Pre-shipment testing is done in India on a sample drawn before or at loading, so you can stop a bad lot before it ships. Destination testing is done after arrival in your country, and is closer to what your authorities or customers will find.
Most careful buyers use both: pre-shipment testing to decide whether to ship, and destination testing to confirm the goods on arrival or before use.
Pre-shipment testing
- Done at an accredited lab in India, often NABL-accredited. See what an NABL-accredited lab is.
- Results before loading or before payment of the balance.
- A failed lot can be reprocessed, replaced or held back.
- Lower cost and faster turnaround in many cases.
- Only as good as the sample. If the supplier draws it, it may not represent the lot.
Destination testing
- Done at a lab in your country, often one your customers or authorities know.
- Tests the goods after transit, so it picks up changes such as moisture gain or mould.
- Gives evidence for a claim under your contract.
- Problems found here are expensive. The goods are already paid for and in your port or warehouse.
Why results differ, and how to compare them
Results from two labs on the same lot are rarely identical. Differences come from sampling, sample size, method, limit of quantification and the measurement uncertainty of each test. Agri lots are not uniform, and aflatoxin in particular can be unevenly spread in a lot.
Real changes can also happen in transit. Moisture can rise through condensation, and microbial counts can rise with it. Pesticide residues and ethylene oxide do not appear in transit, so a positive result there usually points to the lot or the sample.
You cannot remove these differences, but you can make the two results comparable.
- Name the test methods, units and limits in the spec.
- Use a sampling plan that matches the lot size.
- Ask both labs to report the limit of quantification and measurement uncertainty.
- Keep sealed counter-samples from loading for any dispute.
- Name an umpire lab in the contract in case results disagree.
Which to rely on
Rely on pre-shipment testing to decide whether to ship and pay. Rely on destination testing to confirm, to support claims and to satisfy your own customers. If your budget only allows one, choose pre-shipment testing on a sample you control, because it lets you stop problems while they are still in India. Then add destination tests for high-risk parameters, such as aflatoxin and ethylene oxide, at least on early shipments from a new supplier.
When results clash, read whether you can use your own lab results to reject a shipment.
How we help
We draw the pre-shipment sample ourselves, seal it and send it to an NABL-accredited lab you can verify. Your destination lab then receives the same method and spec, so both results can be compared. Ask for a free sourcing review.