- Document
- CC-02
- Section
- Cold chain & receiving
- Revised
- Sources checked
- Bands
- −20 °C2–8 °C15–25 °C
Receiving and Inspecting Peptide Shipments
A short, consistent inspection when a shipment arrives catches problems while they can still be fixed. What to check, what to record, and when to quarantine.
Bench card
- Inspect before putting away, and before throwing away the packaging.
- Check coolant state, seals, vial condition, and that lot numbers match the COA.
- Record receipt date, condition, lot and storage location.
- Quarantine anything doubtful until it is resolved.
- Move accepted material into its storage band promptly.
Receiving is the first control point in a peptide’s life in your lab. Problems found here can be raised with the supplier straight away; problems found weeks later are much harder to trace. A consistent inspection takes a few minutes.
CL-01
Receiving a peptide shipment
Work through this before the box goes into storage. Record anything unusual before you discard packaging.
Outer packaging
Look for crush damage, punctures, water marks or tape that has been opened and resealed. Photograph significant damage before opening further. Note whether the package was delivered to the right place promptly or sat in a mailroom.
Coolant and temperature evidence
- Dry ice: is some still present? A box with no dry ice left may have warmed.
- Gel packs: still cold, or at room temperature?
- Data logger or indicator: read and save the result. Many suppliers want the logger returned or the data uploaded.
Contents
- Compare against the packing list: compound, quantity, number of vials, lot numbers.
- Check each vial for an intact seal, cracks and powder outside the vial.
- Note the appearance of the material. See Lyophilized Peptides for what a normal cake looks like.
- Confirm that a COA is present for each lot and that its lot number matches the vial. See Certificates of Analysis.
Recording receipt
A receiving record need not be elaborate. A log line with these fields is enough for most research labs:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Date and time received | 2026-10-27 10:40 |
| Received by | Initials |
| Supplier and order | Supplier, order number |
| Compound and lot | Compound, lot number |
| Quantity | 2 × 5 mg |
| Condition | Box intact, gel packs cold, cake intact |
| COA | Received, lot matches |
| Storage location | Freezer 2, box B, positions 1–2 |
Quarantine
If anything is doubtful, such as a missing COA, mismatched lot, broken seal or unclear temperature history, store the material in its normal band but in a clearly marked quarantine box, and do not use it until the question is resolved. Contact the supplier with photographs and logger data.
References
- USP General Chapter <1079> Good Storage and Distribution Practices for Drug Products. United States Pharmacopeia.
- US FDA. Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Finished Pharmaceuticals, 21 CFR Part 211. eCFR
- US FDA. Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies, 21 CFR Part 58. eCFR
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017. General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. ISO