What Is Third-Party Testing (and Why Herbal Edge Performs Independent Testing)
Published by Herbal Edge | Education Blog
“Third-party tested” sounds scientific and trustworthy, but not all testing is created equal. Many manufacturers use third-party testing and certifications like GMP or Organic to create an illusion of transparency while still cutting corners behind the scenes.
What “Third-Party Testing” Really Means
In theory, third-party testing means a manufacturer sends its product to an outside laboratory to verify what’s on the label: things like potency, purity, and the absence of harmful contaminants. When done correctly, this process provides accountability and consumer protection.
Unfortunately, it’s often used as a marketing tool rather than a true quality-control system. Here’s how the process is routinely gamed:
- Testing only select batches — manufacturers send one “perfect” sample and skip testing the rest.
- Hiding inconsistent results — they only publish reports that make them look good.
- Using forgiving labs — some labs may quietly “round up” potency numbers or overlook contaminants to keep clients happy.
- Unscrupulous labs: Some manufacturers use testing facilities that don't follow procedures carefully, and produce inconsistent results as a consequence.
So while a label may say third-party tested, that doesn’t mean every jar, bottle, or batch meets the same standards.
Why We Don’t Rely on Third Parties Alone
At Nugget CBD, where Thomas and I worked before founding Herbal Edge, we saw firsthand how easily testing could be manipulated. That’s why Nugget pioneered Fourth-Party Testing, a system where we, not the manufacturer, take responsibility for verifying results.
Instead of relying on supplier-provided lab certificates, we bought products ourselves and sent them to an independent lab for comparison. By analyzing our own results against the manufacturer’s reports, we could verify not just potency, but honesty.
Herbal Edge has refined and expanded this process through our Independent Product Audit.
The Herbal Edge Product Audit
Our audit process is simple, transparent, and completely independent of manufacturer influence:
-
We purchase products ourselves — directly from the manufacturer or retail channels, without tipping them off.
-
We send them to our lab for analysis, including potency, contaminants, and label accuracy.
-
We compare results to both the manufacturer’s reports and product labels.
-
We follow up on discrepancies. If results don’t align and the explanation doesn’t hold up, we offer the manufacturer an opportunity to explain the results and retest the product line again at a later date. But we don't carry anything until our standards are met.
This system ensures that every item we carry passes not only a potency test, but an honesty check, something no label can fake.
Setting a Higher Standard
Our mission isn’t to expose bad actors; that’s just an unfortunate side effect. Our real goal is to set a higher standard for the entire industry. We only work with manufacturers who have a long, verifiable record of honest testing and good manufacturing practices.
Still, we operate on a trust but verify principle. By performing partial-panel testing on randomly selected products, without telling manufacturers which products are being tested and what tests are being performed, we ensure every batch meets the same high standards. This approach allows us to test more batches on a limited budget, increasing our ability to detect inconsistencies in manufacturing or lab practices.
At Herbal Edge, we don’t carry anything until it passes our testing standards. No exceptions.
Independent testing isn’t just a marketing claim, it’s a safeguard for your health, your wallet, and the integrity of the entire hemp industry.
