909 AMINOSReceiving Checklist: Verifying COAs and Lot Traceability
A one-page receiving form for a research material and its certificate of analysis (COA). Use it with your laboratory's receiving procedure and the specifications that apply to the material. Free to print, copy and adapt.
- Order and paperwork
- Package and condition
- Container label
- Certificate of analysis
- Storage, disposition and record
- FAQ
How to use it
- Use one sheet per material and lot.
- Mark each line Yes, No or N/A. N/A is for checks that don't apply to this material.
- Lines marked ★ are critical: keep the material on hold until they are resolved.
- Record any other "No" in the exceptions box and evaluate it under your laboratory's procedure.
- Keep the completed sheet, and a saved copy of the COA, with your receiving records.
★ critical: hold until resolved
1Order and paperwork
- Packing slip or invoice matches the order: product code, quantity, number of units.
- Supplier name and contact details are on the paperwork.
- ★ Required documents are received or accessible, and match this shipment.
2Package and condition
- Outer package is intact (no crushing, wetting or opened seals).
- ★ Containers are intact, with no leakage or damage.
- Shipping conditions, and any temperature-monitoring record, meet your receiving requirements.
- Unit count matches the packing slip.
3Container label
- ★ Product name and product code match the order.
- Lot number is legible on every container.
- Quantity per container is stated.
- ★ Container seal is intact.
- Storage requirement on the label is recorded (or "none stated").
- Intended-use statement is present (for example, "for research use only").
4Certificate of analysis
- ★ Lot number on the COA matches the container label exactly.
- Product on the COA matches the material received.
- The issuer is identified (supplier or testing laboratory); a third-party laboratory is named if one did the testing.
- Report or analysis date is stated, and the COA number or version is recorded.
- Results are given with their methods (or referenced methods) and enough information to compare against the applicable criteria.
- Identity evidence (for example mass spectrometry) is present where your specification requires it; purity alone does not establish identity.
- The basis of any purity figure is clear (for example HPLC area %, as opposed to assay or content).
- If the issuer offers authentication (code, QR or lookup), the result is recorded.
5Storage, disposition and record
- Internal receiving ID assigned, if your laboratory uses one.
- Stored at the stated condition; location recorded.
- A copy of the COA is saved with the record (a file, not only a web link).
- Exceptions are recorded below and the supplier has been contacted where needed.
- Lot number on the COA differs from the label, even by one character.
- No issuer is identified on the COA, or the issuer cannot be reached.
- Results with no method and no criteria to compare against.
- Dates that don't fit together (for example, a report dated after shipment) with no explanation.
- One COA presented for several lots without identifying each lot.
This checklist is a documentation and receiving aid. It does not establish a material's identity, purity, suitability for an experiment or regulatory compliance, and it does not replace your laboratory's procedures.
Related guides
- How to read a certificate of analysis
- How to verify a certificate is genuine
- Identity testing: HPLC retention time vs. mass spectrometry
- Lot traceability: from vial label to certificate
FAQ
Can I copy or adapt this checklist?
Yes. You can print, copy and adapt it for teaching or for your own laboratory procedures, as long as it is not sold.
Does it work for materials from any supplier?
Yes. The checks are about the paperwork, the label and the certificate, not about any one supplier or product. Items that don't apply can be marked N/A.
If every line passes, is the material confirmed?
No. The checklist confirms that the documentation is complete and consistent with what was received. A COA describes the tested sample on its report date. Independent testing adds verification, and what it establishes depends on its scope, methods and sampling.
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.