diff --git a/src/core/Utils.mjs b/src/core/Utils.mjs
index 211def55..eae86374 100755
--- a/src/core/Utils.mjs
+++ b/src/core/Utils.mjs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import {fromBase64, toBase64} from "./lib/Base64.mjs";
 import {fromHex} from "./lib/Hex.mjs";
 import {fromDecimal} from "./lib/Decimal.mjs";
 import {fromBinary} from "./lib/Binary.mjs";
-import OperationError from "./errors/OperationError.mjs";
 
 /**
  * Utility functions for use in operations, the core framework and the stage.
@@ -322,48 +321,6 @@ class Utils {
     }
 
 
-    /**
-     * Validates that a string contains only characters valid for the given format type.
-     * Recognised delimiters (spaces, commas, colons, 0x prefix, etc.) are always
-     * permitted in Hex and Binary formats.
-     * Throws an OperationError if genuinely invalid characters are found.
-     *
-     * @param {string} str
-     * @param {string} type - One of "Hex", "Base64", "Binary", "UTF8", "Latin1", etc.
-     * @throws {OperationError}
-     */
-    static validateFormatInput(str, type) {
-        if (!str) return;
-        switch (type.toLowerCase()) {
-            case "hex": {
-                const stripped = str.replace(/0x|\\x|%|[\s,;:\n\r]/gi, "");
-                const invalid = stripped.match(/[^0-9a-fA-F]/);
-                if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
-                    `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Hex input. ` +
-                    `Hex accepts 0-9, a-f, A-F, and delimiters (space, comma, colon, 0x prefix).`
-                );
-                break;
-            }
-            case "base64": {
-                const invalid = str.replace(/[\s]/g, "").match(/[^A-Za-z0-9+/=]/);
-                if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
-                    `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Base64 input. ` +
-                    `Base64 accepts A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, and = (padding).`
-                );
-                break;
-            }
-            case "binary": {
-                const stripped = str.replace(/[\s,;:\n\r]/g, "");
-                const invalid = stripped.match(/[^01]/);
-                if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
-                    `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Binary input. Binary accepts only 0 and 1.`
-                );
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-
     /**
      * Coverts data of varying types to a byteArray.
      * Accepts hex, Base64, UTF8 and Latin1 strings.
@@ -383,7 +340,6 @@ class Utils {
      * Utils.convertToByteArray("0JfQtNGA0LDQstGB0YLQstGD0LnRgtC1", "base64");
      */
     static convertToByteArray(str, type) {
-        Utils.validateFormatInput(str, type);
         switch (type.toLowerCase()) {
             case "binary":
                 return fromBinary(str);
@@ -421,7 +377,6 @@ class Utils {
      * Utils.convertToByteString("0JfQtNGA0LDQstGB0YLQstGD0LnRgtC1", "base64");
      */
     static convertToByteString(str, type) {
-        Utils.validateFormatInput(str, type);
         switch (type.toLowerCase()) {
             case "binary":
                 return Utils.byteArrayToChars(fromBinary(str));
diff --git a/src/core/lib/Ciphers.mjs b/src/core/lib/Ciphers.mjs
index 5305ab1d..b09fb58b 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/Ciphers.mjs
+++ b/src/core/lib/Ciphers.mjs
@@ -89,6 +89,48 @@ export const format = {
 };
 
 
+/**
+ * Validates that a passphrase/key string contains only characters valid for the
+ * given format. Recognised delimiters (spaces, commas, colons, 0x prefix, etc.)
+ * are always permitted in Hex and Binary formats.
+ * Throws an OperationError if genuinely invalid characters are found.
+ *
+ * @param {string} str
+ * @param {string} type - One of "Hex", "Base64", "Binary", "UTF8", "Latin1", etc.
+ * @throws {OperationError}
+ */
+function validateFormatInput(str, type) {
+    if (!str) return;
+    switch (type.toLowerCase()) {
+        case "hex": {
+            const stripped = str.replace(/0x|\\x|%|[\s,;:\n\r]/gi, "");
+            const invalid = stripped.match(/[^0-9a-fA-F]/);
+            if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
+                `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Hex input. ` +
+                `Hex accepts 0-9, a-f, A-F, and delimiters (space, comma, colon, 0x prefix).`
+            );
+            break;
+        }
+        case "base64": {
+            const invalid = str.replace(/[\s]/g, "").match(/[^A-Za-z0-9+/=]/);
+            if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
+                `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Base64 input. ` +
+                `Base64 accepts A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, and = (padding).`
+            );
+            break;
+        }
+        case "binary": {
+            const stripped = str.replace(/[\s,;:\n\r]/g, "");
+            const invalid = stripped.match(/[^01]/);
+            if (invalid) throw new OperationError(
+                `Invalid character '${invalid[0]}' in Binary input. Binary accepts only 0 and 1.`
+            );
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Parses a user-entered string in a given CryptoJS format, normalising common
  * hex delimiter conventions (commas, spaces, 0x prefix, etc.) before parsing.
@@ -100,7 +142,7 @@ export const format = {
  * @returns {CryptoJS.lib.WordArray}
  */
 export function parseFormatString(str, formatName) {
-    Utils.validateFormatInput(str, formatName);
+    validateFormatInput(str, formatName);
     if (formatName === "Hex") {
         return CryptoJS.enc.Hex.parse(toHexFast(fromHex(str)));
     }
diff --git a/tests/node/tests/operations.mjs b/tests/node/tests/operations.mjs
index 2305e331..6cf85718 100644
--- a/tests/node/tests/operations.mjs
+++ b/tests/node/tests/operations.mjs
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ WWFkYSBZYWRh\r
     }),
 
     it("HMAC", () => {
-        assert.strictEqual(chef.HMAC("On Cloud Nine", {key: {string: "idea", option: "Latin1"}}).toString(), "b128b48ec0d6b0f1a27220c396d0f3e5");
+        assert.strictEqual(chef.HMAC("On Cloud Nine", {key: "idea"}).toString(), "e15c268b4ee755c9e52db094ed50add7");
     }),
 
     it("JPathExpression", () => {
@@ -882,8 +882,8 @@ pCGTErs=
 
     it("Scrypt", () => {
         assert.strictEqual(
-            chef.scrypt("Playing For Keeps", {salt: {string: "salty", option: "UTF8"}}).toString(),
-            "2f1417e682a7bf008c60abf8e8b8dc33bde9eead9290f9f03d83a8acb49392cfd22ad1425db88f821c67f06a12bb203ccdd47ca5109b8364451d6ebf2215bbdf");
+            chef.scrypt("Playing For Keeps", {salt: {string: "salty", option: "Hex"}}).toString(),
+            "5446b6d86d88515894a163201765bceed0bc39610b1506cdc4d939ffc638bc46e051bce756e2865165d89d955a43a7eb5504502567dea8bfc9e7d49aaa894c07");
     }),
 
     it("SHA3", () => {