Division 3.1 Transport and preparation of the samples

Samples shall preferably be sent by express mail or courier to the laboratories referred to in Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, within 24 hours after collection. If they are not sent within 24 hours, they shall be stored refrigerated. The samples may be transported at ambient temperature provided that excessive heat (namely over 25 °C) or exposure to sunlight is avoided. At the laboratory the samples shall be kept refrigerated until examination, which must be started within 48 hours following receipt and within 4 days after sampling.

Separate preparations shall be made of the boot swabs and dust or the fabric dust swab in the case of samples by the competent authority, but as regards samples by food business operators the different sample types may be combined in one test.