Overview

This Codex document for manufacturers provides a generic approach to the design of sampling plans for monitoring quality and safety of the commodities. The sampling plans here are generally intended primarily for inspection of foods upon receipt, for example by importing country regulatory agencies, and might not be suitable for use by all producers. However, it is provided here as a clear definition of quality objectives in these Codex standards may allow producers to devise appropriate sampling plans to monitor quality and safety of the products.

Factors that should be considered when designing a sampling plan are the existence (or not) of international reference documents, nature of the control, composition of the sample, nature of the lot etc. Two flow charts can be found on page 4, and 5 of the document which provide users with an example of a systematic approach that can be used to select a sampling plan. Similarly, a table which provides a guide to selecting a sampling plan can be found on page 7 of the document.

Overall, this document helps manufacturers to select the correct sampling plan for their commodities with consistency and accuracy in their testing.

Link to Document

General guidelines on sampling CXG 50-2004