How to Read an NMN Certificate of Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
Short answer
To read an NMN certificate of analysis, check seven things: the batch number matches your pot, an independent lab issued it, it tested the finished capsules, it used HPLC for NMN purity, each result sits inside a stated specification, “<” values are read as below the detection limit, and the dates match the current batch. Below, we walk through each check using the published reports for Element 5 NMN batch E5 14573.
Key facts
- A certificate of analysis (CoA) is a lab report of test results for one specific sample or batch, compared against a specification.
- Not every document called a certificate is a lab test. Manufacturer composition sheets and raw-material specs are useful, but they are not independent tests of the finished capsules.
- HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is the method used to measure NMN purity in the reports below.
- Who tests Element 5 NMN: Certified Laboratories (Burbank, California) for HPLC purity and, from batch E5 14573, fill weight; Eurofins Food Testing UK (UKAS-accredited) for heavy metals and microbiology. Every report is published in full.
- Batch E5 14573: tested by Certified Laboratories, NMN purity 100.7% by HPLC against a specification of more than 99.4%; average capsule fill 522 mg against a 500 mg fill specification.
What is a certificate of analysis?
A certificate of analysis is a laboratory report that lists what was tested, the method used, the specification the result is judged against, and the result itself. For a supplement, the most useful CoA is one for the finished product, tied to the batch number printed on the pot.
Brands often publish several documents per batch, and they are not equal. Here is what each type in a typical batch pack tells you, using the six documents published for Element 5 NMN batch E5 14573.
| Document | Issued by | What was tested | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMN purity (HPLC) | Certified Laboratories, Burbank, California (independent) | Finished capsules | How much of the capsule contents is NMN |
| Average fill weight | Certified Laboratories, Burbank, California (independent) | Finished capsules | How much powder is in each capsule on average |
| Heavy metals | Eurofins Food Testing UK, Wolverhampton (independent, UKAS-accredited) | Finished product | Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury levels |
| Microbiology | Eurofins Food Testing UK, Wolverhampton (independent, UKAS-accredited) | Finished product | Bacteria, yeasts, moulds and pathogens |
| Certificate of composition | Manufacturer | Not a test result | The formula, capsule, packaging and the limits the batch must meet |
| Raw material specification | Ingredient supplier | NMN powder before encapsulation | Identity and purity of the raw ingredient |
The first four are the independent evidence for the product you hold. The last two give context, but a brand that publishes only a raw-material sheet has not shown you a test of its finished capsules.
How do you read an NMN certificate of analysis, step by step?
Match the batch number
Find the batch or lot number on your pot and on the report. They should be identical. On the E5 14573 reports it appears as “Batch Lot #: E5 14573”. A report with no batch number, or a different one, does not describe your product.
Check who issued it
Look for a laboratory name, address and signatures at the top and bottom of the page. An independent lab is separate from the brand and the manufacturer. An accreditation mark, such as the UKAS logo on the Eurofins heavy-metal and microbiology reports, shows the lab is assessed against a testing standard. For E5 14573, the purity and fill-weight reports were issued and signed by Certified Laboratories in Burbank, California, and the heavy-metal and microbiology reports by Eurofins Food Testing UK in Wolverhampton.
Confirm it tested the finished product
The sample description tells you what went to the lab. “FG” (finished goods) or “capsules” means the product as sold. A raw-material report only covers the powder before it was put into capsules.
Check the test method
For NMN purity, the method should be HPLC (or LC-MS), which separates NMN from similar compounds before measuring it. The heavy-metal results for E5 14573 were measured by ICP-MS, a standard method for trace metals.
Compare each result with its specification
Every result should sit next to a specification: the limit or target agreed before testing. For E5 14573, NMN purity was 100.7% against a specification of more than 99.4%. A result with no specification beside it is hard to judge.
Read “<” values correctly
“<0.005 mg/kg” means the result was below the lowest level the method reports. It does not mean zero, and it does not mean exactly 0.005. It means the level was too low to quantify with that method.
Check the dates
The received and reported dates should fall after the manufacture date of that batch. For E5 14573, production was dated 21 September 2026, and the reports were issued between 1 and 13 October 2026.
Worked example: batch E5 14573
These are the results from the six documents published for Element 5 NMN batch E5 14573, with what each line means.
| Test | Method | Specification | Result | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMN purity | HPLC | >99.4% | 100.7% | Within specification; see below on readings above 100% |
| Average fill | Average weight | 500 mg fill, ±10% | 522 mg | Average of the capsules sampled, within the tolerance |
| Lead | ICP-MS | Max 0.5 ppm | <0.005 mg/kg | Below the reporting limit, at least 100 times under the specification |
| Cadmium | ICP-MS | Max 0.5 ppm | <0.001 mg/kg | Below the reporting limit |
| Arsenic | ICP-MS | Max 0.5 ppm | <0.002 mg/kg | Below the reporting limit |
| Mercury | ICP-MS | Max 0.5 ppm | <0.005 mg/kg | Below the reporting limit |
| Yeasts and moulds | Plate count | <100 cfu/g | <10 cfu/g each | Below the method's lowest count |
| Aerobic plate count | Plate count | <1000 cfu/g | <10 cfu/g | Below the method's lowest count |
| Salmonella | Detection test | Negative | Not detected in 25 g | Absent from the sample tested |
| Raw NMN powder purity | HPLC (supplier) | >99% | 99.90% | Supplier result for the ingredient before encapsulation |
ppm (parts per million) and mg/kg are the same unit. Specifications are from the batch certificate of composition; results are from the independent lab reports, except the last row.
All the reports are in the Element 5 Lab Test Directory, where you can match your own batch number.
Why can NMN purity read above 100%?
Every lab measurement has a margin of uncertainty. HPLC compares the sample against a reference standard, so a sample very close to full purity can read slightly above or below 100%. A result of 100.7% means the lab measured the NMN content as effectively pure, within the normal spread of the method. It is not more than 100% NMN.
Batch E5 14573 read 100.7% against a specification of more than 99.4%, so it sits above the standard it was tested against. That is not a one-off: Element 5 NMN has measured above its HPLC specification many times across its published batches, all tested by Certified Laboratories using the same HPLC method. From batch E5 14525, the specification itself was tightened from more than 99% to more than 99.4%.
What a certificate of analysis cannot tell you
- It describes the sample tested. Lab reports typically state that results are representative of the samples submitted and may not reflect every unit in a batch.
- It is not a guarantee for each capsule. An average fill result describes the capsules measured. Element 5's fill specification is 500 mg ±10%.
- It says nothing about effects. A CoA confirms identity, amount and contaminants. It does not show what a supplement does in the body.
- It only covers what was tested. A purity report alone does not tell you about heavy metals or microbes, and the reverse.
Red flags to look for
These are the patterns that most often separate a supplement that has been properly tested from one that only claims to be.
A test for an old batch, not the one on sale
Some brands describe themselves as “third-party tested” on the strength of a single report, sometimes for a batch made two or more years ago. That report says nothing about the batch you are buying now. Check that the batch number on the report matches the one printed on your pot, and that the test date falls after that batch was made. A brand that tests every batch should be able to show a report for each one.
A 99%+ purity claim with no finished-capsule HPLC report
A product page may say “99%+ pure” and name a well-known laboratory, but the published reports do not include an HPLC test of the encapsulated product. Often the 99% figure comes from the supplier's raw-material certificate. Purity of the powder before encapsulation does not show what ended up in the capsules, so look for an HPLC result on a sample described as finished goods or capsules.
Only a raw-material or supplier certificate
A supplier certificate covers the ingredient as it left the supplier. It does not test the finished product after blending, encapsulation and storage, and it is not issued for the brand's batch. It is useful context, but on its own it is not evidence of what is in the pot.
Redacted details, or “certificate available on request”
Blacked-out batch numbers, lab names, dates or results remove exactly the details you need to verify a report. “Certificate available on request” usually means you have to email the brand and wait to receive a document that could simply be published. A brand confident in its results can publish full reports for every batch. Element 5 publishes every report in full in its Lab Test Directory, with no redaction and no email needed.
Testing methods or reported tests that change between batches
If one batch is tested by HPLC and the next by a less specific method, or a test that appeared last time quietly disappears, the results can no longer be compared. A change like this can be a sign that the product or its supplier has changed, and that the brand is choosing what to report. Look for the same laboratory, the same method and the same set of tests across batches.
No laboratory name, address or signature
A genuine certificate of analysis identifies the laboratory, its address, the person who approved the result and the date. Without these, there is no way to check that the report came from an independent lab, or to contact the lab to confirm it.
No test method, or a non-specific method for NMN
Purity figures without a method, or from a simple method such as a UV reading, cannot reliably separate NMN from similar compounds like nicotinamide. HPLC or LC-MS separates the compounds first, so the NMN figure reflects NMN alone.
Results with no specification
A result only means something against a pre-agreed limit or target. “99.5%” on its own tells you little; “99.5% against a specification of more than 99.4%” tells you the batch passed the standard it was held to.
Can't find a report for your batch? Email us with the batch number printed on your pot and we will send you the matching reports.
Independent HPLC purity, heavy-metal and microbiology reports for each batch, matched to the batch number on your pot.
View the Lab Test Directory View Element 5 NMNCommon questions
What is a certificate of analysis for a supplement?
It is a laboratory report listing the tests carried out on a sample, the method, the specification each result is judged against, and the results. For supplements, the most useful one tests the finished product and carries its batch number.
How can I tell if my NMN certificate is genuine?
Check that the batch number matches your pot, that a named independent laboratory issued and signed it, that it tested the finished capsules, and that the dates fall after the batch was made.
What does HPLC mean on an NMN certificate?
HPLC stands for high-performance liquid chromatography. It separates the compounds in a sample and measures each one, so it can distinguish NMN from similar molecules.
Why does my NMN certificate show more than 100% purity?
Lab methods have a margin of uncertainty. A sample very close to full purity can read slightly above 100%. It means the NMN content measured as effectively pure.
What does “<0.005 mg/kg” mean on a heavy-metals report?
It means the level was below the lowest amount the method can report. It is not the same as zero, but it is too low to quantify with that test.
Is a raw material certificate enough?
No. A raw material certificate covers the powder before it is put into capsules. Only a finished-product test shows what is in the product you buy.
What is the difference between a certificate of analysis and a certificate of composition?
A certificate of analysis reports lab test results. A certificate of composition is a manufacturer document setting out the formula, packaging and the limits a batch must meet.
Who tests Element 5 NMN?
Certified Laboratories in Burbank, California, tests each batch for NMN purity by HPLC, and has tested capsule fill weight since batch E5 14573. Eurofins Food Testing UK, a UKAS-accredited laboratory in Wolverhampton, tests for heavy metals and microbiology. All reports are published in full.
What does “certificate available on request” mean?
It usually means the brand does not publish its lab reports and you have to email to receive one. Brands that test every batch can publish every report in full, so you can check it before you buy.
Why does it matter if testing methods change between batches?
Results from different methods cannot be compared directly. A change of method or of the tests reported can be a sign the product has changed. Consistent testing uses the same laboratory, method and set of tests every batch.
Where can I see Element 5 NMN lab reports?
All batch reports are published in the Element 5 Lab Test Directory. Match the batch number printed on your pot to the reports listed there.
Sources
- Certified Laboratories, Burbank, California. Analytical certificates of analysis, Element 5 NMN batch E5 14573: NMN by HPLC (accession 261001-0099, 8 October 2026) and average weight (accession 260929-0125, 13 October 2026).
- Eurofins Food Testing UK Limited, Wolverhampton. Certificates of analysis, Element 5 NMN batch E5 14573: heavy metals (AR-26-UD-401094-01) and microbiology (AR-26-UD-401221-01), reported 1 October 2026.
- Certified Laboratories. HPLC certificates of analysis for Element 5 NMN batches NK 14193, NK 14254, E5 14311, E5 14368, E5 14403, E5 14457 and E5 14525 (November 2025 to August 2026), published in the Element 5 Lab Test Directory.
- Element 5. Lab Test Directory, NMN 500 mg batch E5 14573: HPLC purity, average fill weight, heavy metals, microbiology, certificate of composition and raw material specification (reports dated 1-13 October 2026). tryelement5.com/pages/labtests
- Element 5. Element 5 NMN product page. tryelement5.com
Related reading: Third-party tested NMN: Element 5 lab results and how to compare NMN supplements.
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