"Lab-tested" appears on almost every dietary supplement. The term is not protected, not defined, and is used for very different things—ranging from a company's own test report for every batch to an analysis certificate sent by a raw material supplier. This article shows you how to tell the difference.
The essentials in brief
- "Lab-tested" is not a protected term and, in itself, means little
- Every food business must conduct internal checks anyway – that alone is not a quality indicator
- Legal maximum levels for heavy metals apply to the finished product, not the raw material
- A raw material analysis certificate therefore cannot prove compliance in the final product
- Three things are decisive: an individual batch, an accredited laboratory, and a viewable report
Why "lab-tested" alone says nothing
The term is not legally defined. There are no minimum requirements that must be met before someone can use it.
Furthermore: Every food business operator is already required to establish one or more permanent procedures based on HACCP principles.[1] Therefore, anyone writing "lab-tested" is, in doubt, only describing that they are doing what the law requires anyway. It does not serve as a quality hallmark.
It only becomes interesting when asking three follow-up questions: What was tested, by whom—and may I see the report?
Raw material certificate or batch analysis?
This is the central difference, and it is rarely disclosed.
An analysis certificate from the raw material supplier—internationally usually a "Certificate of Analysis" or CoA—is issued by the supplier for the raw material before it becomes a product. It says something about the goods purchased. It says nothing about what is in the can you bought after drying, grinding, filling, and packaging.
An individual batch analysis is performed on the finished product from a specific production batch. It can be assigned to the specific product using the batch number on your packaging.
Both are legitimate, and both can be called "lab-tested." It is just that one is evidence regarding the raw material, and the other is evidence regarding the product.
The decisive point: Limit values apply to the end product
This is where a matter of taste becomes a matter of fact.
The maximum levels for contaminants in food are established EU-wide in Regulation (EU) 2023/915. It regulates lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and nickel, among others.[2] There are specific maximum levels for dietary supplements, and these refer exclusively to the finished dietary supplement. They are not applicable to individual raw materials.[1]
It follows that a raw material certificate cannot structurally prove that the end product complies with legal limit values. Not because the supplier is doing a bad job, but because it is the wrong reference point.
This is not an accusation against individual suppliers, but the legal situation. However, it means that when you see "lab-tested?", you should ask what the test actually refers to.
What does "accredited laboratory" mean?
A laboratory is accredited when an independent body has verified that it is technically competent and works according to recognized procedures. The standard for this is DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025; in Germany, the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) grants accreditation.
In practice, this means that methods, equipment, personnel, and result documentation are regularly audited. A test report from an accredited laboratory is therefore different from an in-house measurement.
You can identify it by the report itself—accredited laboratories display their registration number. If a test report lacks a laboratory name and accreditation, it is worth little as proof.
What should be tested?
Different parameters are relevant depending on the product. For animal-based powders and capsules, these are the standard ones:
Heavy metals: Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic. Legal maximum levels apply here for dietary supplements.[2]
Microbiology: Total aerobic microbial count, yeasts and molds, enterobacteria, E. coli, salmonella. A clarification is useful here, which is rarely done: Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 regulates only salmonella for gelatin and collagen—not detectable in 25 g.[3] For total microbial count, yeasts, molds, and enterobacteria in dietary supplements, there are no EU limit values. Assessment there is made against the DGHM guideline and warning values, which are not legally binding.[4]
Nutritional values: Protein, fat, carbohydrates, salt—the basis for the nutritional table. The Food Information Regulation (LMIV) explicitly allows calculation from generally recognized data; however, measured values come from the actual product.
Product-specific parameters: such as the amino acid profile for collagen—further parameters are added depending on the product.
A test report containing only a single parameter covers very little accordingly.
What must be on a real test report
Take a report and go through these points:
- Name of the laboratory and reference to accreditation
- Sample description – does it state the product or just a raw material?
- Batch number – can it be assigned to the packaging?
- Date of sample receipt and testing
- Tested parameters with measured value and limit of quantification
- Evaluation standard – which regulation was it evaluated against?
If the batch number is missing, you cannot link the report to your product. If the lab name is missing, you do not know who performed the measurement. Both happen.
Is there a public database for lab analyses?
No, there is no central, cross-manufacturer database where consumers can view defect-free analyses. One qualification must be made, however: In the event of exceedances of limit values and serious hygiene deficiencies, the federal states do publish information per product and company in accordance with § 40 Para. 1a of the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB)—starting from an expected fine of 350 euros, for six months, via the portals of the federal states.[5] What is not published are the routine analyses with no findings.
It therefore remains up to the individual manufacturer whether to disclose their reports. Most do not. Ask for them—the answer is revealing, regardless of what it is.
How we do it
We have every production batch tested in an accredited German laboratory for microbiology and heavy metals, plus further parameters depending on the product, such as nutritional values, amino acid profile, or histamine.
The test reports are available in full in our Batch Transparency database. You can read the batch number from your packaging and call up the corresponding report—with laboratory, date, parameters, measured values, and evaluation standard. We also explain how to read a test report there.
We do not claim that other providers work less effectively. We only make verifiable what we claim—and invite you to ask the same question of any other provider.
Frequently asked questions
Does "lab-tested" mean the same as "free from harmful substances"?
No. Tested means measured, not free from everything. Heavy metals occur naturally in traces. The decisive factor is whether the measured values are below the legal maximum levels and by how much.
What is a CoA?
"Certificate of Analysis," the supplier's analysis certificate for a raw material. It is a useful document in the supply chain—but it is not a test report on the finished product.
Does a manufacturer have to publish their analyses?
No. There is no obligation to publish. The analyses themselves are effectively required via the mandatory internal control duty, but their disclosure is voluntary.
How often should testing be done?
Testing per batch is sensible because raw materials can differ between batches. A one-time analysis at the product launch says nothing about later batches.
This article serves for information purposes and does not replace medical advice. The only health-related claims authorized in the EU are listed in the EU Register of nutrition and health claims. Statements regarding potential effects that are not listed there reflect the state of research and are not approved health claims.
Sources
- European Parliament and Council (2004): Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, Art. 5 (HACCP procedures). Consolidated version as of 24.03.2021. eur-lex.europa.eu
- European Commission (2023): Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food, Art. 2 Para. 3 and Art. 3. Consolidated version as of 01.01.2025. eur-lex.europa.eu
- European Commission (2005): Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, Annex I Chapter 1 No. 1.10 (Gelatin and collagen). Consolidated version as of 08.03.2020. eur-lex.europa.eu
- German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM), Section for Food Microbiology and Hygiene: Microbiological guideline and warning values for the assessment of food (not legally binding). dghm-richt-warnwerte.de
- State Investigation Office Rhineland-Palatinate: Food transparency – Publications according to § 40 Para. 1a LFGB. lua.rlp.de
Further legal bases and literature
- Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (as of 28.07.2025): Food: Legal bases for the assessment of metals and other elements. lgl.bayern.de
- International Organization for Standardization / IEC (2017): ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. 3rd edition; German adoption DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025. iso.org
- Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH: Database of accredited bodies. dakks.de
- Federation of German Consumer Organizations (as of 22.09.2025): Seriously dangerous: Toxic heavy metals. Maximum levels for dietary supplements according to Regulation (EU) 2023/915. verbraucherzentrale.de
Sources last checked on .
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