a unit for sampling and quality controlling tobacco items , in particular cigarettes , wherein a sample item , fed by a first conveyor along a first given path , is transferred automatically by a selectively operated spoon - shaped diverter along a second path to a second conveyor tangent to the first path . the sample item is fed to a support in which it is supported in facing relation to an optical control device . the sample item is inspected in the support and the optical control device emits signals as a function of the surface characteristics of the sample item .