Checklist
Is the lot documented, or only described?
Work down the list before you trust a PDF. The questions are about the record. They are not a judgment about using a material in people or animals.
- Does the lot on the label match the lot on the certificate, character for character?
- Is the testing laboratory named, and is it independent of the seller?
- Can that laboratory confirm the report on its own site, by report number, QR code, or sample ID? A PDF with no path back to the issuer is weaker.
- Is identity a mass, or only a retention time? If it is a retention time, is the reference standard named?
- Are purity and content both present, and are they clearly different numbers?
- Is the chromatogram included?
- If endotoxin, microbial counts, or sterility matter for the experiment, are those lines present, and is the method named?
- If a line you need is missing, the next step is a new test of a retained sample, not a stronger adjective on the product page.