An interview with Yara, Quality Director at Utide
Following CPHI Milan 2026, we spoke with Yara, Utide’s Quality Director, about three questions that appear repeatedly in peptide buyer inquiries: Does the COA match the batch delivered? Can the results be independently verified? What stability information is available?
Q: Why does the batch number matter so much when reviewing a COA?
Yara: A COA is most useful when the customer knows exactly which material it describes. The batch number on the COA should be checked against the product label and relevant shipment documents.
We also need to distinguish between a “representative COA” and a “shipment-batch COA”. A representative COA helps a prospective customer review the specification and the format of our results. Once a shipment batch has been assigned, the customer needs to know which test results apply to that particular batch. We should be clear about which document we are sharing.
Q: What should buyers examine beyond the headline purity percentage?
Yara: Purity matters, but a single percentage does not describe every quality attribute. Depending on the peptide and its agreed specification, a review may include identity, related impurities, assay or content, residual solvents and relevant microbiological results.
I encourage customers to ask three simple questions: What was tested? How was it tested? Which batch was tested? The answers provide far more context than a purity figure on its own.
Q: If a buyer asks for a third-party report, what should they check?
Yara: First, identify the sample and batch covered by the independent report. Then look at the scope of testing. For example, an independent purity result does not automatically verify every result listed on the manufacturer’s COA.
We distinguish Utide’s internal QC data from results issued by an independent laboratory. If a customer needs independent testing of a proposed shipment batch, the batch, sampling arrangement and test items should be agreed in advance. A report from one batch should never be presented as verification of another.
Q: Customers also ask for stability reports. What does a stability report actually establish?
Yara: Stability data must be read alongside the peptide form, packaging, storage conditions, study duration and attributes tested. Data generated under one set of conditions may not answer a question about a different presentation or storage plan.
When a customer requests a stability report, I first want to understand the decision they are trying to make. We can then identify which existing data are relevant and whether further study is required. If a particular study has not been completed, we should say so clearly rather than imply that a shelf life has been established.
Q: How do you assess quality consistency across production batches?
Yara: Each batch is evaluated against its agreed specification. For repeat supply, we also pay attention to patterns across batches, including identity, purity and the impurity profile. The aim is to understand variation and detect changes that deserve investigation.
That discussion becomes especially important when a customer moves beyond an initial evaluation sample. They need to know how subsequent batches will be tested and documented, not only how the first sample performed.
Q: What is the most helpful quality question a new customer can send your team?
Yara: Tell us the exact peptide and form, the quality attributes that matter to your project, and what decision the data need to support. One useful request is: *“Can you provide the COA for the batch proposed for shipment, and can we discuss independent testing of a sample from that batch?”*
A specific question helps us identify the right document and explain what it does—and does not—show.
For questions about peptide specifications, batch documentation, analytical methods or project-specific testing, contact the Utide team.