Sampling in the quinoa industry is an important activity to determine quality aspects and pesticides.
What are the steps to carry out the quinoa sampling?
STEP 1: Cleaning and disinfection of the sampling pen.
The pen that is used in the sampling is a tube that has a sharp tip so that it enters the bags and the sample slides through the tube.
The first step is to disinfect the sampling pen, which must be perfectly clean and disinfected with 70% alcohol. Also it must not contain particles from other samples from other batches to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
STEP 2: Take samples from the lot.
There are 2 types of sampling: probabilistic and non-probabilistic. In this case, the probabilistic under the 100% method is applied.
The second step is to take samples of 100% of the lot under investigation, considering 3 sampling points (minimum) per bag.
The level of inspection that the company carries out will depend on the producer, for example, if it is new or I do not know it, it will be more rigorous, but if I already know it or have a history of it, I can take fewer sampling points.
STEP 3: Homogenize the sample.
The sample must be homogenized so that it is representative of the batch.
The third step is to shake the composite so that all the representative samples are mixed as much as possible and that this sample is homogeneous and representative of the lot.
STEP 4: Separate sample by quartering.
The fourth step is to stretch the mixed composite on an observation table, if possible, inside its own bag so as not to risk contamination.
Subsequently, a tong is used to take small samples and separate them into bags according to the analysis requirement (pesticide analysis, physicochemical analysis, quality analysis, microbiological analysis and counter samples).
