Effect of sample size in the evaluation of "in-field" sampling plans for aflatoxin B(1) determination in corn

Use of proper sampling methods throughout the agri-food chain is crucial when it comes to effectively detecting contaminants in foods and feeds. The objective of the study was to estimate the performance of sampling plan designs to determine aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) contamination in corn fields. A total of 840 ears were selected from a corn field suspected of being contaminated with aflatoxin. The mean and variance among the aflatoxin values for each ear were 10.6 mug/kg and 2233.3, respectively. The variability and confidence intervals associated with sample means of a given size could be predicted using an equation associated with the normal distribution. Sample sizes of 248 and 674 ears would be required to estimate the true field concentration of 10.6 mug/kg within +/-50 and +/-30%, respectively. Using the distribution information from the study, operating characteristic curves were developed to show the performance of various sampling plan designs.