Third-Party Testing & Our COA Policy

At Herb Dr, we believe that quality claims without verification are just marketing. This page explains exactly how we test our products, what a Certificate of Analysis (COA) is, and what our testing standard covers.

Why Third-Party Testing Matters

The dietary supplement industry in the United States operates under a self-certification model. Brands are not required to submit products for pre-market approval by the FDA. They are required to follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), but GMP compliance governs process — not the accuracy of label claims.

This means a brand can legally label a product as containing 500mg of ashwagandha standardized to 5% withanolides without any independent verification that the product actually contains that. The burden of proof falls on the consumer.

Third-party testing closes this gap. An independent laboratory — one with no financial relationship to the brand — tests the finished product and issues a Certificate of Analysis confirming what is actually in it.

What Is a Certificate of Analysis (COA)?

A Certificate of Analysis is a document issued by a testing laboratory that reports the results of analytical testing on a specific batch of product. A COA for a botanical supplement typically includes:

  • Identity verification — confirms the correct plant species is present (often via HPLC or DNA barcoding)
  • Potency/standardization testing — confirms the concentration of the stated active compound (e.g., withanolide percentage in ashwagandha)
  • Heavy metals panel — tests for lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium against established safety limits
  • Microbial testing — tests for total aerobic count, yeast and mold, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus
  • Pesticide residue screening — confirms the product is free from common agricultural pesticides
  • Adulterant screening — confirms no undisclosed compounds are present

Each COA is batch-specific. A COA from a previous batch does not guarantee the quality of the current batch. Responsible brands test every batch.

Herb Dr's Testing Standard

Every product in the Herb Dr catalog is subject to the following before it is offered for sale:

Supplier Documentation Review

Before we accept any ingredient from a supplier, we require batch-level documentation including the supplier's own COA and, where applicable, their third-party testing records. Suppliers who cannot provide this documentation are not used.

Identity Verification

We verify that the botanical material we receive matches the species stated on the label. For standardized extracts, this includes verification of the standardization marker compound.

Standardization Confirmation

For all standardized extracts, we verify that the stated constituent percentage is accurate. When you see "Ashwagandha standardized to 5% withanolides" on our label, that specification has been confirmed against the batch you are purchasing.

Heavy Metals Testing

All products are tested for lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. We apply the California Prop 65 limits as our internal standard — one of the most stringent heavy metals standards in the US — even for products sold outside California.

Microbial Safety

All products are tested for microbial contamination in accordance with USP (United States Pharmacopeia) standards for dietary supplements.

Requesting a COA

We make COAs available on request for any product in our catalog. To request a COA for a specific product or batch, contact us at the address below with the product name and, if available, the batch number printed on your packaging.

We do not publish COAs publicly by default because batch numbers change with each production run and we want to ensure you receive documentation that corresponds to the specific batch you purchased. We are committed to providing this documentation promptly upon request.

What We Do Not Claim

We do not claim that our products diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Our testing standard is a quality and safety standard — it confirms that what is on the label is in the product, at the stated concentration, free from contaminants. It does not substitute for clinical evidence of efficacy for any specific health condition.

We cite published research on our product pages to provide context for the botanical compounds we use. That research was conducted independently of Herb Dr and is cited to inform, not to make medical claims.