Commodity Inspection

What Is Surveillance?

Commodity inspection assesses bulk or packaged commodities — grain, coal, ore, fertiliser, oil, cotton and the like — against the quality parameters defined in the commercial contract. The sampling method is the single most critical step for the validity of the result.

Why Is It Done?

The aim is to establish independently the quality parameters on which the price depends and to prevent quality disputes between buyer and seller.

Who Requests It?

Commodity traders and exchange participants
Importers and exporters
Letter of credit parties and banks
Processing industry buyers
Insurance companies

Scope of Surveillance

Determination of a representative sampling plan
Mixing and reduction (splitting) of samples
Sample sealing, labelling and distribution
Visual grading and foreign matter check
Moisture content measurement
Dispatch of parameters requiring analysis to the laboratory
Comparison with contractual quality parameters
Quantity determination (including weighing or draft survey)
Storage conditions and contamination risk
Retention of a witness sample

Related Standards

ISO/IEC 17020
ISO 24333
ISO 18283
ISO 8685
GAFTA / FOSFA sampling rules
ISO/IEC 17025 (for the analysis component)

Method and Equipment

Sampling probes and automatic samplers
Sample splitter (riffle)
Moisture meter
Calibrated scale
Sealing and labelling materials
Photographic recording equipment

Surveillance Process

1Appointment and InstructionsThe survey instruction is received in writing: scope, method to be applied, sampling plan, specification and reporting expectations are clarified. The scope of the instruction also sets the limits of the report.
2Collection of Shipment DataContract or letter-of-credit terms, the proforma invoice, the packing list and earlier analysis reports are reviewed; the date and place of the survey are planned.
3Site PreparationThe surveyor attends the location; warehouse, terminal or vessel conditions and the suitability of weighing and measuring equipment are assessed.
4Carrying Out the SurveyQuantity determination, sampling, inspection and the required measurements are performed by the defined method; every step is documented with photographs and records.
5Sample HandlingWhere samples are taken they are sealed, labelled and distributed between the parties; a witness sample is retained. If analysis is required, samples are dispatched to the laboratory.
6Recording of FindingsAny nonconformity, damage or shortage found is recorded on the spot and reported to the principal.
7ReportingThe survey report is issued; its scope and the time and place of the survey are stated explicitly. Where a letter of credit so requires, a survey certificate is issued in the format demanded.

Surveillance Report

Details of the survey company, the surveyor and the principal
Date, time and place of the survey
Description of the goods, batch/lot and reference documents
Survey method applied and the sampling plan, if any
Measurement and weighing results, equipment used and its calibration data
Condition of packaging, marking and stowage
Nonconformities, shortages or damage found
Photographic records
Sample seal numbers and retention details
Statement of the limits of the survey's scope
Sampling method and standard applied
Number and location of samples and seal numbers
Visual grading findings
Moisture and field measurement results
Reference to laboratory analysis results
Comparison with contractual parameters

Limits of the Report

The reliability of a commodity inspection depends entirely on the REPRESENTATIVENESS of the sample. A sample taken with the wrong method or from an inadequate point yields an invalid result no matter how precise the laboratory is. For this reason, the sampling method and points are documented in detail in the report. The result represents the sample taken; it does not provide absolute assurance for every point in the lot.

Accreditation

Surveillance activities are carried out under ISO/IEC 17020, which requires the impartiality of the survey body, the competence of its personnel and the validity of the survey methods. The impartiality rule is decisive: a survey body may not be a party to the trade in, or the manufacture of, the goods it surveys. EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation under ISO/IEC 17020, granted by accreditation bodies that are signatories to the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement; because accredited scope is defined per type of surveillance, it is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Surveillance Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is sampling so critical?

Bulk commodities are not homogeneous; moisture, foreign matter and quality parameters vary within the mass. A non-representative sample misrepresents the lot even if the laboratory measures it correctly. Most disputes arise not from analysis errors but from sampling errors.

What does sampling according to GAFTA or FOSFA rules mean?

These are contract forms widely used in the grain and oilseed trade and contain their own rules for sampling, analysis and arbitration. If the contract refers to these forms, sampling must also be carried out according to those rules; otherwise the result may not be accepted in arbitration.

Is the surveillance report a quality guarantee?

No, it is not. The report documents the condition found at the time and place of the survey. Changes the goods undergo during subsequent transport, handling and storage are outside the scope of the report, and the surveillance body is not responsible for them.

How is the surveyor's independence ensured?

Surveillance is carried out under ISO/IEC 17020, which requires impartiality and the prevention of conflicts of interest. The surveillance body cannot be a party to the buying or selling of goods it surveys.

How long does it take to issue the report?

Preliminary findings are communicated the same day the fieldwork is completed. The final report depends on the arrival of laboratory results if analysis is required; the timeframe is specified in writing at the quotation stage.