Glossary
Identification test
A test that confirms the material is the substance it claims to be, ideally by a method able to distinguish it from closely related substances, such as an infrared spectrum compared against a reference standard.
Why it matters on a certificate
Identity is the one test regulators consistently refuse to let a buyer take on trust from a certificate: US, EU and ICH rules all keep at least one identity test with the recipient. On the certificate itself, the review checks that identification was performed by the issuer and by a method with real discriminating power.
A worked example
A certificate lists "identification: complies" with no method. Appearance and solubility alone cannot distinguish the material from a close analogue, so the entry supports far less than it seems to.
Examples are synthetic and illustrative; any limits shown are not the requirements for any particular material.
The COA Validator checks the element this term describes on every certificate it reads, and reports what is present, what is missing and what does not add up.