| Business identity and manufacturing capability | Confirm the legal business entity, registered business scope, factory location, and whether production is performed in-house or subcontracted. | Current business registration information, factory address, production-process details, and a live or independently arranged factory audit. | Check that the legal entity on the quotation, contract, and payment account is consistent. Ask which production steps are handled at the facility. | Unexplained differences between the contracting entity and payee, refusal to identify the production site, or claims that cannot be independently checked. |
| Titanium material specification | Establish the titanium grade, product form, thickness, and whether the mug is pure titanium, titanium alloy, or a mixed-material product. | Material specification, batch-linked mill test certificate where available, and an independent material analysis for a production sample. | Compare the declared grade and thickness with the purchase specification. ASTM B265 covers titanium and titanium alloy strip, sheet, and plate; it is a material specification, not a mug safety certification. | Use of vague terms such as “food-grade titanium” without a defined grade, or documentation that cannot be linked to the supplied batch. |
| Food-contact compliance | Check requirements for the intended destination market and for every food-contact component, including coatings, solder, seals, and handles where applicable. | Relevant material declarations, test reports for the finished product or representative components, and supporting technical documents. | For the EU, assess applicable food-contact rules, including Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and applicable good manufacturing practice requirements under Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006. For the US, determine the applicable FDA food-contact requirements for each material and use condition. | A generic “FDA approved” or “EU certified” claim without a clear legal basis, product scope, test scope, or supporting report. |
| Testing and report credibility | Review whether testing covers the actual mug construction, intended use, and relevant migration or chemical-safety requirements. | Complete laboratory report showing sample description, test methods, results, date, and laboratory details. | Check the report with the issuing laboratory where possible. Confirm that the tested sample matches the quoted model and that the laboratory’s ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation covers the relevant tests. | Edited screenshots, missing pages, reports for a different product, or a laboratory accreditation claim unrelated to the tests performed. |
| Quality management and production controls | Assess inspection procedures for incoming material, forming, welding, polishing, cleaning, and final packing. | Quality-control plan, inspection records, defect criteria, calibration records, and any current ISO 9001 certificate. | Verify certificate validity and scope with the issuing certification body or its official database. Treat ISO 9001 as a quality-management-system certification, not proof that a mug is food-safe. | Expired certificates, mismatched company or site details, or reliance on a management-system certificate as the only product-safety evidence. |
| Sample and production consistency | Compare the approved sample with the production specification for capacity, dimensions, weight, finish, rim quality, seams, and handle attachment. | Signed sample approval, controlled drawings, agreed tolerances, and pre-shipment inspection results. | Record measurable acceptance criteria in the purchase agreement. Inspect a production sample before shipment and retain an approved reference sample. | Specifications described only as “standard” or “as usual,” or refusal to document sample changes and tolerances. |
| Traceability and corrective action | Determine whether the supplier can trace materials and finished goods by production lot and respond to defects. | Batch or lot records, inspection logs, complaint-handling procedure, and documented corrective-action examples. | Ask the supplier to explain how a specific production lot can be traced back to material and inspection records, without requesting confidential customer information. | No batch identification, no recorded inspection history, or no defined process for investigating and correcting recurring defects. |
| Commercial and export readiness | Confirm the agreed product specification, packaging, shipping terms, lead time, payment milestones, and export documentation responsibilities. | Detailed quotation, purchase contract, packing specification, shipping plan, and sample export-document checklist. | Put the final specification and acceptance criteria in the contract. Confirm applicable customs classification and import requirements with a qualified customs professional for the destination market. | Unclear responsibility for inspection or shipping costs, major last-minute specification changes, or pressure to pay an unrelated account. |