If a food sample is drawn by a FSSAI officer, the following procedures must be followed during the sample collection process:

Signature of Witnesses

The Food Safety officer should call for one or more witnesses while taking the sample piece and obtain a signature from them in all related forms and documents.

Notice to the Business Operator

If the product has been obtained from the manufacturer or supplier, a notice in Form V-A shall be issued to them. When a product is drawn from an open container, the person drawing the sample should draw another sample from a container in original condition bearing the same declaration and intimate the same to the Food Analyst.
Payment for the Sample

The Food Safety Officer should pay the cost of the sample to the person from whom it was drawn. The cost should be the calculated at the rate at which the product is sold to the public.
Packing of Sample

The sample food for the analysis should be taken in clean dry bottles or jars or in a container which should be sealed properly to prevent leakage, evaporation and to avoid entrance of moisture.

In case of selecting an already packed product as a sample, no further sealing is required.

Labelling the Package

The package should be properly labelled and should bear the following requirements:

Code of the sample

Name of the sender with his official designation

Date and place of collection

Nature of the product that has been sent for analysis

Nature and quantity of preservative added to the sample

Sealing of package

The sample should be divided into 4 parts and each part should be sealed and wrapped using strong paper. The ends of the paper should be folded and affixed. Further, a paper slip that covers bottom to the top of the container, bearing the signature of the designated officer, should be pasted on the wrapper.
The signature or thumb impression of the person from whom the sample has been taken should be affixed in such a way that both paper slip and the wrapper bears part of the signature or the thumb impression. The paper cover should be further protected by means of strong thread above and across the jar. The knots of the thread should be covered by means of wax bearing the impression of the seal of the sender.

Dispatch of the Package

The containers of the samples shall be dispatched in the following manner:

The sealed container of one part of the sample along with the memorandum in Form VI should be sent to the Food Analyst.

The second and third parts of the sample along with two copies of the memorandum in Form VI should be sent to the Designated Officer.

The fourth part of the sample along with a copy of the memorandum in Form VI should be sent to an accredited laboratory along with prescribed fee.

On receipt of the food sample, the authorized FSSAI lab would analyze the quality and safety of the sample food product and pass the final decision.

Analysis of food samples by Food Analyst

1. On receipt of the package containing a sample of food for analysis, the Food Analyst or an officer authorized by him shall compare the seals on the container and the outer cover with specimen impression of seal received separately and shall note the condition of the seal thereon.

2. Food laboratories including mobile food laboratories wherever required, may be established or notified by the Central/State Government for the purpose of testing food samples received from the Food Safety Officer/ purchaser.

3. If the sample container received by the Food Analyst is found to be in broken condition or unfit for analysis, he shall, within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of such sample, inform the Designated Officer about the same and request him to send the second part of the sample for analysis.

4. On receipt of requisition from the Food Analyst pursuant to Rule 2.4.2 (3) the Designated Officer, shall by the succeeding working day, dispatch to the Food Analyst for analysis one part of the samples sent to him by the Food Safety Officer.

5. On receipt of the sample, the Food Analyst shall analyze or cause to be analyzed the sample and send the analysis report mentioning the method of analysis. The analysis report shall be as per Form VII A and four copies of the same shall be sent to the Designated Officer under whose jurisdiction the Food Safety Officer functions or the purchaser of article of food. The analysis report shall be signed by the Food Analyst and such report shall be sent within fourteen days of the receipt of the sample by the Food Analyst.

6. The Designated Officer shall keep two copies of analysis report for further action, one copy shall be sent to Food Safety Officer for record and one copy to Food business Operator from whom the sample was taken. Provided that in case the sample cannot be analyzed within fourteen days of its receipt, the Food Analyst shall inform the Designated Officer and the Commissioner of Food Safety giving reasons and specifying the time to be taken for analysis.

7. The manuals of the method of analysis, as amended/adopted by the Authority from time to time including AOAC/ISO/Pearson’s/Jacob/IUPAC/Food Chemicals CODEX/BIS/Woodmen/Winton-Winton/Joslyn, shall be used for analyzing the samples of food articles. However, in case the method for analyzing any parameter is not available in these manuals, a validated method of analysis prescribed by internationally recognized/analytical/regulatory agencies, shall be adopted