A seller in r/FulfillmentByAmazon is asking how the quoting process actually works with third-party testing labs (specifically TIC) for dietary supplements — what documents to send up front, and what turnaround times are realistic. If you sell or are launching in supplements, this is a cost and timeline item that catches a lot of first-time sellers off guard.
What the original poster is asking
- Quote workflow: Should you send the full documentation package (COA, formula/spec sheet, label artwork) with the initial request, or just describe the product and its ingredient list and wait for a quote before sharing documents?
- Lead times: What’s a realistic turnaround for testing a finished dietary supplement?
- Lab recommendations: Which labs have worked best on price, speed, and responsiveness?
At the time of curation, the thread was still open with no substantive replies — so treat this as a live question the community can answer rather than a settled playbook.
Why this matters for FBA supplement sellers
- Amazon can request supplement documentation at listing creation, during a listing review, or after a complaint — often with a short window to respond, which means testing scheduled reactively can mean days or weeks of suppressed inventory.
- Amazon’s dietary supplement requirements generally expect a certificate of analysis from an independent, accredited testing lab (ISO/IEC 17025 scope is the usual bar), with the results tied to a specific batch or lot.
- Testing cost and lead time are real line items in supplement unit economics. They belong in your launch model alongside COGS, freight, and PPC — not as a surprise expense after your first PO lands.
Practical framing for the quoting conversation
These are general operational considerations, not lab-specific advice — the community’s direct experience is what the thread needs.
- Labs price by test panel, not by product name. A quote is usually driven by which assays you need (identity, potency/actives, heavy metals, microbial, allergens, pesticide residue) and how many actives are in the formula. The more precisely you can state the panel, the faster and more accurate the quote.
- A minimum viable quote request typically includes: product form (capsule, gummy, powder, liquid), full ingredient list with actives and claimed amounts, target market and intended claims, and number of SKUs/lots to be tested.
- Full label artwork and proprietary formula documents are often better shared after scope is agreed, or under an NDA — many sellers keep exact ratios out of a first-contact email while still giving enough detail to be quoted.
- Ask for the lead-time clock definition. “10 business days” can mean from sample receipt, from payment clearing, or from scope sign-off. Also confirm rush fees and whether the lab retains a sample for retesting.
- Confirm accreditation scope in writing, not just that the lab is “accredited” — accreditation applies to specific methods.
- Sample shipping is part of the timeline. If units are sitting at your manufacturer overseas, factor in transit and any customs handling for the sample shipment.
How Squatio helps
Squatio doesn’t run lab tests, but it does help you decide whether a compliance-heavy category is worth entering and keep an eye on quality signals once you’re in it:
- Use Cortex (AI niche & category analysis) to size up supplement sub-niches before you commit to a formula — so testing and documentation costs are weighed against realistic demand and competitive density rather than a hunch.
- Use Prospect (Product Database) to filter for price points and margin headroom that can actually absorb per-lot testing and documentation overhead.
- Use Squatio Decode (ASIN lookup, listing visibility & Sentiment IQ review analysis) on competitor supplement ASINs to surface review themes around potency, taste, capsule integrity, and “didn’t match the label” complaints — the exact failure modes that trigger Amazon documentation requests and that your test panel should be designed to defend against.
If you’ve been through supplement testing recently: did you send your full documentation package with the first email, or hold the formula back until scope was agreed — and what turnaround did you actually get versus what you were quoted?
Source: How do you request quotes from TIC labs? — r/FulfillmentByAmazon