Voluntary standard for RUO sellers

What this standard is

It is voluntary. Adopting it is a public commitment about how a seller documents and describes what it sells. It is not a government program, it is not a license, and it does not certify that any product is safe, sterile, pure, or suitable for use in a person. Adopting it does not prevent regulatory action or private litigation, and it does not make an unlawful sale lawful.

The clauses

• 01

  Truthful product identity

  The product name, sequence or chemical identity, salt form, and net content stated on the listing match what is shipped. No renaming, no ambiguous aliases used to obscure identity, no substitution without disclosure.

• 02

  Accurate labeling

  Each container states identity, lot number, quantity, storage condition, and a research use only statement. Labels do not carry therapeutic indications, dosing, or administration language.

• 03

  Accessible certificates of analysis

  A COA is published or available on request for every lot sold, tied to the lot number, showing the testing laboratory, methods, dates, and results as issued. COAs are provided unaltered.

• 04

  No fabricated or misleading documentation

  Altering, recycling, or fabricating laboratory documents is the most serious breach of this standard. Reported fabrication is grounds for immediate removal from any participation list.

• 05

  Traceability

  Lots can be traced from the manufacturer or synthesizer through to the shipment, with records retained long enough to support a recall or an investigation.

• 06

  Responsible marketing

  No claims that a product treats, prevents, cures, or improves a condition. No before-and-after imagery, no testimonials about personal use, no dosing charts, and no marketing that presents a reagent as a consumer health product.

• 07

  Separation of research information from therapeutic claims

  Published literature may be cited as literature. It is not presented as evidence that a product is safe, effective, or suitable for use in a person.

• 08

  Complaint handling

  A published route for quality complaints, an acknowledgement timeframe, a documented investigation, and a written outcome to the customer.

• 09

  Recalls

  A written recall procedure, customer notification for affected lots, and a public notice where the issue affects material already shipped.

• 10

  Transparency about testing

  Clear statements about what was tested, what was not tested, which laboratory performed the work, and whether testing was done per lot or on a representative sample.

How participation is intended to work

• A written self-attestation against each clause, published in full.
• A public participation page with the attestation date and standard version.
• A documented complaint route for anyone who believes a clause is being breached.
• Removal from the participation list for unresolved or serious breaches.
• Over time, sampling and independent document review rather than attestation alone.