How We Test: elivity®'s Certificate of Analysis (COA) Explained
What appears on a supplement label and what is actually inside the capsule are not always the same thing. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is the document that closes that gap. Issued by a laboratory after testing, it confirms ingredient identity, potency, purity, and the absence of contaminants such as heavy metals and microbial pathogens.
Every batch of elivity® supplements goes through this process. Raw materials and finished products are tested for heavy metals, microbial contamination, ingredient potency, and label accuracy. Third-party verification is carried out by SGS Singapore, an independent laboratory operating under international testing standards. That framework governs every step from raw material handling to final batch release.
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What Is a Certificate of Analysis?
A Certificate of Analysis is a laboratory document that records the results of testing carried out on a specific batch of product. In the supplement industry, it functions as the formal record of quality. Where a label tells you what should be in the product, a COA tells you what testing confirmed is in the product. The two are not always the same.
A reputable manufacturer commissions COAs to demonstrate that each batch meets its claimed specifications and that no contaminants exceed acceptable thresholds. Each document carries a clear explanation of what was tested, how, and what the results showed. For consumers, the existence of a COA, and the willingness of a brand to share it, is one of the clearer signals that quality is being verified rather than assumed.
What a COA Document Includes
A standard supplement COA covers several core areas, each offering an explanation of a different aspect of product quality:
- Supplier information identifies the company that produced or provided the raw material, creating a clear line of accountability back to the source.
- Material details, including lot numbers or batch codes for every ingredient used in the finished product, make each component traceable to its specific production run.
- Transportation data documents how the material was handled and shipped, including any conditions that could affect quality, such as temperature exposure or transit time.
- Evidence of conformance confirms that the material meets the agreed specifications and any applicable regulatory standards.
- Signature data identifies who authorised the document and when. A name and a date sit behind every result.
The Gap Between Label Claims and Verified Results
A label is a marketing surface. It states what the manufacturer intends the product to contain. A laboratory test confirms what the product actually contains. These two things should match, but in a global supplement market with inconsistent oversight, they sometimes don’t.
Independent testing has repeatedly found products that under-deliver on stated ingredient doses, contain trace contaminants, or list compounds that can't be detected in the final formulation. A COA removes the ambiguity. It’s the laboratory's explanation of what is actually in the product, and the point at which a manufacturer's claim becomes a verified fact. For consumers paying for specific actives such as NMN, spermidine, or fisetin, that verification is the difference between informed purchasing and trust based on packaging alone.
Why Independent Third-Party Testing Matters
Internal testing tells a manufacturer whether their product meets their own specifications. Independent third-party testing tells the consumer the same thing, without the conflict of interest.
SGS Singapore is part of the SGS Group, a global testing and certification organisation. Its laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation means the laboratory has been independently audited for technical competence, methodology, and result accuracy.
When a supplement is verified by an ISO 17025 laboratory, the result carries weight that internal testing cannot replicate. A manufacturer confirming its own product has an interest in the outcome. An accredited external laboratory doesn’t.
How elivity® Tests Every Supplement Batch
Quality assurance at elivity® is built into the production cycle from the first stage. We don’t rely on a single point of verification at the end of the process. Testing and traceability checkpoints are layered across sourcing, manufacturing, and release, so that quality is established before a product is finished, not assessed once it already exists.
The full workflow follows five stages:
- Raw Material Sourcing Verification: Every ingredient is sourced from a qualified supplier with documented purity specifications. Identity and quality are confirmed before the material enters production.
- Manufacturing in a TGA-Certified Australian Facility: The supplements are produced under Therapeutic Goods Administration standards, which govern manufacturing hygiene, process control, and documentation.
- Batch-Specific Testing: Each production batch is sampled and tested for potency, purity, heavy metals, and microbiological safety. No batch is released without complete results.
- Independent SGS Singapore Verification: Samples are sent to SGS Singapore for independent laboratory testing, adding a second layer of verification outside the manufacturing chain.
- Final Quality Review Before Release: Test results are reviewed against specification, and only batches that meet every parameter proceed to packaging and distribution.
Why elivity® Packages NMN Differently
Manufacturing rigour and laboratory testing only matter if the product remains stable from the moment it leaves the factory to the moment it is consumed. NMN, for instance, is an ingredient that’s particularly sensitive. Its molecular structure begins to degrade when exposed to common environmental conditions:
- Moisture, which accelerates hydrolysis and reduces active potency
- Sunlight, which breaks down the compound through ultraviolet exposure
- Oxidation, which alters molecular stability over time
- Heat, which speeds up degradation reactions and shortens shelf life
For this reason, elivity® packages its NMN supplements in pharmaceutical-grade Alu-Alu blister packs rather than standard bottles. Each capsule is sealed in its own aluminium cavity, isolated from air, light, and moisture until the moment it is opened. This format is used widely in pharmaceutical manufacturing for compounds requiring strict stability control.
Singapore's tropical climate makes this design choice more than a precaution. High ambient humidity and consistent heat exposure are conditions under which NMN can lose potency quickly when stored in less protective formats. The Alu-Alu blister structure preserves the integrity of the active ingredient through the supply chain and through storage at home, so that what was tested at the laboratory is what reaches the consumer.
What Transparency Should Mean to the Consumer
Supplement packaging and testing are upstream decisions, and transparency is what makes them visible. The longevity supplement category has grown quickly, and not every brand operates to the same standards. Consumers who care about what they’re putting into their bodies have a reasonable interest in knowing how a product was made, where it was tested, and what the results showed.
That information should be available, not earned. A brand willing to share its testing standards, its manufacturing certifications, and its laboratory partners is a brand inviting scrutiny. That openness is a meaningful signal in a market where claims are often louder than evidence.
elivity® is built on this principle. We follow research rather than trends, and the formulation choices behind our Australian-made supplements are grounded in published longevity science. The testing process exists to confirm that what the science indicates is what the product delivers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supplement Testing
What is a Certificate of Analysis for supplements?
A Certificate of Analysis is a laboratory document that confirms the identity, potency, and purity of a supplement batch. It records the results of testing for active ingredients, contaminants, and microbial safety, providing evidence that the product matches its label claims.
Are all supplement batches tested?
Not in every brand. Testing protocols vary widely across the industry. Some brands test only their first production run, while others, including elivity®, test every batch independently before release.
Why is third-party testing important?
Third-party laboratories have no commercial interest in the outcome of the testing. Their results are objective and verifiable. This independence is what gives a COA its credibility and makes it a more reliable signal of quality than internal testing alone.
How can consumers verify supplement quality?
Look for brands that disclose their testing standards, name their laboratory partners, and produce batch-specific COAs on request. Manufacturing certifications such as TGA, GMP, or FDA registration are additional indicators of regulatory oversight.
Does NMN lose potency over time?
NMN is sensitive to moisture, heat, light, and oxidation. Without protective packaging, its potency can decline before the product is consumed. Pharmaceutical-grade blister packaging is one of the most effective formats for preserving stability.
What contaminants are tested in supplements?
Standard supplement testing screens for heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, as well as microbial contamination including bacteria, yeast, and mould. Purity testing also checks for adulterants, residual solvents, and pesticide residues.
Explore elivity®'s Science-Backed Longevity Supplements
Every elivity® healthy ageing supplements is built on the same foundation: peer-reviewed research, transparent testing, and pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing standards. From age hack energy to age hack protection, each formulation is designed to support cellular health at the level where ageing begins.
For readers who want to understand the science before they consider the product, the elivity® range is documented in detail across the site.