A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is the laboratory report for one specific lot of spice. It is the document that turns "good quality" into numbers a buyer can check. Here is what each line means and what to look for before you approve a shipment.
First, check that the COA is about your lot
- Product name and form (whole, ground, oleoresin, oil), with the botanical name.
- Lot or batch number, and that it matches the number on the bags and on the invoice.
- Dates of manufacture, sampling and analysis, and the best-before date.
- Who tested it: the supplier's own laboratory or an outside one. For food-safety results, look for a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 (in India, that accreditation is given by NABL).
- The test method beside each result (ASTA, ISO, AOAC, FSSAI manual). A result without a method is hard to compare.
Quality parameters
| Line on the COA | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Moisture | Too much moisture invites mould and shortens shelf life. Most dried spices are traded at roughly 8–12 %. |
| Volatile oil | The aroma. A low figure suggests old stock, poor drying or spent material. |
| Total ash and acid-insoluble ash | Mineral matter. A high acid-insoluble ash usually means sand, soil or dust. |
| Active principle | The reason the spice is bought: piperine in pepper, curcumin in turmeric, capsaicin or Scoville heat in chilli, colour value (ASTA) in paprika and chilli. |
| Particle size (mesh) | For powders: whether it will flow, disperse and look right in your product. |
| Extraneous and foreign matter | Stalks, stones, insects and other plant material, reported against a cleanliness specification. |
Food-safety parameters
- Microbiology: total plate count, yeast and mould, coliforms and E. coli, and Salmonella, which must be absent in the tested sample (normally 25 g). Steam-sterilised material should show clearly lower counts.
- Aflatoxins (B1 and total) and ochratoxin A: moulds that grow on badly dried chilli, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric and pepper produce them. The European Union, for example, sets limits of 5 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1 and 10 µg/kg for total aflatoxins in several spices.
- Pesticide residues: reported against the maximum residue limits of the destination market. The limits of the EU, the USA, Japan and the Gulf states differ, so tell the supplier where the goods are going.
- Ethylene oxide: a fumigant that is not permitted in food in the EU, where results are judged against a very low limit. If you sell to Europe, ask for an ETO result and for steam sterilisation instead.
- Heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Lead deserves attention in turmeric and chilli.
- Adulterants: illegal colours such as Sudan dyes in chilli and turmeric, and added starch or fillers.
Limits are revised from time to time and differ between countries. Treat the figures above as examples and confirm the current rules for your market with your laboratory or customs broker.
Warning signs
- Results that are identical across several lots, or suspiciously round.
- A COA with no lot number, no dates or no test methods.
- A "typical analysis" or product specification sent in place of a COA for the actual lot.
- Food-safety results from a laboratory that is not accredited for that test.
- A refusal to let you test a pre-shipment sample at a laboratory of your choice.
A sensible routine for importers
Agree a written specification before the first order. Ask for the COA of the actual lot before it ships. For a new supplier, or a high-risk product, have a pre-shipment sample tested independently. Keep every COA with the shipping documents: if a border inspection or a customer complaint comes later, that file is your defence.
Need a specification, a sample Certificate of Analysis or a quotation? Tell us the product, grade and quantity.
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