What Happens to Your Extract Batch Before It Ships
A buyer we've worked with since 2019 once told us something that stuck: "I don't actually buy your extract. I buy your paperwork." He was joking, mostly. But he had a point, and it's worth walking through what actually happens between a finished batch and the truck that picks it up.
Sampling comes first, not last
When a production run finishes, QC pulls samples from three points in the batch - top, middle, bottom of the drum set. That sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many suppliers sample only the drum nearest the door. Botanical extracts settle. A batch that tests fine at the top can be noticeably lighter in active content at the bottom, especially for anything with particle density differences.
The three samples go to our in-house lab the same day. For a plant extract, the core checks are active content by HPLC, heavy metals, moisture, and mesh size. Micro tests go out to a third-party lab because we'd rather not grade our own homework on that one.
When numbers don't match the spec
Here's the part buyers rarely see. If a batch comes back at 98.2% against a 98% spec, it passes and moves on. If it comes back at 97.4%, we don't blend it up to spec and hope nobody notices - we re-run the test first, because roughly a third of the time it's a sample prep issue, not a product issue. If the second result confirms the first, the batch gets reworked or sold as a lower grade with honest labeling. It costs us money. It costs less than a claim does.
Last year we rejected or regraded about 4% of production batches. Some suppliers would call that number high. We'd call it the number.
COA that matches the drum in front of you
Every drum ships with a COA carrying the batch number you can physically read off the label. We also keep retained samples for two years. Twice in 2025 a customer called about a stability question eight months after delivery, and we were able to pull the retained sample and test it alongside their material. Both times the product was fine - but that conversation is a lot easier when you can test the same batch instead of arguing from memory.
Third-party verification when it matters
For new customers, or for any order above 500kg, we're happy to split the cost of third-party testing through SGS or Eurofins before shipment. Most buyers never take us up on it after the first order. Not because they trust us blindly - because they test the arrival themselves, get the same numbers, and stop needing the ritual.
If you're qualifying a new supplier - us or anyone else - ask specifically what happens when a batch fails internal QC. The answer tells you more about the company than any certificate on the wall.
Questions about testing for a specific product? Write to admin@ly-health.com or message us on WhatsApp, and we'll send the actual standard we test that product against - not just the COA template.
