Inspection Technology Evaluation (ITE) is the internal process the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) uses for the evaluation of technology for use in official grain inspection. For this process, “technology,” includes instrumentation, equipment, and the associated methods for measuring grain quality factors. “Factor” means a measurable grain quality attribute. This evaluation process does not apply to the research and development effort before the technology is deemed fit-for-purpose; that is, the instrument or method has already been developed so that it generates factor-specific results with sufficient accuracy for official grain inspection. The ITE process encompasses instrument, equipment, and methodology approvals for official grain inspection.
When a manufacturer develops technology for determining a specific grain factor, they may submit it to FGIS for evaluation. The initial evaluation of the submission focuses on the need and benefits of the technology for official grain inspection. If FGIS accepts the submission after initial evaluation, the submission enters a detailed evaluation sequence to validate the technology against FGIS’ specific performance criteria. The manufacturer’s validation data is compared with FGIS’ criteria, and if met, FGIS performs a verification. If the technology is approved, it receives a certificate of conformance, which allows for its use in official grain inspection.
For detailed information on the evaluation process and how to submit:
For questions or additional information, please contact – FGIS Technology Review Team