GENERAL GUIDELINES ON SAMPLING
The Food Standards are aimed at protecting consumers’ health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. The prescribed method of sampling are designed to ensure that fair and valid sampling procedures are used when food is being tested for compliance with a particular commodity standard. The sampling methods are intended for use as methods designed to avoid or remove difficulties which may be created by diverging legal, administrative and technical approaches to sampling and by diverging interpretation of results of analysis in relation to lots or consignments of foods, in the light of the relevant provision(s) of the applicable standard. A lot is a definite quantity of some commodity manufactured or produced under conditions, which are presumed uniform for the purpose of these Guidelines.1.INTRODUCTION
The present guidelines have been elaborated to facilitate the implementation of these goals by FSSA Food Safety officers, government and other users.
aThese Guidelines can be used by FSSA Food Safety Officers, government and other users who can select from the recommended smpling plan the best suited for the inspection to be made depending on the purpose of sampling.1.1 SCOPE OF SAMPLING
Label should mention purpose of drawing / collecting the sample i.e. whether it’s for regulatory purpose or for monitoring only.1.2 PURPOSE OF SAMPLING
I. Regulatory:
Regulatory samples are picked for evaluation in case of certain concerns, issues. The reports of these analyses are filed for legal actions. Keeping this in mind, the3
sample integrity, homogeneity, and representativeness is vital for a fair and meaningful inference and subsequent actions.
Formal samples will be taken where formal enforcement action may result if an adverse report is received following examination or analysis. Hence formal samples have to be purchased or procurred by suitably trained, qualified and experienced authorised officers. The officer should strictly use the procedure for statistical sampling. The objective of the sampling procedures is to ensure that any sample procured is a ‘fair sample’ that accurately reflects the constituents of the bulk material being sampled.Regulatory samples should be collected in two sets and divided into four subsets.
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