[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR52.38a]

[Page 537-538]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                        DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 52--PROCESSED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, PROCESSED PRODUCTS THEREOF, AND CERTAIN OTHER PROCESSED FOOD PRODUCTS \1\--Table of Contents
 
       Subpart--Regulations Governing Inspection and Certification
 
Sec. 52.38a  Definitions of terms applicable to statistical sampling.

    (a) Terms applicable to both on-line inspection and lot inspection.
    (1) Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). The maximum percent of defective 
units of product or the maximum number of defects per hundred units of 
product which are acceptable as a process average. At the AQL's 
contained in the statistical sampling plans of this subpart, production 
has a probability of acceptance (``Pa'') of approximately 95 percent.
    (2) Acceptance sampling. Sampling inspection in which decisions are 
made to accept or reject product.

[[Page 538]]

    (3) Attributes. A method of measurement whereby units of product are 
examined for the presence or absence of specified characteristics in 
each unit in the sample.
    (4) Defect. Any nonconformance of a unit of product from specified 
requirements of a single quality characteristic. Defects are classed as 
``minor,'' ``major,'' ``severe'' or ``critical'' depending upon the 
severity and undesirability of the defect.
    (5) Defective. A unit of product that has one or more defects.
    (6) Inspection by attributes. Inspection whereby a unit of product 
is classified as defective or nondefective or the number or defects in 
the unit of product is counted.
    (7) Standard sample unit size. A specified amount of product to be 
used for inspection.
    (b) Terms applicable to on-line inspection only.
    (1) Basic inspection period. A specified period of consecutive 
production designated for on-line inspection.
    (2) Cumulative Sum Sampling (CuSum) Plan. An on-line sampling plan 
that accumulates the number of defects (or defectives), which exceed the 
sample unit tolerance (``T''), in a series of consecutive samples. Terms 
specific to the CuSum sampling plan are:
    (i) Acceptance limit (``L''). The maximum accumulation of defects 
(or defectives) allowed to exceed the sample unit tolerance (``T'') in 
any sample unit or consecutive group of sample units.
    (ii) CuSum value. The accumulated number of defects (or defectives) 
that exceed the sample unit tolerance (``T'').
    (iii) Sample unit tolerance (``T''). The allowable number of defects 
(or defectives) in any sample unit.
    (iv) Starting value (``S''). The initial CuSum value used to begin a 
CuSum sampling plan.
    (3) On-line sampling inspection. The random selection and subsequent 
inspection of sample units from a production line.
    (4) Probability of acceptance (``Pa''). The probability that a 
portion of production, with a given level of quality, will be accepted. 
In on-line sampling inspection, the probability of acceptance of any 
portion of production depends on the sample results obtained from the 
preceding portions. The probability of acceptance values associated with 
these procedures are the values which would be expected if a large 
number of sample units are to be inspected. For the CuSum plans 
referenced in these procedures, the probability of acceptance at the 
Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) is approximately 95 percent. The starting 
value (``S'') associated with each CuSum plan helps to make the 
probability of acceptance of the first portions of production of a basic 
inspection period as close as possible to 95 percent.
    (c) Terms applicable to lot inspection only.
    (1) Acceptance number. The largest number of defects (or defectives) 
in the sample that will permit acceptance of the inspection lot.
    (2) Inspection lot. Any number of containers of the same size and 
type which contain a processed product of the same type and style, 
manufactured or processed under essentially the same conditions, offered 
for inspection and acceptance at one time.
    (3) Probability of acceptance (``Pa''). The probability that an 
inspection lot, with a given level of quality, will be accepted.

[43 FR 10540, Mar. 14, 1978. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]