Suppliers are asked for test reports constantly. Buyers usually glance at the logo on the letterhead, decide it is fine, and move on. Ten minutes of knowing what to look for will tell you more than ten minutes of supplier calls.
The four questions a report must answer
- What was actually tested — the finished product, or just the raw material?
- Which specific test items were included?
- Which method and which limit value were applied?
- Who issued it, on what date, and is the sample traceable to a batch?
A report that only shows "passed" without listing items and limits tells you nothing, because every test suite contains an easy pass. A report listing ten named items against named limits tells you exactly what was and was not covered.
What to look for on the letterhead
- The laboratory's full legal name and address, not a brand or a trading name
- A report number you can quote in writing to a customer
- An issue date within the last twelve months
- Sample identification that ties back to your product, not a generic reference
The claims you should refuse
These circulate constantly in this category and most of them are technically wrong. Refusing them is not pedantry; a buyer who repeats them to their own customers carries the risk.
| Claim you may hear | Why it is wrong | What to ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| "FDA approved" | The FDA does not pre-approve most adult products. The claim is widely regarded as a credibility problem in this category. | "Which test items does your report cover, and may I have the report?" |
| "body-safe" or "medical grade" | Neither term has a fixed international definition. They are marketing words, and absolute wording carries enforcement risk in several markets. | "Which substances were tested, against which limit?" |
| "antibacterial" / "kills 99.9%" | Such claims need a named test method and a report behind them. Without both, they are advertising, not a specification. | "Which test method supports that figure?" |
A workable phrasing for your own product pages: state the material, name the test items, name the standard or regulation, and offer the report on request. That is specific, checkable, and safe in every market we ship to.
