Vegetable inspection is the systematic examination of raw or processed vegetables at one or more points in the supply chain to verify that quality, safety and specification requirements are met before acceptance or dispatch.
In trade practice
In practice, inspection covers visual checks for defects and extraneous matter, physical measurements such as size and colour, and microbiological or pesticide sampling where required. At intake, buyers or third-party inspectors draw samples according to an agreed sampling plan and compare results against the defect classification tables in the product specification. Common failures include using too small a sample size to detect low-frequency defects and omitting frozen-state checks that reveal glazing or clumping issues.
In a specification
Contracts typically reference the sampling method, acceptable quality level and the defect categories against which each lot will be assessed at point of delivery.