Certificate of Analysis (COA)

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a document from a supplier or lab that reports test results for a specific lot of an ingredient against agreed specifications, so the buyer can confirm that lot meets requirements.

  • Food safety
  • Ingredients & quality

Also called: COA

A certificate of analysis is a report tied to a specific sample or production lot. It typically names the material and its lot or ID number, lists each test performed with the method used, shows the specification or acceptable range beside the actual result, and gives the date of analysis or report plus lab contact details. A buyer may require one with every incoming lot, issued by the supplier’s own lab or a contracted third-party lab. Common results include moisture, fat, water activity, microbial counts and pathogen tests such as Salmonella.

A COA lets a buyer check each lot against its specification before use, and it leaves a record if questions come up later. When a facility relies on a supplier to control a hazard before delivery, FDA’s preventive controls rule lists sampling and testing, and review of supplier food safety records, among acceptable verification activities; testing records must identify the lot, test and method, dates, results, corrective actions and lab. For dietary supplement components, FDA allows reliance on a supplier’s COA only after the firm confirms its reliability with its own testing.

Key facts

What a COA covers
Only the specific sample or lot tested
Common lab accreditation
ISO 17025
FSMA testing records must show
Lot, test and method, dates, results, corrective actions, lab
Supplier verification options (21 CFR 117.410)
Onsite audits, sampling and testing, records review, others

In a bakery or commercial kitchen

  • Set written specifications with each supplier first, so every COA result has a clear pass or fail range
  • Match the COA lot number to the lot printed on the delivered bags or drums before accepting the shipment
  • Confirm supplier COAs periodically with your own independent tests, the approach FDA requires for supplement components
  • Check that the testing lab holds a current accreditation, such as ISO 17025, that covers the specific test reported
  • File COAs by lot and supplier so you can trace ingredients quickly during a complaint or recall

For home and cottage bakers

  • Ask specialty ingredient sellers for a COA when you want test results for the exact lot you bought
  • Read “<10 cfu/g” as below the test’s detection limit, not as proof that zero microbes are present

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.

  1. Information Breakdown from a Quality Management Specialist, Oklahoma State University, Food and Agricultural Products Center
  2. 21 CFR 117.3 -- Definitions, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
  3. 21 CFR § 117.410 - General requirements applicable to a supply-chain program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
  4. 21 CFR § 117.475 - Records documenting the supply-chain program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
  5. 21 CFR § 111.75 - What must you do to determine whether specifications are met?, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School