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Fake peptide COAs
By Shaun Tucker · Updated Oct 10, 2026
A certificate of analysis is the most reassuring document a vendor can show you and one of the easiest to fake. It is worth exactly what the issuing lab will confirm.
Verify it in four steps
- Find the lab's nameA certificate with no named, independent lab is the vendor grading its own work.
- Find the report numberIndependent labs put a report or task number on each certificate, and many let you confirm it on their own website.
- Confirm it with the labUse the lab's site or contact the lab directly. Do not use a verification link supplied by the seller.
- Match the batchThe lot number on the certificate should match the lot on your vial. A certificate for a different batch says nothing about yours.
Common tricks
| Trick | How to catch it |
|---|---|
| One certificate reused for every batch | Compare lot numbers and dates across products. |
| Edited purity figure | Confirm the number with the lab, not the PDF. |
| A real certificate that belongs to another vendor | Check the client name the lab has on file. |
| “Third-party tested” with no lab named | Ask which lab. No answer is an answer. |
| In-house testing presented as independent | In-house results are the vendor's claim. Weigh them as such. |
Being straight about our own pick
The vendor we recommend, ZestyRat Research, states 99%+ purity but does not keep a public certificate library. We tell readers to request the batch certificate before ordering. We recommend it on its delivery and reorder record, and we say so plainly.
The vendor we send readers to: ZestyRat Research
Readers have placed 74 orders through our links since June 2026, and 36 of those were repeat orders. The real store is zestyratresearch.com. Code SHAUN10 takes 10% off.
Affiliate link. Research use only.
Questions
Can a COA be faked?
Yes. A certificate is a PDF. Unless you can confirm it with the lab that issued it, treat it as a claim.
What does a real COA show?
The testing lab's name, a report or task number, the batch or lot number, the method used, the measured purity and the date.
What if a vendor has no public COAs?
Ask support for the certificate for the batch you will receive before you order. A vendor that refuses has answered the question.