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Quality & lab tests / 3 MIN READ

Third-Party Testing and Laboratory Accreditation: What to Check

Check who selected a shilajit sample, who tested it and whether the laboratory accreditation covers the material, method, site and test date.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Third-party testing tells you that a separate organisation performed the work. It does not automatically tell you who chose the sample or whether the laboratory's accreditation covers that particular test.

Separate those questions before judging the claim.

In this guide4 sections

01

Who selected the material?

A seller paying a laboratory to test its product is a normal arrangement. Payment alone does not invalidate the measurement.

The sample's history still matters. These routes are different:

  • The seller selects and submits a portion.
  • Another organisation independently collects the sample.
  • An organisation buys a retail pack anonymously and sends it for testing.

Ask which occurred and whether the submitted portion represents the stock being sold. Independent measurement and independent selection are separate parts of the process.

02

What accreditation covers

Accreditation assesses competence for specified work against relevant standards, including ISO/IEC 17025 for testing laboratories.

It is specific. A separate company is not automatically accredited, and an accredited laboratory need not have selected the sample itself.

Match the laboratory site

Take the following details from the report:

  • Legal laboratory name.
  • Site address.
  • Accreditation number.

Search the accreditor's official directory and confirm the current status and exact site. A seller's certificate copy can help locate the number, but the official record is where you check the claim.

One company can operate several laboratories with different scopes. Matching the company name alone leaves that question open.

03

Match the material, method and activity

Accreditation for measuring lead in water does not automatically cover lead in resin. The schedule may call the material the matrix.

Find the relevant matrix, measurement activity and method in the official scope. Then read the report's footnotes. They may identify results outside the accredited scope or work subcontracted to another laboratory.

If a broad category leaves you unsure, ask the laboratory about the specific result. Give it the report number and method so it can answer the actual question.

Check the scope on the test date

Scopes change. A method added later may not have been covered when an older report was issued.

Where that affects your decision, request the schedule or confirmation that applied on the test date. Today's listing cannot, by itself, establish historical coverage.

04

Return to the product being sold

Even a detailed report from an accredited outside laboratory can describe only a raw ingredient. It may leave the finished gummy or capsule untested.

Read the actual test list and sample description, identify the production stage, and follow the record connection to the retail batch. The report-reading guide explains how to check coverage without treating a testing claim as a complete quality verdict.

You should be able to name the laboratory, the work it performed, the sample it received and the product that sample represents. If one connection is missing, ask about that connection directly.

THE REFERENCES

Go to the source.

  1. UKAS: Introduction to the digital accreditation scheduleAccessed 2026-10-04
  2. UKAS: Accreditation standardsAccessed 2026-10-04
  3. Eurachem: Measurement uncertainty arising from samplingAccessed 2026-10-04