Lab Testing Explained
How to Read a San Buzi Certificate of Analysis
A Certificate of Analysis can contain useful information — but only if you know what was tested, which methods were used, and whether the report can actually be traced to the can you have.
This guide walks through the major sections of a San Buzi COA and explains what each result can—and cannot—tell you.
See the annotated example below ↓
What Should You Check on a COA?
A useful COA identifies the flavor and lot it applies to, names the testing laboratory and test date, states which method was used, and reports a specific result. Stronger reports also include supporting data such as a chromatogram, and can be traced back to the physical can through a matching lot number. A COA that only shows a potency number, with no method, lab, date, or lot information, provides very limited information about how that number was obtained.
Does the report identify what was tested?
Can the report be connected to a specific production lot?
Is the testing laboratory clearly identified?
When was the sample analyzed?
What test was actually performed?
What exactly did the laboratory report?
Is supporting chromatographic data included where applicable?
Can the report be connected back to the can being evaluated?
COA Anatomy
Anatomy of a COA
The example below is built to show where each piece of information typically appears — it is not a real laboratory report.
Certificate of Analysis
Illustrative layout only
Flavor
Blueberry Lemonade
Lot Number
EXAMPLE-BLU-001
Laboratory
Example Independent Laboratory
Test Date
Example Date
Method
Example: HPLC-UV
Reported Result
Example Result
Chromatogram — Illustrative Analytical Data
Educational Example — Not an Actual Laboratory Report
How to Evaluate a COA
1. Identify the Flavor
A useful report clearly identifies the flavor or sample submitted for analysis -- a name, a lot or batch number, or a sample description.
A flavor name on a report doesn’t, by itself, prove that the physical can in your hand came from the tested sample. That connection is what lot traceability is for — see Step 2.
2. Find the Lot Number
A report becomes substantially more useful when it can be tied to a specific production lot rather than presented as a general claim about a product line.
This is the structure San Buzi’s lot architecture follows: each published lot record organizes the available testing documentation for that specific batch and links to the underlying laboratory report, and the lot number on your can can be looked up against that public record.
Search San Buzi Lot Numbers3. Identify the Testing Laboratory
Look for the laboratory name, its location if reported, a report or reference number, the test date, the method used, and any laboratory contact or accreditation information included on the document.
4. Check the Testing Method
The method determines the question being answered.
| Test | What It Checks |
|---|---|
| HPLC-UV | Cannabinoid potency (THC/CBG content) |
| Pesticide Panel | Screens for common agricultural pesticides |
| Heavy Metals | Lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury |
| Microbials | Yeast, mold, and pathogen screening |
| Residual Solvents | Extraction solvent residue, if applicable |
Different tests answer different questions — no single method establishes every characteristic of a can.
Learn About the San Buzi StandardHow to Read Potency Results
High-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV) separates and measures the cannabinoids in a sample as it moves through the instrument, producing a chromatogram.
A reported potency percentage compares the measured THC/CBG content against the labeled 10mg THC / 5mg CBG — 100% means the can contains exactly what the label claims.
What Potency Can Tell You
- • How much THC/CBG is actually in the can
- • How close that is to the labeled amount
What It Does Not Automatically Tell You
- • Pesticide or heavy-metal contamination
- • Microbial safety
- • Anything not separately tested for
102% potency doesn’t mean “everything about this can has been verified.”
It means the measured THC/CBG content was 102% of the labeled amount. Contaminant screening is a separate, additional test — see below.
Illustrative Chromatogram
What Else Was Actually Tested?
These attributes each require their own dedicated testing. Don’t assume any of them were evaluated simply because a document is labeled “Certificate of Analysis.” The right question is always: does this specific report show that this specific attribute was actually tested?
Pesticides
Heavy Metals
Residual Solvents
Microbials
Water Activity
Foreign Matter
A COA Is More Useful When You Can Trace the Lot
A laboratory report may exist, but you still need to understand how that report relates to the can you actually have. A generic vendor COA that isn’t tied to an identifiable lot leaves that connection unresolved.
A San Buzi lot record organizes the available testing documentation for a specific published lot and links to the underlying laboratory report.
Search Lot-Specific COAsHow Can You Verify a COA?
- 1
Match the Product
Does the flavor description match?
- 2
Match the Lot
Does the published report correspond to the lot printed on your can?
- 3
Check the Lab
Is the laboratory identifiable?
- 4
Check the Date
When was testing performed?
- 5
Check the Methods
What was actually analyzed?
- 6
Check the Results
What exactly does the report say?
- 7
Look for Supporting Data
Does the report include a chromatogram or other analytical documentation where applicable?
- 8
Check the Original Report
Can you view the actual laboratory document rather than only a supplier-created summary?
COA Red Flags
General educational guidance — not an accusation against any specific company.
Red Flag #1
No Lot Number
A generic report that cannot be connected to a specific lot provides limited traceability.
Red Flag #2
Only a Potency Percentage
A number with no method information or supporting documentation tells you very little about how it was obtained.
Red Flag #3
No Identifiable Laboratory
A report should provide enough information to understand who performed the analysis.
Red Flag #4
No Test Date
Testing chronology matters when evaluating lot documentation.
Red Flag #5
Same COA Used Indefinitely
A report tied to one lot shouldn't be assumed to represent every future lot -- brewing and testing happen batch by batch.
Red Flag #6
No Original Report
A vendor-created graphic containing a result is not equivalent to the underlying laboratory report.
Red Flag #7
Contaminant Testing Claimed but Not Shown
If a seller claims a pesticide or heavy-metal screen, look for the actual corresponding analytical documentation.
Red Flag #8
Altered or Cropped Reports
Missing report identifiers, laboratory information, dates, method details, or pages deserve additional scrutiny.
How San Buzi Organizes Lot Testing
No lot-specific testing documentation has been published yet.
Explore San Buzi’s COA DatabaseCOA Review Checklist
Print & Keep for Reference
- Product / flavor identified
- Lot number present
- Laboratory identified
- Test date present
- Testing methods listed
- Potency method identified
- Contaminant screen identified if claimed
- Reported results clearly shown
- Supporting analytical data included where applicable
- Original report accessible
- Report can be associated with applicable lot
- Claims do not exceed what was actually tested
Common Questions
COA FAQ
What is a San Buzi COA?
What does 102% potency mean?
Is potency the same as a clean contaminant screen?
How can I verify a San Buzi COA?
Why does the lot number matter?
Where can I find San Buzi COAs?
Hemp-derived THC beverage. Not for use if pregnant or nursing. Do not drive or operate machinery after consumption. Check your state’s laws before purchasing.
Zero Alcohol. All Buzz.
Don’t Just Read the Claim.
Read the Test.
Search San Buzi’s available lot-specific testing documentation.