Copra sample trail: draw, seal, store and trace the sample
A test result is only as good as its sample. If the sample cannot be tied to a lot, or changed before it reached the bench, the number that comes out cannot support any decision. That is why careful mills record a sample’s journey as closely as the goods’ journey. This note walks through that trail, with suggestions you can adapt to your own QC procedure.
Why the trail matters
Picture a mill result of 7.4 % moisture against a supplier COA of 6.2 %. The first question is not who is right, but whether both parties tested the same thing. Without a record of where the sample was taken, when, and how it was kept, the next conversation is guesswork. With a complete trail the gap can often be explained in minutes: the mill sample came from a damper top layer, or sat open for two days before testing.
Before the vehicle arrives
Three things can be prepared in advance.
- A written sampling procedure, including how many points are drawn and from what depth. We do not set the number of points here; agree it with QC and the supplier, then write it into the purchase terms.
- Equipment: clean, dry containers that close tightly, labels, a waterproof marker and seals.
- Responsibility: one person who draws the sample and, if agreed, a second person who witnesses it.
Drawing and coding
Draw from several points, not only from the surface of the pile or the spot that is easiest to reach. Combine, mix, and split into three equal parts: one for the mill test, one for the supplier, and one kept back as the retained sample. Give each a code that links it to the lot, for example the lot code plus a sample sequence. A good label carries the code, date and time, lot origin, the name of the person who drew it, and the sampling points.
As a reference, the Kenyan draft standard DKS 2466:2018, read on 22 Oct 2026 and still a public review draft, describes a 9 kg composite sample split into three portions. That is one country’s example, not an Indonesian rule. The sample size at your mill still has to be agreed with the seller.
Do not write test results on the label. The label is for identity; results go in another record and refer to the code.
Keeping it intact until the bench
Copra moisture can drift if a sample is left open. Close the container tightly as soon as the sample is split, keep it somewhere dry and shaded, and record the time it was handed to the lab. If testing cannot happen the same day, note how long the sample waited. This detail looks minor, yet it is the one most often missing when two sets of results disagree.
The retained sample
The retained sample is the third portion that is neither tested nor opened. It has one job: to be the material for a retest if someone objects. So it needs an unbroken seal, a locked or at least registered place, and an agreed keeping period. How long to keep it is for the mill and the supplier to decide; we have no basis for a standard figure.
When results do not match
A sensible order of work:
- Compare the sample and lot codes on both reports. Confirm that both talk about the same lot.
- Compare the method, the instrument and the measurement basis. Moisture as received and moisture after a standard drying step are not the same number.
- Work out the time between sampling and testing at each party.
- Retest from the retained sample, preferably at a laboratory both sides accept.
- Record every result. Do not replace the first result with a more convenient one.
Until the matter is closed, do not blend the lot with another. Once blended, the sample trail cannot be recovered.
Closing the record
A lot that has been handled properly has a lot code, a sample code, the mill result, the supplier COA, the weighing record, the decision and the name of whoever made it. You can log all of this on the per-lot receiving checklist we provide. It is a recording aid only; quality limits and the final decision still come from your purchase terms and your QC.
Tell us what you need to test
If you want to test a Kora sample before ordering, describe the tests you plan and the lot information you need through the contact page. The sales team confirms sample availability, and you can ask that the sample code stays linked to the lot that is later quoted.
Questions buyers ask
How should a mill draw and split a copra sample?
Take material from several points, not only the surface or the easiest spot, mix it, and divide it into three equal parts: one for the mill, one for the supplier and one retained. Code each with lot code plus sample number, and record date, time, collector and sampling point.
What is a retained copra sample for?
It is the third part, never tested or opened, kept sealed for retesting if someone objects. It needs an intact seal, a locked or registered store and an agreed keeping period, which mill and supplier set themselves because no standard figure is known.
What if my mill's moisture result differs from the supplier's COA?
First match the sample and lot codes in both reports, then compare method, instrument and basis (as received or after standard drying) and the time between sampling and testing. Then retest from the retained sample at an agreed laboratory, and record every result without replacing the first.
Can I test a Kora copra sample before placing an order?
Sample availability is confirmed by Kora's sales team. Write the test you plan and the lot information you need through the contact page, and ask that the sample code stay linked to the lot later quoted.