Guides 1 min readMarch 17, 2026
How to Read a Peptide COA
B
BodyHackGuide Team
Why COAs Matter\n\nA Certificate of Analysis (COA) is your primary tool for verifying the quality and purity of research compounds. Without understanding COAs, you are flying blind.\n\n## Key Components of a COA\n\n### 1. HPLC Purity\n\nHigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is the gold standard for purity testing.\n\n- Acceptable: โฅ 98% purity\n- Good: โฅ 99% purity\n- Excellent: โฅ 99.5% purity\n\n### 2. Mass Spectrometry (MS)\n\nConfirms the molecular identity of the compound.\n\n- The observed mass should match the expected molecular weight\n- Tolerance is typically ยฑ 1 Da\n\n### 3. Appearance & Solubility\n\n- Lyophilized peptides should be a white to off-white powder\n- Should dissolve clearly in BAC water without particulates\n\n## Red Flags\n\n- No lab name or accreditation number\n- Purity below 95%\n- Missing mass spec data\n- Generic or templated COA format\n- Date older than 12 months\n\n## How to Verify\n\n1. Check if the lab is independently accredited\n2. Cross-reference the batch number with the vendor\n3. Use our COA Reader tool for instant analysis\n\n## Pro Tips\n\n- Always request COAs before purchasing\n- Compare COAs across vendors for the same compound\n- Save COAs for your records
Share this article:๐ / Twitter
Stay in the Loop
Get new guides, tool updates, and community highlights โ no spam, just useful stuff.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.