AAGIWA is the national association representing official grain inspection and weighing agencies.  These agencies provide official inspection services to measure the quality and quantity of grain being bought and sold in the United States.

The National Inspection System

AAGIWA members are part of the national grain inspection and weighing system that is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS).  Being part of the official system assures:

CONSISTENCY - Official inspections are based on established standards, and on sound, proven and standardized procedures, techniques, and equipment.

VERIFIABLE ACCURACY - The work of official personnel is reviewed and monitored by an extensive quality assurance program.  And, every State and private agency is backed by the resources and expertise of the FGIS Technical Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

INFORMATION - Official tests provide a wealth of information about sanitary, physical, food safety, and intrinsic quality characteristics.

RESPONSIVENESS - New tests and procedures are continually being developed.

PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY - Official personnel pass rigorous tests and undergo extensive and continuous training.

CREDIBILITY - U.S. and international buyers rely on official inspection certificates to provide accurate descriptions of the grain, class, and condition of grain.

LINKS OF INTEREST

Serving the U.S. Grain Industry

Official agencies offer many different types of inspection services.  The most common is the official sample-lot inspection service.  When this service is requested, a licensed sampler draws a representative sample from the grain and then takes it to an FGIS-approved laboratory for analysis by a licensed inspector.  Many agencies offer on-site grading and analysis to accommodate the real-time needs of customers for inspection results.

Another service offered by official agencies, the submitted sample inspection service, allows producers and grain handlers to draw their own samples and submit them to an official agency.  Many official agencies also test grain for end-use qualities, such as protein and oil content.

Other Typical Services

Grain inspection agencies often offer a variety of other services and laboratory analysis, such as measuring for:

  • Wheat

    • protein content

    • insect damaged kernels

    • falling numbers

    • vomitoxin

  • Soybean protein and oil content

  • Corn

    • protein/oil/starch content

    • stress crack analysis

    • mycotoxins - aflatoxin, fumonisin, vomitoxin, and zearalenone

Many other, specialized services are also available.

Accurate and repeatable grain quality and quantity measurements ensure all parties that a transaction is based on fairness.

Map:  Official Agency Geographic Areas & FGIS Field Office Locations

Other than FGIS and their authorized contractors working at export locations, only agencies officially designated/delegated by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service can issue an official inspection certificate under the U.S. Grain Standards Act. All other certificates are not "official" inspections.