Overview
EN ISO 6497:2005 - Animal feeding stuffs - Sampling (ISO 6497:2002) specifies standardized methods for taking representative samples of animal feeding stuffs (including fish feed) for quality control, commercial, technical and legal purposes. The standard covers sampling procedures for different physical forms (grains, pellets, meals, roughages, liquids, semi‑liquids, blocks, licks) and sets requirements for sampling personnel, equipment, sample containers, packing, sealing and reporting.
Note: not applicable to pet foods and not intended for microbiological sampling. Methods for some feed categories are specified in other international standards (see bibliography). Annex A addresses sampling for substances likely to be non‑uniformly distributed (e.g., mycotoxins).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and definitions: clear terms for consignment, lot, increment, bulk sample, reduced sample and laboratory sample to ensure consistent sampling terminology.
- Representative sampling principles: repeated increments from various positions in a lot are combined to form a bulk sample, reduced and divided into laboratory samples.
- Statistical guidance: practical rules of thumb for increments - e.g., for bulk products up to 2.5 tonnes at least seven increments; for lots between 2.5 t and 80 t the number of increments is at least 20 × m (m = mass in tonnes). The square‑root relationship is referenced for larger lots.
- Sampling personnel: sample takers must be trained, experienced and aware of hazards.
- Sampling equipment: selection by particle size and product state - manual (spear, scoop, riffle divider) or mechanical samplers; liquid/semi‑liquid samplers (dippers, tubes, agitators).
- Cleanliness & contamination control: equipment and containers must be clean, dry, odour‑free; disposable gloves and thorough cleaning between samples are required.
- Sample containers & preservation: waterproof, greaseproof, sealable containers (glass, stainless steel, suitable plastics); opaque/dark containers for photosensitive vitamins and airtight closures for liquids.
- Documentation: requirements for packing, sealing, marking and a sampling report noting lot identification, heterogeneities and any separated portions.
Applications and who uses it
- Feed mills, ingredient suppliers and feed formulators for routine quality control across production batches.
- Analytical laboratories that receive representative laboratory samples for compositional, contaminant or regulatory testing (non‑microbiological).
- Regulatory authorities, inspectors and customs performing conformity checks and legal sampling.
- Buyers, traders and auditors validating incoming consignments and performing dispute resolution sampling.
- Fish feed producers applying the standard’s methods to aquatic feeds.
Keywords: EN ISO 6497:2005, animal feeding stuffs, feed sampling, lot sampling, sample containers, sampling equipment, quality control, mycotoxins.
Related standards
- The standard indicates that specific sampling methods for certain feed categories exist in other International Standards - consult the bibliography of EN ISO 6497:2005 and relevant ISO/CEN feed sampling documents for category‑specific procedures.