CODEX-STAN-233-1969-CODEX-SAMPLING-PLANS-FOR-PREPA

CODEXSTAN233Page1of9CODEXSAMPLINGPLANSFORPREPACKAGEDFOODS(AQL6.5)CODEXSTAN233-19691.SCOPETheSamplingPlansinAppendixIofthisdocumentapplytotheacceptanceofdefectiveunits(defectives)inlotsofprepackagedfoods,asdefinedinindividualCodexStandards,insofarastheSamplingPlanshavebeenspecificallyincludedinsuchCodexStandardsforthepurposeofdeterminingtheacceptabilityorotherwiseofthelot.TheyshallbeusedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsdealingwiththeclassificationofdefectivesandlotacceptanceinCodexStandardstowhichtheseSamplingPlansarestatedtoapplyandwithinthelimitsofSection2ofthisdocument.2.FIELDOFAPPLICATION2.1TYPEOFEXAMINATIONTOWHICHTHESAMPLINGPLANSAPPLYTheSamplingPlansinAppendixIofthisdocumentareintendedprimarilytocoverthequalityprovisionsofCodexCommodityStandardswhereanAQLof6.5isappropriateforthedefectiveunitasdefinedinCodexStandards.ForthepurposesoftheseSamplingPlans,“quality”referstothosefactorsorproductcharacteristicswhichareevaluatedbyorganolepticorphysicalmeans,suchascolour,flavour,texture,defects,sizeandappearance.Theyarenotintendedhowever,tocoverfactorswhichmayrepresentahazardtohealthorwhichareunwholesomeorotherwisehighlyobjectionabletotheconsumeronthebasisofwhichresponsibleauthoritieswouldrejectthelot.Examplesoftheselattercategoriesarepesticideresidues,contaminants,blowncans,foreignmaterialsuchasstonesandlargeinsects.Othercriteriaandsamplingplansmustbeusedindealingwithfactorsofthistype.WhiletheseSamplingPlansareintendedprimarilyforqualityevaluation,theymaybefoundsuitableforotherdeterminationssuchasnetweight,Brixvaluesanddrainedweight,providedanacceptancecriterionwithanAQLof6.5isappropriateforthesedeterminations.Inthiscaseadefinitionof“defective”forthespecificdeterminationunderconsiderationwouldberequiredintherespectiveCodexStandard.2.2SIZEOFLOTANDPOINTOFAPPLICATIONTheSamplingPlansandacceptanceprocedurescontainedinthisdocumentaredesignedtocoverlotsthatrepresentsubstantialportionsoffactoryproductionorrelativelylargeblocksofmerchandise.Theplansmayalsobeusedforsmalllots,butGovernmentsmayelecttousesamplingproceduresoftheirownchoosingforenforcementattheretaillevel.Thisisdoneinrecognitionofthehighratioofsamplesizetolotsizewhendealingwithsmalllotsandtheprobabilitythatoncetheproductionofdefectiveornon-conformingproductisnolongerlikelytobeuniformbetweenandwithinthesmallerlots.2.3PRINCIPLESOFACCEPTANCESAMPLINGFordetailedexplanationofthestatisticalbasisfortheseSamplingPlans,seeAppendixIIofthisdocument.3.DESCRIPTIONTheSamplingPlans-AppendixIofthisdocument-areatabularpresentationappropriateforacceptancesamplingofprepackagedfoodswhereanAQLof6.5hasbeenacceptedforcertainproductscharacteristics.ThePlansinclude:1.InspectionLevels;2.SampleSizesinrelationtolotsizeandcontainersize;and3.AcceptanceNumbers.CODEXSTAN233Page2of9AsampleisdrawnatrandomfromthelotaccordingtotheappropriatescheduleintheSamplingPlans.EachsampleunitisexaminedaccordingtotherequirementsoftheindividualCodexStandardandclassifiedaseither“acceptable”oras“defective”.Basedonthetotalnumberof“defectives“inthesample,theloteither“meets”or“fails”therequirementsoftheCodexstandard,towhichtheseSamplingPlansapply,accordingtothefollowingcriteria:-Meetsifthenumberof“defectives”isequalto,orlessthan,theacceptancenumberoftheappropriateplan.-Failsifthenumberof“defectives”exceedstheacceptancenumberoftheappropriateplan.4.DEFINITIONS4.1ACCEPTABLEQUALITYLEVEL(AQL)Themaximumpercentdefectiveunits(defectives)permittedinalotwhichwillbeacceptedapproximately95percentofthetime.Forexample,asamplingplanatanAQLof6.5willacceptalotorproductionwhichhas6.5percentdefectiveapproximately95percentofthetime.4.2ACCEPTANCENUMBER(C)ThenumberinasamplingplanwhichindicatesthemaximumnumberofdefectivespermittedinthesampleinordertoconsiderthelotasmeetingtherequirementsofaCodexStandard.4.3BUYER’SRISKTheriskabuyertakesthatalotwillbeacceptedonthebasisoftheseSamplingPlanseventhoughsuchalotmayfailtoconformtotherequirementsoftheCodexStandard.4.4PRODUCER’SRISKTheriskaproducertakesthatalotwillfailonthebasisoftheseSamplingPlanseventhoughsuchalotinrealitymaymeettherequirementsoftheCodexStandard.4.5DEFECTIVEA“defective”isasampleunitwhichdoesnotconformwithacertainspecifiedrequirement(orrequirements)ofaCodexStandard(onthebasisoftotal“demeritpoints”,individualtolerancesfor“defects”,etc.).Thecriteriaonthebasisofwhichasampleunitisclassifiedas“defective”arespecifiedinindividualCodexstandardstowhichtheseSamplingPlansapply(seealsoSub-sections2.1and2.2ofthisdocument).AlthoughadefectiveisasampleunitwhichfailstomeetcertainspecifiedrequirementsinCodexstandards,itdoessoonlytoanextentwhichisslightlybelowthoserequirementsandwhichwouldnotmaketheproductobjectionabletotheconsumerasspecifiedinSection2-FieldofApplication,Sub-section2.1.4.6INSPECTIONTheprocessofmeasuring,examining,testingorotherwisecomparingacontainerorunitofproduct(sampleunit)withtherequirementsofaCodexStandard.4.7INSPECTIONLEVELThetermusedtoindicatetherelativeamountofsamplingperformedonlotsofagivenproductorclassofproducts.CODEXSTAN233Page3of94.8LOTORINSPECTIONLOTCollectionofprimarycon