Analytical methods · 7 guides
What the test actually proves.
A certificate can be technically true and still answer a different question from the one you asked. These guides explain how each method works, what it can establish, where it stops, and what to request on a specification.
Direct answer
Potency methods (HPLC, UV-VIS) measure marker content. Identity methods (TLC, microscopy) ask whether the material is the right botanical. Contaminant methods (ICP-MS, GC, LC-MS/MS, microbiology) test for specific risks. No single test covers all three questions.
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
HPLC
HPLC separates individual compounds before detection, so a specific marker or a defined marker family can be quantified against a reference standard.
Read the methodUltraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS)
UV-VIS
UV-VIS measures absorbance at a chosen wavelength to estimate a family total, usually against a single reference standard.
Read the methodThin-layer chromatography and identity testing
TLC
TLC produces a visual fingerprint of a botanical extract. It is a qualitative identity check, not a potency assay.
Read the methodICP-MS heavy metal testing
ICP-MS
ICP-MS measures individual trace elements such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury at parts-per-billion levels.
Read the methodGas chromatography for residual solvents
GC
Gas chromatography separates and quantifies volatile solvents left after extraction, purification, or carrier preparation.
Read the methodPesticide residue testing
LC-MS/MS & GC-MS/MS
Multi-residue panels screen for hundreds of pesticides using liquid and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.
Read the methodMicrobiological testing
TPC, Y&M, pathogens
Microbiological tests count total aerobic organisms, yeast and mould, and specific pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella.
Read the methodHow to read a method statement
Four questions before you trust a number
What is measured? A single compound, a marker family, or a total that includes unrelated compounds.
By which method? HPLC and UV can produce different numbers for the same material.
On what basis? As-is or dry basis changes the percentage, especially at higher moisture.
At what limit? A "not detected" result is only meaningful with a reporting limit.
Next step
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