Peanut Inspector Certification Practice Exam

In a load of 5 sacks, how many should be sampled if following the general rule?

1. 2

2. 3

3. 4

4. 5

The correct answer is: 3

The general rule for sampling is to select a certain number of items that provide a representative sample of the entire lot. In the case of 5 sacks, the commonly accepted practice is to sample roughly 60% of the items when the total is small. Sampling 3 out of 5 sacks is appropriate because it provides a good representation of the quality across the entire load. This sample size allows inspectors to adequately assess the condition and quality of the peanuts while balancing practicality with thoroughness. Hence, sampling 3 sacks aligns well with industry standards for quality assurance in small loads. Choosing to sample fewer sacks might not give a sufficient overview of the entire load's quality, while sampling all 5 could be redundant and unnecessary. Therefore, selecting 3 sacks strikes an effective balance between thoroughness and efficiency.