Certificate of analysis: proof the lot matches the spec.
A COA is a lab report for one lot. It is only useful if someone compares it with the specification.
In short. What a COA is, the parameters it should list for an ingredient lot, how it relates to the specification and the sample, and how buyers use it at receipt and in disputes.
What it should show
- Product name, lot or batch number, production date, expiry or best-before date.
- Each parameter in the specification with its limit and the measured result: e.g. moisture ≤ 13% — 11.2%; mesh size 80–100 — pass; total plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli, Salmonella; heavy metals; pesticide residues where required; allergen statements.
- Test methods (ISO, AOAC, pharmacopoeia references), the laboratory, the date of analysis, an authorised signature.
Sample COA vs shipment COA
The COA on the approved sample sets expectations; the COA on the shipped lot must match it and the spec. Buyers compare the two, and QA at receipt compares the shipment COA with its own test. A lot that fails at receipt becomes an Inspection issue and, if it stands, a claim and a credit note.
Third-party vs supplier COA
Supplier COAs are normal; for new suppliers, high-risk products or large values, buyers ask for a third-party COA (SGS, Bureau Veritas, TÜV, Eurofins) on the shipped lot, sometimes as a payment milestone.
Pacifica files the COA under the order with its lot number, links it to the sample and the product specification, and records the QA result at Inspection — so “which lot was that?” has an answer months later.
Questions
Is a COA the same as a certificate of conformity?
No. A COA reports measured results for a lot. A certificate of conformity states the product meets a standard, usually without lot-level results.
Should the COA come before payment?
Often yes — a COA on the shipped lot is a common condition for releasing the balance, especially under T/T.
What if the COA parameters don't match the spec?
Treat it as a QA hold before the goods ship if possible; if already shipped, an Inspection issue and a claim. Keep the sample COA, the shipment COA and your own result together.
Related
See it on your own orders.
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