How Can Integrated Chemistry Testing Strengthen Marketplace Readiness?

Integrated chemistry testing strengthens food safety and marketplace readiness by pairing a supplier's Certificate of Analysis (COA) with independent verification of identity, contaminants, and nutritional composition- the kind of confirmation a COA alone doesn't provide. For manufacturers selling through retail, private label, or digital marketplaces, that independent data is increasingly what separates documentation on file from documentation that actually holds up under review.

A COA is useful. It is not proof that every question about a product has been answered.

For food, beverage, and dietary supplement manufacturers, a COA has long served as documentation that a lot met specification. However, once a product moves into retail, private label, or a digital marketplace, that document is often asked to do more than it was designed for. A COA reports what a supplier found. It does not confirm what an independent lab would find on the same material. Retailers and marketplaces increasingly want that independent confirmation, not just a record file.

For quality, regulatory, and supply chain teams, the question worth asking is not whether a COA exists. It is whether the data behind it would hold up if a retailer, a regulator, or a customer's own lab reviewed it.

That question matters more each time a product changes hands.

Why a Supplier's CoA Isn't the Whole Story

A COA reports results against a defined specification, and that has real value. What it does not do is independently verify every characteristic a manufacturer cares about. It reflects one lab's test, on one lot, at one point in time, using methodology chosen by the supplier. That is a single data point, not a guarantee.

FDA's current good manufacturing practice framework for food centers on production and process controls, and dietary supplement manufacturers operate under the additional requirements of 21 CFR Part 111, which calls for establishing specifications and conducting testing to verify they are met (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025). Meeting that requirement takes more than a filing cabinet of paperwork. It takes a testing program that connects supplier documentation, internal specifications, and independent verification.

Marketplaces Are Raising the Bar

Regulatory requirements are not the only pressure manufacturers face. The platforms selling their products now have their own testing expectations.

Amazon has implemented third-party testing requirements for dietary supplements as part of its compliance process (Amazon, 2024). TikTok Shop requires testing reports that match the specific product and seller, meet recency standards, and come from qualified laboratories, and it identifies ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation as one accepted pathway (TikTok Shop, 2026). Walmart requires suppliers to make products, facilities, and records available for applicable audits and inspections, and for health and wellness products, this often includes CGMP certification or third-party audit documentation (Walmart, 2025).

These requirements are not identical across platforms, and they vary by product category and compliance pathway. The common thread is that documentation alone is no longer sufficient. It needs to be backed by credible, traceable analytical data.

A COA Is a Starting Point, Not a Finish Line

A strong chemistry program does not mean testing every product for every possible analyte. That approach is costly, slow, and often doesn't target the risks that matter most. A more effective approach matches testing to the specific product, ingredient, supplier, and market.

A botanical supplement and a fortified protein beverage carry different risks and warrant different testing strategies. Depending on the product and its risk profile, an integrated program may include:

• Identity testing, to confirm an ingredient is what it is represented to be
  
  
• Heavy metal analysis, covering elements such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury at trace-level sensitivity
  
  
• Pesticide residue screening, to evaluate agricultural inputs against maximum residue limits
  
  
• Adulteration and authenticity testing, to identify economic or intentional substitution
  
  
• Nutritional analysis, to verify composition matches label claims
  
  
• Allergen testing, to identify and quantify relevant allergenic components
  
  
• Additive analysis, covering preservatives, colorants, antioxidants, and related compounds
  
  
• PFAS and emerging contaminant testing, where the product or packaging warrants it
  
  
• Packaging and migration testing, where food contact materials introduce additional chemical considerations

This is the same portfolio our chemistry laboratories run, using LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, and HPLC to cover contaminants, pesticide residues, additives, allergens, nutritional verification, packaging safety, and marketplace compliance support. See the full chemistry testing capabilities.

The value of a testing program isn't measured by how many tests appear on an invoice. It's measured by whether the right question was answered.

From Supplier Documentation to Independent Verification

Supplier documentation still has a place in a quality program. The skill is knowing where additional verification adds real value. A few factors worth weighing before deciding what to retest:

• Ingredient risk. What contaminants or variability are historically associated with this material?
  
  
• Supplier history. Has the supplier's documentation consistently matched what internal testing has found?
  
  
• Product sensitivity. Does this ingredient support a safety, nutritional, or regulatory claim?
  
  
• Geographic sourcing. Could the growing region or processing conditions affect contaminant risk?
  
  
• Marketplace requirements. Does the sales channel require specific labs, documentation, or testing timelines?
  
  
• Regulatory exposure. What federal, state, or international requirements apply to this product?

Considering these factors helps avoid two common problems: under-testing materials that warrant closer scrutiny, and over-testing products without a clear objective.

Where Independent Data Changes the Decision

Heavy metals illustrate why independent testing matters. They can appear at concentrations low enough to require highly sensitive methods to detect reliably. Our labs use ICP-MS for high-sensitivity elemental analysis of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, along with multi-residue and targeted pesticide testing using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS.

A test result becomes meaningful when it is considered alongside the specification, the intended use, and the regulatory or marketplace context surrounding it. That context is what separates a laboratory report from a decision a quality team can act on.

Building a Chemistry Program Around the Product

There is no single testing checklist that fits every product. For dietary supplements, an effective program often combines identity, potency, nutritional, heavy metal, pesticide, and adulteration testing. For food and beverage products, the right mix may involve nutritional verification, additives, allergens, contaminants, pesticide residues, or packaging-related testing, sometimes several at once.

We support testing across raw ingredients, finished products, dietary supplements, food and beverage products, and packaging materials, with services designed to support quality, regulatory compliance, product verification, and marketplace readiness together rather than as separate requests. For manufacturers managing multiple suppliers and sales channels, this integration helps reduce fragmentation between procurement, quality assurance, regulatory, and product development teams.

Rather than treating each testing request in isolation, it helps to build a chemistry strategy around the questions that matter most:

Is the ingredient authentic? Does the product meet its specifications? Are relevant contaminants controlled? Does the analytical data support the label? Can the documentation withstand marketplace or customer review? Is additional testing warranted before the product reaches the market?

Marketplace Readiness Starts Before the Listing

Marketplace compliance works best when it begins before a listing goes live, not after documentation gets flagged. That means reviewing specifications, supplier documentation, and testing requirements early enough to close gaps before they cause delays.

It also means recognizing that marketplace readiness rarely involves a single audience. A product often needs to satisfy internal quality standards, regulatory expectations, retailer requirements, and marketplace documentation requirements at the same time.

An integrated chemistry program gives manufacturers a common foundation of analytical data that can meet all of those requirements at once.

Meet us at SupplySide Global 2026 in Las Vegas, October 26 to 30, with the Expo Hall open October 28 to 30, at Booth 6472. Supplement manufacturers and brand owners can connect with our experts about testing, quality, and marketplace compliance. Learn more.

From COA verification to heavy metal screening, pesticide residue analysis, authenticity testing, and nutritional testing, the right analytical strategy helps manufacturers move from documentation to real confidence in their products.

Better data. Better decisions. Better products.

Explore Mérieux NutriSciences Chemistry Testing Services or connect with a chemistry expert to discuss your testing needs.

References

Amazon. (2024). Changes to dietary supplements policy. Amazon Seller Central.

TikTok Shop. (2026). TikTok Shop partner laboratories & testing guide. TikTok Shop Academy.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025). Current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) for food and dietary supplements.

Walmart. (2025). Health & wellness product safety requirements. Walmart Corporate.