What this is
What is a laboratory sample log?
What is a laboratory sample log?
A laboratory sample log is a record used in KnowQuality that captures a sample at the moment it is taken: what it is, why it was taken, and where it goes next. It is built against ISO 17025 cl.7.4 and sits inside the Laboratory and Testing programme, feeding the micro and chemical result records that follow it.
How is a sample log different from a result record?
The sample log captures the sampling event itself: technique, storage, chain of custody and what tests were requested. The actual reading against a specification lives in a separate record, the Microbiological Result Record or the Chemical and Compositional Result Record, linked back to this one by Sample ID.
Why keep a log if the lab report is what actually gets acted on?
Because the report only says what the number was, not whether the number can be trusted. A result taken with poor technique, held too long, or handled with a broken chain of custody is not defensible however clean the report looks, and the sample log is the only place that context is recorded.
Scope
When is a laboratory sample log required?
This record is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use this template when
- The event or activity this record covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form LSL-2026-000
- You are running the Laboratory and Testing programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links Micro Results, Chemical Results
- Chain of custody, holding time or storage integrity needs documenting at the point of sampling, not reconstructed afterwards
Do not use it for
- Microbiological Result Record, which records a micro result against its specification, with the action taken where it is out.
- Chemical and Compositional Result Record, which records analytical results for composition, additives, contaminants or nutritional claims.
- Laboratory Method Verification, which verifies that a test method performs as expected in your hands, on your matrix, before results are relied on.
- Out of Specification Investigation, which investigates why a result failed and governs the retest protocol.
- Anything outside KnowQuality, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 17025 cl.7.4 requirements does this satisfy?
ISO 17025 cl.7.4 governs how a laboratory handles an item once it is in its care, but a sample is only ever as good as what was recorded before it arrived. The clauses below map to the fields that make that handling auditable.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 17025 cl.7.3 | Sampling must follow a defined procedure that captures why the sample was taken and what it represents. | Header |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | The identity, condition and quantity of each item must be recorded when it is taken into the laboratory's care. | What was sampled |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Technique and container integrity must protect the item from contamination or degradation, and that protection must be demonstrable. | What was sampled |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Storage and transport conditions between sampling and receipt must be controlled and recorded, not assumed. | Handling |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.5 | Technical records must be sufficient to let the sampling event be reconstructed, including who held the item and when. | Handling |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Where an item's integrity is compromised on receipt, that must be recorded before testing proceeds, not discovered afterwards. | Handling |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.1 | The tests requested must match what was agreed with the customer or programme before testing begins. | Testing requested |
| ISO 17025 cl.7.8 | Where a result feeds a release decision, the report and the hold status must be traceable to each other. | Testing requested |
What it does not cover
- Aseptic Technique Used, which if marked Partly or No, means the result reflects the sampler rather than the product being tested.
- Duplicate Or Reserve Sample Taken, which if marked No, removes any way to retest without disputing whether the first result was real.
- Chain Of Custody Recorded, which if marked Partly or No, breaks the link between what left the line and what reached the bench.
- Within Holding Time, which if marked No, means the result may describe degradation in transit rather than the product at the point of sampling.
- Product On Hold Pending Result, which if answered No, means product ships before the test that was meant to justify shipping it.
Global
Laboratory Sample Log requirements by country
Sample logs get read by different people depending on where the site sits and who is checking the laboratory's work. Three readings matter most.
ILAC MRA, via national accreditation bodies
Accreditation to ISO 17025 is mutually recognised across borders through the ILAC arrangement, so a laboratory's competence claim in one country is meant to travel.
A sample log built to withstand an assessor's questions at home holds up abroad too, without re-justifying the sampling procedure from scratch.
FDA/USDA verification testing and A2LA (ISO 17025) accreditation
Food establishments run sampling both for regulatory verification and to support an accredited laboratory's own audit trail.
Chain of custody and holding time gaps are what a USDA or FDA reviewer, or an A2LA assessor, probes first when a result is questioned.
UKAS accreditation and BRCGS Food Safety due diligence sampling
Retailer audits under BRCGS expect a sample log that proves representativeness and custody, not just a clean result.
A sample log missing purpose or custody detail is a documented nonconformity at the next audit, whatever the result itself said.
How to complete it
How to complete a laboratory sample log, step by step
Filling in the fields is mechanical. Deciding what they actually mean is where a sample log either holds up or falls apart.
Sample Representative offers Yes, Uncertain or No, but representativeness is a judgement about the sampling point and method against what the sample is meant to speak for, not a box the sampler ticks automatically. A swab taken from the easiest surface to reach is not the same claim as one taken from the highest-risk contact point.
Within Holding Time only means something if the limit was fixed in advance, per matrix and per test, rather than decided retrospectively once a result looks inconvenient. The record captures whether the limit was met, not what the limit should have been.
Product On Hold Pending Result is a risk decision dressed as a field. Positive release costs time and storage; test-and-release costs a recall if the result comes back wrong. Which one applies should be set by product risk category, not by whoever is filling in the form that day.
Chain Of Custody Recorded and Aseptic Technique Used both allow a middle answer. Used once, Partly is a fair reflection of a minor gap. Used repeatedly against the same step, it is a process that has never actually worked and should be treated as a finding, not a habit.
What auditors find
Most common laboratory sample log findings
These are the gaps that turn up when a sample log gets checked against the result it is supposed to support.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Sample logged after the result already came back, with times and custody reconstructed from memory. | ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Require the log entry to exist before the sample leaves the sampler's hands; flag entries created after the result record. |
| Reserve or duplicate sample marked No with no note on why one wasn't taken. | ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Make skipping the reserve sample a documented exception with a reason, not a silent default. |
| Chain of custody marked Partly for the same handoff, month after month, without ever reaching Yes. | ISO 17025 cl.7.5 | Treat a repeated Partly as its own finding and route it into the CAPA process rather than re-recording it. |
| Temperature maintained to laboratory marked Yes, assumed rather than logged. | ISO 17025 cl.7.4 | Fit a logger or check thermometer to the transport container instead of accepting an assumption as evidence. |
| Positive release ticked with no Hold ID entered against it. | ISO 17025 cl.7.8 | Make the Hold ID field mandatory whenever Product On Hold Pending Result is Yes, positive release. |
| Tests requested picked from the standards list without checking the method was verified for that matrix. | ISO 17025 cl.7.2 | Cross-check the requested test against the Laboratory Method Verification record before the result is accepted. |
Case in point
Case in point: the four-hour gap nobody logged
A cleaning verification swab tested positive for a target organism. The sample log showed it had been taken, handled and delivered within holding time, except Temperature Maintained To Laboratory read Yes, assumed, and nobody had actually logged the cool-box reading that shift.
Without a logged reading, the investigation could not rule out the swab degrading in transit rather than reflecting a real contamination event. The retest came back clean, but the first result stood on the record as unresolved, because the sample log had nothing to defend it either way.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- QUA-081
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- LSL-2026-000
- Scoring
- Samples logged
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 17025 cl.7.4
- Links
- Links Micro results, Chemical results
- Tags
- Laboratory
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 41
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 5
Header
10 fieldsSample ID*
Auto sequence. Format SMP-2026-0000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
A Sample Without Context Is A Number
Where it came from, why it was taken and what it represents all decide what the result means. Record them at the point of sampling, not afterwards.
Sample Purpose*
Routine monitoring, verification, investigation, shelf life study, complaint, or due diligence.
Sample Type*
Sampled By*
What was sampled
11 fieldsBatch Number
Numeric key joining to your ERP batch record.
Links to External system reference
Product
Production Date
Sample Point*
Sample Description*
Quantity Taken
Aseptic Technique Used*
Poor technique produces a result about the sampler rather than the product.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Sterile Container Used*
- Yes3 pts
- Not required3 pts
- No0 pts
Sample Representative*
- Yes3 pts
- Uncertain1 pt
- No0 pts
Duplicate Or Reserve Sample Taken*
A reserve sample is what lets you test again without the argument about whether the first result was real.
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Reserve Sample Location
Handling
6 fieldsStorage Temperature Required*
Temperature Maintained To Laboratory*
- Yes, logged3 pts
- Yes, assumed1 pt
- No0 pts
Time From Sampling To Laboratory*
Within Holding Time*
- Yes3 pts
- Marginal1 pt
- No0 pts
Chain Of Custody Recorded*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Sample Integrity On Receipt*
- Good3 pts
- Marginal1 pt
- Compromised0 pts
Testing requested
14 fieldsTests Requested*
Laboratory*
Turnaround Required*
Result Record ID
Links to QUA-082 Result ID
Product On Hold Pending Result*
Positive release means nothing ships until the result is in. Test and release means you are relying on recall.
- Yes, positive release4 pts
- Partial hold2 pts
- No0 pts
Hold ID
Links to QUA-003 Hold ID
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Sampled By*
Signature*
Quality*
Second Signature*
QUA-081 · record IDs look like LSL-2026-000 · Links Micro results, Chemical results
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form is the easy part. Keeping the chain of custody intact, routing a hold to the right owner and matching every sample to its result is the work that actually slips.
Holds the sample log against your registers, matches each entry to its result record, and flags a sample that never got one back.
Rolls chain-of-custody gaps and holding-time breaches into the evidence pack an accreditation or retailer audit will ask for.
Tracks who is signed off on aseptic technique, so a sample taken by an unqualified person is visible before the result is trusted.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowQuality — quality and food safety. HACCP, nonconformance, traceability, laboratory and customer complaints.
Meet KnowQuality→Glossary
Laboratory Sample Log definitions and key terms
- Chain of custody
- The unbroken record of who held a sample and when, from the point it was taken to the point it was tested. A gap in custody means nobody can say the sample tested is the sample taken.
- Holding time
- The maximum interval between taking a sample and testing it, set for a given matrix and test before sampling starts. A result taken outside holding time reflects storage conditions, not just the product.
- Reserve sample
- A duplicate portion kept aside at the time of sampling, so a disputed or borderline result can be retested without relying on the original sample alone.
- Positive release
- A hold rule where product does not ship until the test result is in and passes. The alternative, test-and-release, ships first and relies on recall if the result later fails.
- Aseptic technique
- A sampling method that avoids introducing contamination from the environment, the container or the sampler. Poor technique can produce a result about the sampling, not the product.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about laboratory sample log
What is the laboratory sample log template based on?+
It is built against ISO 17025 cl.7.4, the clause covering how items are handled once taken. ISO 17025 sets what a laboratory must demonstrate to be accredited for the tests it reports.
What sections does the laboratory sample log contain?+
There are 4 sections: Header, What was sampled, Handling, Testing requested. Together they hold 41 fields, 30 of which are required.
How often is a laboratory sample log raised?+
A new record is raised at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Each one is given an ID in the form LSL-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the laboratory sample log belong to?+
It is part of Laboratory and Testing. Results you can defend, and retesting governed by a protocol written before the retest.
How is a laboratory sample log scored?+
Scoring is samples logged, and high is good. The fields that carry a score, technique, custody, holding time, integrity on receipt, are what decide whether a result can be trusted, not just whether it was recorded.
Can the laboratory sample log template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Laboratory and Testing
Maintenance Calibration Record
Records calibration of maintenance instruments such as torque wrenches, pressure gauges and multimeters
Calibration Record
Records the calibration of a piece of test equipment, including standard used, result and next due date
Microbiological Result Record
Records a micro result against its specification, with the action taken where it is out
Chemical and Compositional Result Record
Records analytical results for composition, additives, contaminants or nutritional claims
Laboratory Method Verification
Verifies that a test method performs as expected in your hands, on your matrix, before results are relied on
Proficiency Testing Record
Records participation in a ring trial or proficiency scheme and how the result compared with the consensus
More in Laboratory
Microbiological Result Record
Records a micro result against its specification, with the action taken where it is out
Chemical and Compositional Result Record
Records analytical results for composition, additives, contaminants or nutritional claims
Laboratory Method Verification
Verifies that a test method performs as expected in your hands, on your matrix, before results are relied on
Proficiency Testing Record
Records participation in a ring trial or proficiency scheme and how the result compared with the consensus
Laboratory Environmental Check
Checks laboratory conditions that affect results, covering temperature, humidity, cleanliness, segregation and media storage
External Laboratory Approval
Assesses a contract laboratory for accreditation scope, turnaround, reporting and how it handles out of specification results
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017 — General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017 cl.7.3 — Sampling
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017 cl.7.4 — Handling of test or calibration items
- BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 — Product testing and analysis
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.