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White-label genetic testing guide

Sample logistics: how the saliva sample gets safely from kit to lab

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 13 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

On its way to the report, a saliva sample passes several stations: information and consent, kit to the customer, sample collection, unique identification, return shipping, sample receipt, analysis and report. The handovers are what matter most – above all the unique link between sample and person. Kits can go straight to your customers, be used on site, or you deliver ready-prepared samples as a client. At Novogenia, the standard analysis takes 4 days, and we replace a sample that cannot be analyzed with a free new kit. Switzerland has its own rules: the sample is collected in the presence of the health professional for analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being, and written consent is needed for testing abroad.

A relay race with saliva: the handover is what counts

On its way to the report, a saliva sample passes through many hands: from the warehouse to your customer, from your customer to the mailbox, from the mail to sample receipt, from sample receipt to analysis. It works like a relay race. The race is decided not only on the track but at every baton handover.

For your brand, logistics has a second side. The package, the instructions, the return shipping – this is your customers’ first real contact with your product. If everything runs smoothly here, the relationship starts with trust. This article walks you through the stations from kit to lab, the three usual routes to the customer, and what to watch for in international projects – with a dedicated section on Switzerland.

The stations at a glance

Each station has a clear job. Once you know them, you can tailor your customer communication to each one:

Station	What happens	What to watch for
1. Information & consent	Your customer learns what will be analyzed, who processes the data and who sees the report.	always before sample collection; for medical analyses according to the rules of the country
2. Kit to the customer	shipped to the home or handed out on site	ready-to-ship kits with instructions
3. Sample collection	Your customer provides the saliva sample following the kit’s instructions.	The instructions in the specific kit always take precedence; special rules apply in Switzerland.
4. Identification	Unique labeling links sample and person.	rule out mix-ups from the very start
5. Return shipping	The sample travels to the lab with the return shipping materials from the kit.	ship as the instructions specify
6. Sample receipt	incoming inspection and registration in the lab	What happens if a sample cannot be analyzed?
7. Analysis	The lab extracts the DNA and reads the relevant genes.	4 days for the standard analysis at Novogenia
8. Report	The report is made available digitally.	who sees the report – more in Reports and platform under your brand

Station 1 comes first on purpose. Consent belongs before the sample, not after it. What information and consent should contain is covered in Data protection for white-label genetic tests.

Three routes to the customer

How the kit reaches your customer depends on your business model. Three routes are possible:

Route	How it works	Fits
Straight to the home	Fully assembled, ready-to-ship kits go directly to your end customers. They collect the sample at home and send it back with the enclosed return shipping materials.	online shops, platforms and brands selling direct
On site	The sample is collected in the store or practice and sent to the lab – for example in a pharmacy or a beauty studio.	pharmacies, studios, practices and clinics; in Switzerland, the required route for analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being
As a client	You deliver ready-prepared samples or already extracted DNA and only need the genotyping.	test providers with their own logistics, diagnostics and biotech companies, research

Your kit also decides which route fits. A kit shipped to the home must be designed so that collection works reliably without trained staff. Which kit version goes with which analysis is covered in Saliva kits: medical device or not?. If you want to hand off logistics entirely, the lab can organize the whole route on request – from the kits to shipping to sample receipt.

The baton is called identity

What actually gets passed on at each handover? Not just a tube of saliva, but an identity. The unique labeling in the kit links the sample to exactly one person. If that link is lost, even the best analysis is worthless.

That is why unique labeling is part of every ready-to-use Novogenia kit, and every sample remains traceable throughout the order. Four questions are worth asking for your planning:

How is the link made? Which identifier connects kit, sample and customer – and who creates that link?
What travels along? Only the details needed for identification should travel to the lab.
Who checks? How does sample receipt verify that sample and order match?
What if something is missing? How is it resolved when a label is illegible or a sample cannot be analyzed?

The answers belong in a short process description that you agree on with your lab. It helps your customer service – and it is the basis for your privacy notice.

Sample receipt and analysis: what happens in the lab

In the lab, the second half of the relay begins. First comes the incoming inspection: the sample is checked and registered. Then the DNA is extracted from the saliva, and the relevant genes are read. At Novogenia, this standard analysis takes 4 days. For individual projects – such as custom marker panels or larger contract series – we agree on method, throughput and timeframe at the start.

And if a sample cannot be analyzed? That can happen, for example when the instructions were not followed exactly. Under Novogenia’s terms and conditions, the customer then receives a new sample collection kit free of charge. For you, this means: decide in advance who informs the customer and how the new kit gets to them. That way, a glitch becomes a well-handled service case.

At the end comes the report – digital via a secure portal, printed on request. What reports and platform look like under your brand is described in the next chapter.

Special cases: medical analyses and minors

Two cases need their own process, even before the kit ships:

Medical analyses: Under Novogenia’s terms and conditions, medical preventive analyses are only carried out if the legally required information by a physician or genetic counseling has taken place before the analysis and written consent has been given. Here, the sample’s route leads through the physician.
Minors: For minors, only non-medical analyses are carried out – and only with the written consent of the legal guardians.

Build these steps into your ordering process so that no kit is on its way without the necessary documents. Which analyses need medical involvement in which country is explained in Law: offering genetic tests in DE, AT and CH.

International: one lab, many countries

Novogenia works with partners in 69 countries, and samples are analyzed in our own lab in Austria. For most projects, that means samples cross borders. Before launch, clarify for each target country:

how samples are shipped and which shipping rules apply to biological samples;
whether customs formalities apply to shipments from outside the EU;
which rules the country sets for genetic analyses in a lab abroad;
in which language the instructions, information and report must be provided.

Switzerland is the special case in the German-speaking region. The Federal Act on Human Genetic Testing (GUMG) directly shapes logistics:

Sample in person: For analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being, the sample must be collected in the presence of the prescribing health professional (Art. 34(3) GUMG). Shipping a kit home for the customer to use alone is ruled out for these analyses.
Lab abroad: A lab abroad may be commissioned if it works according to the state of the art in science and technology, has an appropriate quality management system, is authorized to perform such tests in its country, and the person concerned has given written consent (Art. 29 GUMG; for tests outside the medical field via Art. 36).
Transparency: For tests outside the medical field, the written information names the lab that performs the test as well as companies and labs abroad that are involved in the test or process the genetic data (Art. 32 GUMG).

Germany’s Genetic Diagnostics Act contains no rule like Art. 34(3) GUMG: under Section 2(1), it applies to genetic examinations for medical purposes, for clarifying parentage, and in insurance and employment. How Germany and Austria draw the line between lifestyle and medicine is shown in Law: offering genetic tests in DE, AT and CH.

Checklist: your sample logistics

Information and consent are in place before the sample is collected.
The route to the customer is set: to the home, on site, or as delivered samples.
Kit version and instructions fit the analysis and the country.
The link between kit, sample and customer is unique and described in writing.
Only the necessary details travel to the lab.
The process for samples that cannot be analyzed is set – including customer information.
Medical analyses and analyses for minors have their own ordering route.
Shipping, customs and the rules for testing abroad are clarified for every target country – in Switzerland, also Art. 29, 32 and 34 GUMG.

How we do it at Novogenia

How we organize the sample’s journey at Novogenia:

Ready-to-ship kits: instructions, packaging, return shipping materials and unique labeling are included – in your brand’s design on request.
The whole route: On request, we organize saliva collection kits, shipping and sample receipt – or you deliver ready-prepared samples.
Traceable: Every sample remains uniquely traceable – which safeguards data integrity throughout the order.
Our own lab: We analyze samples in our lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria. The standard analysis takes 4 days; for individual projects, we agree on the timeframe together.
Replacement: If a sample cannot be analyzed, the customer receives a new sample collection kit free of charge.
Report: digital via a secure portal, printed on request.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take from saliva sample to report?

At Novogenia, the standard lab analysis takes 4 days. Add the time until the sample is collected and the shipping time. For individual projects, for example in the contract lab, we agree on method, throughput and timeframe together.

Can the saliva sample be collected at home?

Yes. The kits are designed so that collection works reliably without trained staff. The sample can also be collected on site, for example in a pharmacy or a beauty studio. The exception is Switzerland: for analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being, the sample must be collected in the presence of the prescribing health professional (Art. 34(3) GUMG).

What happens if a sample cannot be analyzed?

Under Novogenia’s terms and conditions, the customer then receives a new sample collection kit free of charge. Plan for this case in your customer communication: who informs the customer, and how does the new kit reach them?

Can I deliver samples or DNA myself?

Yes, in the contract lab. On request, we organize saliva collection kits, shipping and sample receipt – or you deliver ready-prepared samples. Some clients already supply extracted DNA and only need the genotyping.

What applies to samples from Switzerland?

A lab abroad may carry out a genetic test if it works according to the state of the art in science and technology, has an appropriate quality management system, is authorized to perform such tests in its country, and the person concerned has given written consent (Art. 29 and 36 GUMG). For tests outside the medical field, the written information names the lab that performs the test (Art. 32 GUMG).

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Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.