use, get in touch. We'd genuinely like to hear from you.

All products sold by Peak Body are strictly for research purposes only and are not intended for human consumption.