Sampling and sample preparation for detection and quantitation of natural toxicants in food and feed

The primary goal of a sampling plan for natural toxins, i.e., mycotoxins and seafood toxins, is to obtain a sample that accurately represents the concentrations of individual components of a given lot. Factors affecting the ability of the sampling plan to accomplish this goal include: (1) nature of the analyte of interest; (2) distribution of the analyte throughout the lot, (3) physical characteristics of the product, (4) accessibility of the product to random representative sampling, (5) sampling procedure, and (6) size of sample. Sampling plans are composed of 3 distinct components: (a) sampling, (b) sample preparation, and (c) analysis. Normally, sampling contributes the largest relative error while analysis comprises the least. Automatic, continuous stream samplers provide the most representative samples for commodities such as nuts, cottonseed, and cereal grains. Good sample preparation equipment is currently available for these commodities; the use of this equipment to obtain a representative test sample is discussed.