Methods
A number is worth what the method behind it is worth
Two laboratories can test the same powder and report different figures, entirely honestly, because they measured different things. So each test we publish is set out here with the method, the instrument and the limit of detection.
Where a test is sent out rather than run here, that is stated. Owning an instrument is not a virtue and pretending to own one would be a lie.
The one that matters most
Limit of detection. A result of "none detected" means nothing without it: none detected at 1 ppm and none detected at 0.01 ppm are a hundredfold apart.
Every heavy-metal figure on the certificates page carries its detection limit for that reason.
The panel
Five tests, and what each is for
| Test | What it measures | Instrument | Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | That the material is the species and part the specification names, not a related one. | Chromatographic comparison against a reference standard | In house |
| Label strength | How much active is actually in a serving, against what the label claims. | High-performance liquid chromatography | In house |
| Heavy metals | Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, each reported with its detection limit. | Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry | Outside laboratory |
| Microbial | Total aerobic count, yeast and mould, and the named pathogens. | Plate count and selective media | Outside laboratory |
| Disintegration | Whether the tablet or capsule opens at all in the time allowed. | Disintegration apparatus | In house |
Heavy metals and microbial go out because the equipment and the accreditation for them belong in a laboratory that does nothing else. Sending them out also means the company with an interest in the answer is not the company producing it.
Honestly
Where testing stops being useful
- Testing one bottle in a run is nearly meaningless unless the blend was uniform. Blend uniformity is checked before filling for exactly that reason, and a certificate on a badly blended batch is a certificate about one bottle.
- An outside laboratory is not automatically right. It is independent, which is different. We send split samples to a second laboratory once a quarter to check the first.
- "Tested for over 200 contaminants" is a marketing sentence. Most of the 200 were never plausible in the material. Five tests that could realistically fail are worth more than two hundred that could not.
- A certificate ages. Ours describe the batch at release. Retention samples are held for the shelf life plus a year, and a retest is free if you have a reason to want one.
- None of it speaks to effect. Analytical chemistry can say what is in the bottle. It cannot say what that does for you, and we do not use it to imply otherwise.
Required notice
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Items in the Assay Line range are dietary supplements and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Put it to a qualified healthcare professional before you begin, particularly where you take prescription medication, are managing a condition, or are pregnant or nursing.