What a clean Certificate of Analysis actually proves

Every Meridian bottle ships with a QR code that opens the COA for that exact lot. We''re proud of those documents, but most customers don''t know how to read them — and the brands that hide their COAs are counting on that. Here''s the literacy guide.

The four panels that matter

(1) Identity — confirms the active ingredient is actually what the label claims. If you bought magnesium glycinate, this is the line that proves the powder isn''t cheaper magnesium oxide masquerading. Look for "identification confirmed" and a method (HPLC, mass spec).

(2) Potency — confirms the amount per serving matches the label. Watch for the assay variance: ±5% is good, ±10% is industry standard, ±20% is a red flag.

(3) Heavy metals — lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury. Every COA we publish lists all four with detection limits and pass/fail thresholds. California Prop 65 limits are the most conservative; we publish against those.

(4) Microbial — total aerobic count, yeast, mold, E. coli, salmonella. The values should be well under the USP <2021> limits for dietary supplements.

What a COA does NOT prove

Efficacy. Bioavailability. Whether the dose is right for you. Whether the formulation makes sense. A clean COA is a floor, not a ceiling. It proves the product is safe and accurately labeled. It doesn''t prove the product is the right product.

The brands hiding their COAs

About 60% of supplement brands either don''t publish COAs or publish "certificates of compliance" — a different document that proves nothing about the actual product in the bottle. If you can''t find a real, lot-specific COA on a brand''s site within sixty seconds, that''s your answer.