National Retail Sampling Plan for Purchase of Representative Foods for the Analysis of Dioxins: Round-1

A sampling plan was prepared for Round-1; which enabled the purchase of 123 items of retail foods. These were prepared for a dioxins analysis survey in general foods. A further 12 organic egg samples were added to the original plan and also collected on this project.
<P>The choice of products to be included in the Round-1 survey was based primarily around the EU Commision Recommendation 2002/201/EC. Sample numbers were largely defined in SANCO/4546/01 by number and category. Individual e.g. species to be sampled were defined by the UK FSA.

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The sample collection was weighted by country, population and retail source where possible.

CSL staff conducted the sample purchase according to the sampling plan.

Samples were delivered to the CSL environmental contaminants team homogenised and extracted for dioxins analysis.