1. The Header Information

At the top of the report you’ll usually see information like:

• Work Order:  Sample ID:  Received:  Issued:  Revision: Page:

What this tells you

These identifiers let you see important information about what is being tested, and for which company.

Sample ID

• Unique identifier for the tested material. Should correspond to the vendor’s batch or lot number, if they use them.

Received Date – When the lab received the sample.

Issued Date – When the final report was produced.

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2. Understanding the Table Structure

Most CoAs use a table format like this:

| Parameter | Specification | Result | Unit | LOQ | Notes |

Each column answers a different question.

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3. Parameter (What Is Being Tested)

The Parameter column lists the substance or compound the lab is testing for.

• This can be alkaloids for strength, or solvents for safety.

• For instance the section might be labeled.
  Mitragyna Alkaloids
  Residual Solvents: Class III (GC-MS)

This simply indicates the category of solvents tested using a specific analytical method.

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4. Specification (The Acceptable Limit)

The Specification column shows the maximum amount allowed for each compound.

What NMT Means

NMT = Not More Than

Example:

This means:

The sample should contain no more than 3000 micrograms per gram of methanol.

The specification column is essentially the rule or threshold used to evaluate the result.

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5. Result (What the Lab Measured)

The Result column shows the actual measurement from the instrument.

Numeric Result

Example: Methanol: 80

This means the lab measured 80 units of that compound in the sample.

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“< LOQ” Result

This means:

The substance was below the lab’s measurable quantification limit.

It does not necessarily mean zero, only that it is below the threshold the instrument can measure accurately.

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6. Unit (How the Measurement Is Expressed)

The Unit column tells you the scale used to report the measurement.

In this report the unit is:

What ug/g Means

ug/g = micrograms per gram

This is equivalent to: parts per million (ppm)

Example: 132 ug/g = 132 ppm

This unit expresses how much of a substance exists relative to the sample weight.

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7. LOQ (Limit of Quantification)

The LOQ column is one of the most important things for readers to understand.

What LOQ Means –LOQ = Limit of Quantification

This is the lowest concentration the instrument can measure reliably.

Example: LOQ: 75 ug/g

This means: The lab’s instrument cannot confidently measure values below 75 ug/g.

If the result reads: < LOQ

It means the substance could be: 0 – 10 – 30 – 70

But the instrument cannot quantify it precisely below 75.

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8. Notes (Interpretation of the Result)

The Notes column usually summarizes whether the measurement met the specification.

In this report the note is:

This simply means:

The measured result is within the specification limit.

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9. Testing Method

Near the middle of the report you see:

GC-MS
That means they tested for the solvents using

GC-MS = Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry