A COA reports results. An SDS explains hazards.
A Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) serve different purposes when you review a research material. A COA brings together analytical results for an identified sample. An SDS provides information about a material’s hazards and precautions. Keeping both documents available helps you avoid asking one document to answer the other’s questions.
Start by writing down the material’s product name and any lot identifier. Then identify the document you have, who issued it, and what it actually covers. A file name or a button labeled “documents” is not enough to establish its scope.
| Question | COA | SDS |
|---|---|---|
| What is its purpose? | Record the stated analytical tests and results. | Communicate hazard and precaution information. |
| What should you match? | Product, lot or batch, and sample identifiers. | Product identity, supplier details, and document revision. |
| What are you looking for? | Methods, result values, units, criteria, and notes. | Relevant hazard, handling, storage, and emergency information. |
| What does it not replace? | The material’s safety information. | An analytical report for the relevant sample. |
Use a COA for the analytical question.
On a COA, identify the laboratory or report issuer, the report number, the sample or lot, and the dates shown. Read the method next to each result. A value reported as a percentage and a value reported as a mass are different types of information.
For example, a manufacturer’s analysis sheet can report chromatographic purity separately from peptide content. See the separate fields in this Thermo Fisher Scientific analysis-sheet example. It illustrates terminology; it is not a result for an Everyday Peptides product.
Work through the COA reading guide if you need a structured review. If a report has a sample code you cannot connect to the supplied lot, request that connection before relying on it.
Use an SDS for the hazard-information question.
An SDS is organized around information about the material, including its identity, hazards, handling and storage, and precautions. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s SDS overview explains these document functions and provides a section-by-section example. Its regulatory discussion is specific to Canada.
For your records, confirm the product identity and revision date. Keep the applicable SDS accessible with the material’s other documents. Follow your laboratory’s process for reviewing that information; a supplier-comparison checklist does not replace the material’s actual instructions.
Keep the two records connected.
- Confirm the material. Compare the product identifiers across the label, order record, and documents.
- Establish the COA’s scope. Match its sample or lot and review the tests it lists.
- Check the SDS version. Record the issuer and revision date so you can identify the copy you reviewed.
- Save the full files. Keep complete reports and notes instead of a cropped result or a screenshot of the first page.
- Record unresolved details. Ask for clarification about missing identifiers or conflicting information.
Need the correct document?
Email info@everydaypeptides.ltd with the product name, lot information if available, and whether you need a COA, an SDS, or clarification about a field.
When comparing suppliers, use the research peptide supplier checklist to keep the document request alongside the rest of your review.