How TestWell Works

Independent lab testing, funded by the community. Here’s the whole process from start to finish.

Step 01

Find a product

Search by name or scan a barcode. If it’s sold in a grocery store, it’s on TestWell. Every product has a page showing its testing history—what’s been tested, what’s being funded, and what’s still untested.

Step 02

Fund the test

Each product has four test panels: heavy metals, pesticides, PFAS, and nutritional accuracy. Pick the ones you care about and pledge as little as $1. Your pledge is an authorization hold—you’re not charged unless the campaign reaches its goal. Pool your money with other backers to get tests funded faster.

Step 03

Lab testing

Once a campaign is fully funded, we purchase 3 samples of the product from different retail locations and send them to an ISO 17025 accredited lab. Our testing partners have 50+ years of food safety experience—the same labs trusted by major food companies. Testing typically takes 2–4 weeks depending on the panel.

Step 04

Results published

When results come back, they’re published on the product page—pass or fail, no exceptions. Everyone who pledged gets full access to the detailed substance-by-substance breakdown. Free users see the summary. Subscribers see the full details for every product on the platform.

Step 05

Share and take action

Share results with friends, family, or on social media. If a product passes, feel confident buying it. If concerns are found, you have real data to make informed decisions—not marketing claims.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a campaign doesn’t reach its goal?

All authorization holds are released and no one is charged. The campaign can be restarted at any time by anyone.

How much does it cost to pledge?

As little as $1. There are preset amounts ($1, $3, $5, $10, $25) or you can enter a custom amount. Your pledge is an authorization hold—your card isn’t charged until the campaign is fully funded.

Who chooses the labs?

TestWell selects labs based on ISO 17025 accreditation, panel expertise, and turnaround time. Our partners include laboratories with decades of experience and the same accreditations required by the FDA and major food companies.

Why 3 samples from different stores?

To control for batch variation. A single sample could be an outlier. Three samples from different retail locations give a more representative picture of what’s actually on store shelves.

Can I see results without subscribing?

Yes—in two ways. Everyone can see the pass/fail summary for every product. And if you pledged toward a specific campaign, you get full access to those results. A subscription ($3/month) unlocks full details for every product on the platform plus downloadable PDF reports.

What does “All Clear” mean?

It means all detected levels are below established safety thresholds from the FDA, EPA, or other regulatory bodies. “Concerns Found” means at least one substance exceeded or approached a threshold. The detailed view shows exactly which substances and how they compare to the limits.

Can anyone start a campaign?

Yes. Any logged-in user can start a campaign for any untested panel on any product. You’ll be the first backer. Once a campaign is live, anyone can contribute toward it.

What does a TestWell Pro subscription include?

Full substance-by-substance lab results for every tested product on the platform, plus downloadable PDF lab reports. $3/month, cancel anytime.

Ready to get started?

Create an account and start funding independent tests for the products you buy every day.

Community-funded independent product testing. Know what's really in your food.

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