Shilajit Testing Labs Compared: Eurofins, Certified Laboratories, Anresco, NSF and Others

When a shilajit brand names its testing laboratory on a COA, that disclosure is only meaningful if you know how to evaluate the lab. A name alone — "tested by XYZ Laboratories" — carries no inherent credibility. What matters is whether the lab holds ISO 17025 accreditation for dietary supplement testing, whether that accreditation is current and verifiable, and whether the scope of accreditation covers the specific analyses performed on the COA.

This article covers the accreditation framework, the specific labs most commonly seen in shilajit COAs, how to verify any lab's credentials, and the red flags that should make you discount a testing claim regardless of how confident the brand sounds.

What ISO 17025 Accreditation Means

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 is the international standard for testing and calibration laboratory competence. A laboratory accredited to ISO 17025 has been assessed by an independent accreditation body and found to meet rigorous requirements for technical competence, equipment calibration, method validation, staff qualification, and quality management.

Accreditation is granted on a scope basis — a lab is not "ISO 17025 accredited" globally; it is accredited for specific tests or test methods within a defined scope. A lab might be accredited for heavy metals analysis in food matrices but not for microbiology, or for pesticide residues but not for mycotoxins. Checking the scope is essential: a lab's accreditation certificate should list the specific parameters and matrices it is accredited to test.

In the United States, the two main accreditation bodies that grant ISO 17025 status to commercial testing laboratories are:

• A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) — the largest US laboratory accreditation body. A2LA accreditation numbers can be verified at a2la.org.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) — the second major US body, previously known as ACLASS. ANAB certificates are verifiable at anab.org.

In the UK, the equivalent body is UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service). Internationally, all these bodies are members of ILAC (the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation), which provides mutual recognition across approximately 100 countries.

Labs Commonly Seen in Shilajit COAs

Note: Eurofins operates many semi-independent divisions globally. "Eurofins" on a COA from an Indian laboratory may refer to Eurofins Analytical Services India, which operates under different accreditation from Eurofins Madison Food Integrity (US) or Eurofins Healthcare (US). Always check the specific division name and its accreditation credentials independently.

A Closer Look at Each Major Lab

Eurofins Scientific is a global network of laboratories headquartered in Luxembourg, operating approximately 900 laboratories across 60+ countries. For US dietary supplement testing, the most relevant divisions are Eurofins Food Integrity (formerly Covance Food Solutions), Eurofins Analytical Services (Indiana, Wisconsin), and Eurofins Healthcare (Peoria, IL). When a COA states "Eurofins" without specifying the division, verify using the COA's lab address and accreditation number. A2LA and ANAB maintain searchable databases of all accredited facilities.

Certified Laboratories (Burbank, California) is a specialised dietary supplement and food safety testing laboratory. It holds A2LA ISO 17025 accreditation for heavy metals analysis using ICP-MS and is one of the more commonly cited labs in US-manufactured shilajit product COAs. Its accreditation scope covers dietary supplements and botanical materials, making it particularly relevant for this product category.

Anresco Laboratories (San Francisco) is one of the oldest independent food and supplement testing labs in the United States, established in 1943. It holds ANAB ISO 17025 accreditation and is FDA-registered. Anresco COAs typically provide full numeric results with method references and are structured to support regulatory compliance documentation.

NSF International should be distinguished between two separate services. NSF testing laboratories provide contract analytical testing for manufacturers, including heavy metals panels via ICP-MS. Separately, NSF offers product certification programs — including NSF Certified for Sport — where products are tested and certified to carry the NSF mark. A COA from NSF Laboratories is a testing result; an "NSF Certified" claim on packaging is a certification claim. Both are credible but mean different things.

How to Verify a Lab's Credentials

Verifying a laboratory is a five-minute process:

• Find the accreditation number on the COA (usually printed near the lab's logo or address)
• Go to a2la.org or anab.org and search by lab name or certificate number
• Download the lab's scope of accreditation and confirm it covers the test type (e.g., heavy metals by ICP-MS) and matrix (e.g., dietary supplements)
• Check that the accreditation is current (expiry date on the certificate)

If the COA does not include a lab accreditation number, or if searching for the lab name returns no results in A2LA or ANAB, the lab either is not ISO 17025 accredited for that test or has not disclosed its credentials. Both are red flags.

Red Flags: Labs and Claims to Discount

What to Look for in a Lab: Summary