An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

Agricultural

Marketing

Service 

Federal Grain Inspection 

Service

Field Management 

Division 

1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Stop 3630

Washington, D.C. 20250

Voice (202) 720-0228

Fax (202) 690-3951

Hotline 1-800-998-3447

Reference #212 January 8, 2007

TO: FGIS POLICY BULLETIN BOARD

FROM: John Giler, Acting Director

 Field Management Division 

SUBJECT: Samples for Informational Purposes

ORIGINATING OFFICE: Policies and Procedures Branch

1. PURPOSE

This memorandum provides guidelines for interpreting export load 

order service requests for supplemental testing of an official criteria 

factor (e.g., DON, protein, etc.). 

2. BACKGROUND

An FGIS export office has asked for assistance from Policies and 

Procedures Branch in interpreting a request for supplemental testing 

on an official criteria factor from official sublot samples taken from an 

export lot. The applicant deemed the request as factor analysis 

“for informational purposes only”.

Specifically, an applicant presented a written load order document 

requesting official testing services on an official criteria factor, but 

requested that the results of the official test not be documented on the 

official work record, the ship (CuSum) inspection log. Additionally, the 

applicant requested a separate official sample lot inspection certificate

on the official criteria factor.

3. POLICY

When testing of an official criteria factor is specifically requested on an 

officially sampled lot, inspection personnel must perform the testing 

according to the established testing protocol (e.g., DON testing on a 

wheat shipment on an individual sublot basis) and document the test 

results on the official work record. In the case of an export shiplot,

the results are documented on the CuSum loading log.
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The FGIS inspection log is the official work record for recording 

sampling information, inspection results, and significant or unusual 

events occurring during the loading of a ship, and serves as the 

source document for preparing official certificates and other reports 

that are used to document the loading of the lot.

Certification of the official criteria factor is permitted on the certificate 

for grade or on a separate certificate.

If an applicant for service does not want the test results on the 

inspection log, then the applicant may withdraw the request for service 

and request a submitted sample service for the official criteria factor. 

Official personnel should refer such requests to FGIS’s Compliance 

Division for contract documentation review.

4. SUBMITTED SAMPLE ANALYSIS

As an option to the applicant for service, official personnel can offer 

to perform testing service on the official criteria factor as a submitted 

sample inspection service on the basis of sublot or composite samples 

taken from the lot. In this case, official criteria test results are recorded 

on the work record (sample pan ticket). If requested by the applicant,

a submitted sample certificate is issued with the sample identification, 

as specified by the applicant, for each sample. When providing 

submitted sample inspection service on official criteria factors official 

personnel should follow these guidelines:

a. Test samples at the frequency (e.g., sublot, composite), as 

designated by the applicant for service.

b. Use the most cost effective method available for service. (e.g., 

grouping of mycotoxin test, additional man-power etc.).

c. Document all submitted sample information on the sample pan 

ticket.

d. At the applicant’s request, certify the official criteria results on an 

FGIS Submitted Sample Inspection Certificate using the 

identification designated by the applicant.

5. FILING INSTRUCTIONS 

File a copy of this memo with the Grain Inspection Handbook, Book III, 

Chapter 1 Inspection Procedures. Field office managers must ensure that 

a copy of this memo is provided to official agencies that use the CuSum 

loading plan for the inspection of shiplots, unit trains, and lash barges.
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6. QUESTIONS 

Direct any questions concerning any unusual service request to

AMS - FGIS Policies Procedures Market Analysis Branch.