For third-party chemical testing in India, use an independent laboratory with NABL accreditation that covers the exact test on your product, and make sure the sample is drawn, sealed and tracked properly. A supplier's own certificate of analysis tells you what the supplier says. An independent report tells you what is there.
NABL is the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, which accredits labs against ISO/IEC 17025. That is the international standard for lab competence.
What does NABL accreditation actually tell you?
Accreditation is granted for a defined scope: specific tests, on specific materials, by named methods. A lab can be accredited and still not be accredited for the test you need. Ask for the certificate and scope, check the scope covers your test and product type, and verify the certificate is current on the NABL website. A report from a lab with no accreditation for your test is not worthless, but it carries less weight in a dispute. Where a result may be used against a supplier, choose the lab with the full scope and ask the supplier to agree to it in advance.
NABL has mutual recognition arrangements with international accreditation bodies, so a report carrying the accreditation mark is easier to defend abroad. For some products other approvals matter too: see GLP labs in India for agrochemical studies, and note that food-contact or food-grade products may need labs recognised by the food regulator.
How do you choose a lab?
- Independence: the lab should have no commercial link to the supplier, and you should pay it directly.
- Scope: it should hold accreditation for your method, such as titration, HPLC, GC or Karl Fischer.
- Report content: the report should name the method, the sample identification, the date, the result and the units.
- Turnaround and reporting: agree the timeline, and whether results can be sent to you before the supplier sees them.
- Referee role: choose one lab in advance as the arbiter if you and the supplier disagree.
How should chemical samples be taken and sent?
Take the sample from the lot that will ship, using a clean, labelled container that suits the chemical. Draw increments from several drums or tank levels, as described in how a chemical sample is drawn, and seal the container with a numbered seal. Record the batch, date, who drew it and who witnessed it.
Split the sample into at least three parts: one for the lab, one for you and one retained by the supplier. Retention samples are what let you resolve a dispute months later.
Samples that are hazardous must still be shipped as dangerous goods, in small packs with the right marks. See shipping chemical samples safely.
When should you test?
Test at least at pre-shipment, from the lot being loaded, and again on arrival if the product is sensitive. Third-party inspection for chemicals explains the options, and reading a lab certificate shows what to check on the report itself.
How we help
We have lots tested by independent laboratories against your specification, and we witness the sampling and sealing. To plan testing for your next order, book a free sourcing review.