Sampling Office, Food Inspection Institute of Jiangxi General Institute of Testing and Certification: Unsung Guardians of Food Safety

The Sampling Office of the Food Inspection Institute under the Jiangxi General Institute of Testing and Certification serves as a critical frontline outpost for food safety oversight. It is tasked with regulatory sampling, risk monitoring, and other vital responsibilities. In 2023, the office completed nearly 20,000 batches of food safety sampling. This number rose to 32,000 in 2024, and by mid-2025 had already reached 19,000 batches—poised to set a new annual record.

Forging a Team of Technical Experts

Staffed by 26 skilled specialists, the office continually hones team expertise through initiatives such as "training through competition" and mentoring by senior staff. The team has earned multiple honors in provincial skills competitions and published several professional papers, advancing the standardization and digitalization of sampling practices.

Patrolling the Frontlines of Food Safety

Sampling officers travel more than 300,000 kilometers annually across China. Their work extends to food production enterprises, agricultural wholesale markets, and school canteens, even reaching remote areas such as Tibet and Hainan. They carry out targeted regulatory sampling for 30 categories of high-risk foods, including school meals, infant formula, and trending products sold online.

Empowering Industry Oversight

In response to the rapid evolution of new food business models, the Sampling Office has expanded its focus to include e-commerce and food delivery platforms. To date, it has sampled over 300 batches from more than 10 product categories. An end-to-end sampling data management system has also been developed to enable real-time data collection, analysis, and sharing—providing strong technical support for scientific and effective supervision.

Through professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility, the Sampling Office safeguards food safety for millions of households. They are truly the unsung heroes behind "safety on the tip of the tongue."

(Text by Xiao Fang, Li Yuefan, Gong Lijuan)