2. REQUIREMENTS FOR CHECKING BATCHES OF PACKAGES
2.1 The checking of packages shall be carried out by sampling and shall be in two parts:
2.1.1a check covering the actual contents of each package in the sample,
2.1.2another check on the average of the actual contents of the packages in the sample.
2.2 A batch of packages shall be considered acceptable if the results of both these checks satisfy the acceptance criteria.
2.3 For each of these checks, there are three sampling plans:
2.3.1a single sampling plan for non-destructive testing, i.e. testing which does not involve opening the package,
2.3.2a double sampling one for non-destructive testing, and
2.3.3a single sampling plan for destructive testing, i.e., testing which involves opening or destroying the package.
2.4 For economic and practical reasons, the third test shall be limited to the absolutely essential minimum; it is less effective than the non-destructive tests. Destructive testing shall therefore be used only when non-destructive testing is impracticable. As a general rule it shall not be applied to batches of fewer than 100 units.
Package batches
2.5 The batch shall comprise all the packages of the same nominal quantity, the same type and the same production run, packed in the same place, which are to be inspected. The batch size shall be limited to the amounts laid down below.
2.6 When packages are checked at the end of the packing line, the number in each batch shall be equal to the maximum hourly output of the packing line, without any restriction as to batch size.
2.7 In other cases the batch size shall be limited to 10,000.
2.8 For batches of fewer than 100 packages, the non-destructive test, where carried out, shall be 100%.
2.9 Before the tests in paragraphs 3 and 4 are carried out, a sufficient number of packages shall be drawn at random from the batch so that the check requiring the larger sample can be carried out. For the other check, the necessary sample shall be drawn at random from the first sample and marked.
2.10 This marking operation shall be completed before the start of measuring operations.