Now Registering for Series 5-8

Registrations received between now and June 26 will receive Series 5-8 of the Carbohydrate Check Sample Program. The price of your subscription will be prorated accordingly. The deadline to sign up for Series 4 has passed.

What is the Carbohydrate Check Sample Program?

The CRA Carbohydrate Check Sample Program (CCSP) is designed for the corn refining industry and users of refined corn products. It allows laboratories testing corn wet-milled products to compare the precision of their testing methods with the performance of other labs doing the same types of analysis. Validation through a check sample program offers an important tool in maintaining analytical accuracy.

Who should participate in the CCSP?

Facilities that make or use products from the corn refining industry would benefit from this program.

How does it work?

Subscribers can participate in any or all of the six check sample series listed below:

  1. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  2. Corn Syrup
  3. Corn Starch
  4. Co-Products
  5. Dry Citric Acid
  6. Dry Maltodextrin

For each series, subscribers receive product samples (from a variety of refining companies) at regular intervals, analyze them according to an established series of tests, and report their results via an online website. A statistical report, based on all test results, is generated and made available to subscribers online so that they can compare their own results with aggregate laboratory performance.

How can a facility sign up for the program?

To register for the program, participants should first select their payment method (credit card/PayPal or EFT/wire transfer/check) and then follow the link on the right hand side of this page that corresponds to a participant’s preferred payment method. At that point, participants will be prompted to fill out a form indicating the sample requested, billing and shipping addresses, payment information, and a valid email address.

How is my payment amount calculated?

Pricing for the CCSP is based on two factors: sample type and shipment. Participants will be charged a flat fee for each sample type they sign up for. In 2013, the price for each sample type is as follows:

Product Cost Per Sample Cost for Series 5-8 Cost for All Series
High Fructose Corn Syrup $58 $233 $465
Corn Syrup $58 $233 $465
Corn Starch $50 $200 $400
Co-products $50 $200 $400
Maltodextrin $50 $200 $400
Citric acid $50 $200 $400

Then, participants will be charged for the cost of shipping samples to their destination. U.S. participants are charged a fee of $8 per shipment, while international participants’ shipping costs vary based on location.

Participant Country Shipping Cost Per Sample Shipping Cost for Series 5-8 Shipping Cost for All Series
Argentina $81 $324 $648
Australia $68 $272 $544
Belgium $81 $324 $648
Brazil $81 $324 $648
Bulgaria $75 $300 $600
China $95 $380 $760
Canada $51 $204 $272
Columbia $55 $220 $440
Chile $55 $220 $440
France $52 $208 $416
Germany $81 $324 $648
Israel $56 $224 $448
Italy $75 $300 $600
Kenya $75 $300 $600
Korea $56 $224 $448
Mexico $46 $184 $368
Netherlands $43 $172 $344
New Zealand $50 $200 $320
Pakistan $55 $220 $440
Peru $75 $300 $600
Poland $75 $300 $600
Russia – DHL $285 $1140 $2224
Russia – UPS $268 $1072 $2120
South Africa $75 $300 $600
Spain $80 $320 $640
Thailand $50 $200 $320
Turkey $103 $412 $824
United Kingdom $43 $172 $344
United States $8 $32 $64

International participants paying by wire transfer will be charged an additional fee of $25 to cover fees associated with those transactions.

If a participant signs up for the program after January 9, 2013, their subscription fee will be prorated for the number of samples they will be receiving. Registration must be received at least two weeks prior to a sample going out for a new participant to participate in that series.

What can I expect once a facility is registered for the program?

Participants will be emailed a confirmation of their enrollment and an invoice (if paying by wire transfer, EFT, or check) or receipt (if paying by credit card/PayPal) once the registration is received. Once enrolled in the program, subscribers will receive samples every six weeks starting in mid-January. Participants will receive information on logging into the Quickbase system for results entry at approximately the same time as the participant’s first samples are shipped. Results will be due four weeks from the day the samples are mailed out. The 2013 schedule is available here:

Series Number Sample Mailing Date Results Due Date
1 January 23, 2013 February 20, 2013
2 March 6, 2013 April 3, 2013
3 April 17, 2013 May 15, 2013
4 May 29, 2013 June 26, 2013
5 July 10, 2013 August 7, 2013
6 August 21, 2013 September 18, 2013
7 October 2, 2013 October 30, 2013
8 November 13, 2013 December 11, 2013

What should a participant do with the samples?

Participants should conduct the tests listed on the results sheet mailed with the samples or provided in advance via email. All tests should be done using the Corn Refiners Association’s (CRA) Analytical Methods or other specified methods. CRA Analytical Methods are available online at http://www.corn.org/publications/industry-resources/analytical-methods.

Once the results for the requested tests are known, they should be entered into the Quickbase system.

When are the results available?

Participants will receive an email when the aggregated results for a series are available online. In general, the reports become available shortly before the next series of samples is shipped.

Independent consultant Silliker Inc. administers the online results reporting and this is done on a strictly confidential basis to ensure there is no disclosure of individual company test results.