Vegetables and fruits, SAM-116

non-frozen
Sampling
Goods
Definition Vegetables, fruits or nuts, also prepared or preserved;

boxed dried products;

preparations made of vegetables, fruits or nuts and

similar products, fresh, chilled, salted, in brine, dried or
smoked.

Vegetables and fruits, non-frozen

Recommended 1 kg
minimum quantity for
each sample
EN/ISO standards and ISO 7002 Agricultural food products — Layout for
regulations specific to a standard method of sampling from a lot.
vegetables and fruits,
non-frozen ISO 874 Fresh fruits and vegetables — Sampling.

Legislation (technical standards or specifications): please refer to your national

legislation and national guidelines regarding sampling.

Equipment needed
Suggested sampling tool
depending on the method
used
Zone sampler (S02-01)
Sampling trowel (S03-01)
General tools: knife, scissors, tongs, steel axe,
ladle, etc.

Containers to be used for Plastic bags, different designs and sizes (P00)
the sampling
Plastic bottles, wide mouth opening, size 500-1
000 ml (P03, P04)

Safety precautions and Please refer to your national legislation and guidelines
risk assessment on health and safety.
 Under normal conditions foodstuffs do not present
particular health hazards.
Pay attention to any safety labels
Wear protective latex and/or chain gloves, safety
glasses and if necessary a protective mask, a
safety helmet and headgear, safety shoes and a
disposable gown.
Do not eat, drink or smoke during sampling.
You should wear clean clothing to minimise the
risk of accidentally contaminating the sample. You
should wash your hands prior to sampling.

Sampling plan
Type of consignment Description
Loose in carriages, tanks One or more aggregate samples: from incremental
or container samples taken by random selection or systematically
from the consignment or at not less than five
conventional points (one in the middle plus four at the
midpoints between the centre and the apexes at various
heights). More aggregate samples may be created from
containers containing different products or lots.

Bags, boxes, drums, One or more aggregate samples: by random selection

barrels or systematically from different parts of the
consignment, at not less than three conventional points
(one in the middle, one at the top and one at the
bottom). More aggregate samples may be created from
bags, wooden boxes, drums or barrels containing
different products or lots.

Vegetables and fruits in One aggregate sample: using a steel ladle and latex
brine gloves, take the quantities of product (e.g. vegetables
or fruits in brine) from the drums or barrels to form the
aggregate sample.

Detailed information
Sampling procedure
You should take samples from container boxes,
cartons, bags, drums and barrels already selected.
Different lots must be sampled separately. Labels
on the packing may indicate whether the
consignment contains different production batches
or dates and whether the products in different lots
vary in quality.
Sampling should be carried out in such a way that
the samples represent all the characteristics of the
lot. The sample should be taken randomly or
 systematically, i.e. from various locations (top,
middle and bottom).
Open, broken or damaged containers or products
about to expire or beyond the expiry date would
not usually be sampled unless there are particular
reasons for doing so.
Using the sampling equipment and/or latex
gloves, take the incremental samples of product
and bring them together in a plastic container for
food use to form a single aggregate sample.
Where a consignment is transported in a container
with more than one distinct zone or section, each
zone or section must be treated separately for
sampling purposes.

Sampling form Fill in the sampling form. One copy should be

attached to the samples and one copy should be
kept for the record.

Transport Deliver samples to the laboratory promptly.

You should consult with laboratory staff to
determine when it is appropriate to send the
samples and how they should be stored before
they are transported.
If samples are not shipped immediately, they
should be stored in either a refrigerator or a
freezer.
For transport
Chilled samples should be chilled rapidly at a
temperature of between 0 and 5 °C prior to
shipping. Coolants: plastic containers filled
with refrigerant are needed to keep sample
units cool. If the product is highly perishable
or at an advanced stage of maturity, the
product must be frozen in order to prevent
further deterioration.
Frozen samples should be surrounded with
dry ice wrapped in brown paper to avoid
contact between samples and the dry ice.
Sufficient dry ice must be used to keep the
product frozen. Place the surrounded frozen
samples in an insulated cardboard box, a
ventilated polystyrene cooler or other
insulating material. Temperature abuse may
increase the deterioration or breakdown of
the product. During summer months, place
shipping containers, if possible, in a freezer
long enough to chill them thoroughly.
If the samples are frozen for transport or storage
purposes this must be recorded on the sampling
 form.

Storage The samples must be kept in the customs office in

a cool and dry place, away from sunlight.
They should be stored in a refrigerator. Maintain
the samples at a temperature of between 0 and 5
°C; the cooling chain should be recorded.
If the product is highly perishable or at an
advanced stage of maturity, the product must be
frozen in order to prevent further deterioration.
The cooling chain should be monitored and
recorded.
If the samples are frozen for transport or storage
this must be recorded on the sampling form.

Vegetables and fruits, non-frozen (expand list )

HS Decription
number

Revisions
Version Date Changes
1.0 12.10.2012 First version