Match the sample
Start with the sample identifier and description. A result applies to the material submitted. Decide whether your sampling plan represents the lot or product decision you are making.
Reporting / Interpretation
Read the result.
Keep the context.
A number becomes useful when the sample, units, reporting limit and specification are considered together.
Compare the same units
Check whether the report and your specification use the same units and sample basis. A concentration comparison and an exposure assessment are different tasks.
Read the reporting limit
Review the notation and reporting limit alongside the result. Do not substitute zero for a qualified result. Ask for the explanation of any flags before making a comparison.
Check what was measured
A total-element result does not identify each chemical form. A request for a particular species needs its own defined analytical scope.
What a panel
does not establish.
Metals testing does not by itself establish full product safety, a clinical conclusion or compliance with every applicable requirement. Define the decision and specification before testing.
For Proposition 65 questions, a concentration alone is not a complete exposure evaluation. Product use and the applicable legal framework also matter.
Reference: California OEHHA: Foods and beverages
Testing inquiries
Request a testing quote.
Tell us the sample type, elements and number of samples.