The surest check is to contact the lab yourself, using contact details from the lab's own website or the NABL directory, and ask it to confirm the report number and results. Then check that the report names your lot and a sample you know was drawn from it.
A borrowed report is usually genuine paper about the wrong goods. It may come from an earlier lot, another processor, or a sample prepared to pass. Spotting forgery is only half the job.
How borrowed reports happen
- Old report: a clean result from last season is sent for this season's crop.
- Another factory's report: a trader forwards a report from the mill that supplied a different buyer.
- Hand-picked sample: the supplier sends the lab a cleaned sample that does not represent the bulk.
- Edited copy: a genuine report is altered, for example a result, a date or a product name.
- Wrong product: a report for whole seed is offered for powder, or for one origin when the lot is from another.
Checks you can make on the document
- Report number: it should be unique and match the lab's own format.
- Client name: it should be the supplier, you, or your agent, not an unrelated firm.
- Sample description: product, grade, lot number and quantity received should match your order.
- Dates: sample received, analysis and report dates should be recent and in a logical order.
- Sampling statement: does it say who drew the sample, or only that results apply to the sample as received?
- Accreditation: is the accreditation number shown, and is each test marked as within scope?
- Signatures: an authorised signatory should be named, and the format should match other reports from that lab.
- Verification code: many labs now print a QR code or online check. Scan it, but also confirm the website address is the lab's real one.
Contacting the lab
Find the lab's email or phone yourself. Do not use details printed on the report or supplied by the seller, as these can be faked too. Send the report number and ask the lab to confirm the client, the sample description and the key results. Most labs will confirm authenticity, though some will only share results with the client who paid.
If a lab will not confirm anything, treat the report as unverified.
The better fix: commission the test yourself
Verification only proves a report is real. It does not prove the sample came from your lot. The reliable answer is to have the sample drawn by you or your agent, sealed and coded, and sent to a lab you choose. The lab then reports to you as well as, or instead of, the supplier.
This is standard practice in a factory audit and at pre-shipment. It is explained in what a sealed, coded sample is.
How we help
We draw and seal samples from the actual lot and send them to an NABL-accredited lab ourselves. You receive the original report direct from the lab, with its contact details so you can check it. To start, ask for a free sourcing review.