Yes — you can get a single food sample tested as a private individual, without a company, a purchase order, or a batch of samples. At OpenChemWorks in Davis, California, single samples are welcome. You send one sample, you get a report for that sample, and you decide what to do next. This page covers how that works, what to ask before you pay, and what the result can and cannot do for you.
Why this feels harder than it should
Most testing labs are built for manufacturers. Their intake forms assume a company name, a product line, and repeat orders. When you call as a home maker, a farmers-market seller testing a recipe, or someone simply curious about a seasoning on your shelf, you often hear a minimum order, a panel you did not ask for, or no reply at all.
Your job is smaller and more specific. You have one jar, one blend, one batch, and one question: what is actually in this? Or: is the number I think is in here close to real? Or: if I change this ingredient, did the profile change? A single-sample test answers that one question for that one batch. It does not certify a product line or predict every future batch — ingredients and mixing vary. Knowing that limit up front is what makes a single result useful instead of misleading.
What kind of test answers a single-sample question?
It depends on the question. If you want the free amino acids — those already dissolved and available in the food as you eat it, not locked inside protein — the relevant test here is free amino acid analysis. If you want the total amino acid makeup of the protein itself, that is a different test that breaks the protein apart first.
OpenChemWorks runs free amino acid analysis by AQC (AccQ-Tag) pre-column derivatization with HPLC-UV. In plain terms: the sample is prepared, the amino acids are tagged with a chemical label so an ultraviolet detector can see them, they are separated on a chromatography column, and each is measured against a calibrated standard. The free panel used here, called AA-1, covers 19 amino acids plus ammonia. Cysteine is excluded from that free panel because it needs a separate workup, referred to as AA-3. That detail matters if cysteine is the one amino acid you care about — ask before you send anything.
If your question is about glutamate specifically — for example, how much free glutamate is in a seasoning — that sits inside the same AA-1 panel. You do not need a separate "MSG test" for a free glutamate number, but you do need to be clear whether you want free glutamate alone or total glutamate after hydrolysis. A companion article explains that difference in full.
How the process works, step by step
First, write your question in one sentence. "How much free glutamate is in this blend?" is testable. "Is this healthy?" an amino acid panel cannot answer.
Second, describe the sample: what it is, whether it is liquid or powder, and what you changed or suspect. Powders and liquids are prepared differently, and the lab needs this to quote you correctly.
Third, ask about the matrix. A matrix is everything in the sample besides the thing you are measuring — salt, fat, spices, colour, and other ingredients that can interfere. For a simple liquid the interference may be small. For a dry seasoning blend it can be significant, which is why matrix-effect qualification exists: the lab checks, with a known spike added to your actual sample, whether your matrix is suppressing or inflating the reading, and corrects for it if needed. Ask whether your sample needs that check. It is priced per sample and matrix on inquiry.
Fourth, set aside enough sample and confirm shipping before you mail anything. Do not guess an amount from a website for a different test — email the lab, describe the sample, and confirm. Then send it to the lab address you are given, with your name and sample description inside the parcel and on it.
Fifth, read the report for the reporting basis, not just the headline number. A result in milligrams per gram means something different from milligrams per 100 grams or per serving. A good report shows the per-analyte results, the basis, and the chromatogram — the instrument trace — behind each number.
What it costs here
Pricing at OpenChemWorks is published so you can decide before you write. Free amino acid analysis (AA-1) is $150 per sample for liquids and $180 per sample for powders, which is $150 plus $30 for powder preparation. First-time customers pay $150 per sample flat. If you later test at volume — 25 or more samples per month — the rate is $125 per sample. Total amino acid analysis, a separate test that hydrolyses the sample in 6 N hydrochloric acid at 110 °C for 24 hours before measurement, is $230 per sample. Matrix-effect qualification is priced per sample and matrix on inquiry; a recent single-sample seasoning project with full matrix-effect qualification was $350. There is no promise here about turnaround — ask when you enquire, and get the current position in writing.
The lab is currently validating and reserving pilot slots. That means the method is being validated now, and results are for your own decisions. The lab is not GLP, GMP, or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited, and a single-sample report from here is not a regulatory submission document. For a home maker deciding on a recipe or a small maker deciding whether to adjust a blend, that is usually the right level. For a label filing or a retailer requirement naming an accredited method, ask the retailer what they will accept before you pay anyone.
Your next step
Email info@openchemworks.com with your one-sentence question, what the sample is, and whether it is a liquid or a powder. You will get a straight answer about whether AA-1 answers it, whether matrix-effect qualification is worth adding, and the total price before you send anything.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really send just one sample?
Yes. Single samples are accepted, and individuals are welcome.
Do I need a business name?
No. Describe yourself as a private individual and describe the sample. That is enough to get a quote.
Will one result prove what is in every batch I make?
No. It describes the sample that was tested. If your recipe or supplier changes, the profile can change.
Can I use the report for a regulatory filing?
No. Results are for your own decisions, not regulatory submission. The lab is not GLP/GMP/ISO 17025 accredited.
What if I only care about glutamate?
Say so. Free glutamate is part of AA-1, and the report can also express it as an MSG equivalent — see the reporting-bases article linked below.
References
- Waters — Derivatization of Amino Acids Using Waters AccQ-Tag Chemistry — Method background for AQC derivatization and HPLC-UV amino acid analysis.
- OpenChemWorks — Pricing — Published service and pricing copy (2026).
OpenChemWorks Laboratory · Reviewed by the laboratory director, PhD chemist · Published October 16, 2026