(Wired) – WIRED tested samples of four types of peptides. The results show how lightly regulated the industry is, even as popularity surges.

WIRED sent the vials to Finnrick, an Austin-based startup that offers independent peptide testing. Consumers can request tests for purity and whether samples contain common contaminants, as well as whether they contain the quantity of the substance listed. The company doesn’t have in-house labs but instead acts as a middleman between labs and individuals. In a few weeks’ time, Finnrick told us, we’d know if our bodega peptides were the real deal.

In August, the results came in. The (relatively) good news: The samples contained low levels of heavy metals and endotoxins, meaning they likely weren’t actively harmful. The bad news: They weren’t peptides. (Read More)