In order to promote public education and public safety, equal justice for all, a better informed citizenry, the rule of law, world trade and world peace, this legal document is hereby made available on a noncommercial basis, as it is the right of all humans to know and speak the laws that govern them.
EAS 51:2011
ICS 67.060
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
HS 1001.10.90
© EAC 2011
Second Edition 2001
iDevelopment of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed.
In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner States have enacted an East African Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make provisions for ensuring standardization, quality assurance, metrology and testing of products produced or originating in a third country and traded in the Community in order to facilitate industrial development and trade as well as helping to protect the health and safety of society and the environment in the Community.
East African Standards are formulated in accordance with the procedures established by the East African Standards Committee. The East African Standards Committee is established under the provisions of Article 4 of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the Community.
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides that ―Within six months of the declaration of an East African Standard, the Partner States shall adopt, without deviation from the approved text of the standard, the East African Standard as a national standard and withdraw any existing national standard with similar scope and purpose‖.
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards they are implementing.
© East African Community 2011 — All rights reserved*
East African Community
P O Box 1096
Arusha
Tanzania
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8
Fax: 255-27-2504481/2504255
E-Mail: eac@eachq.org
Web: www.each.int
* © 2011 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs.
iiThis standard has been developed to take into account:
| 1 | Scope | 1 | ||
| 2 | Normative references | 1 | ||
| 3 | Terms and Definitions | 2 | ||
| 4 | Quality requirements | 3 | ||
| 4.1 | General quality requirements | 3 | ||
| 4.2 | Specific requirements | 3 | ||
| 4.2.1 | Grading | 3 | ||
| 4.2.2 | Ungraded wheat grains | 3 | ||
| 5 | Contaminants | 5 | ||
| 5.1 | Heavy metals | 5 | ||
| 5.2 | Pesticide residues | 5 | ||
| 5.3 | Mycotoxin limits | 5 | ||
| 6 | Hygiene | 5 | ||
| 7 | Packaging | 6 | ||
| 8 | Marking or labelling | 6 | ||
| 9 | Sampling | 7 | ||
Wheat grains — Specification
This East African Standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for wheat grains of varieties (cultivars) grown from common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), club wheat (T. compactum Host.), intended for human consumption.
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text constitute provisions of this East African
ISO 605, Pulses — Determination of impurities, size, foreign odours, insects, and species and variety — Test methods
ISO 711, Cereals and cereal products — Determination of moisture content (Basic reference method)
ISO 712, Cereals and cereal products — Determination of moisture content — Routine reference method
ISO 3093, Wheat, rye and respective flours, durum wheat and durum wheat semolina — Determination of the Falling Number according to Hagberg-Perten
ISO 5223, Test sieves for cereals
ISO 6639-1, Cereals and pulses — Determination of hidden insect infestation — Part 1: General principles
ISO 6639-2, Cereals and pulses — Determination of hidden insect infestation — Part 2: Sampling
ISO 6639-3, Cereals and pulses — Determination of hidden insect infestation — Part 3: Reference method
ISO 6639-4, Cereals and pulses — Determination of hidden insect infestation — Part 4: Rapid methods
ISO 7971-1, Cereals — Determination of bulk density, called “mass per hectolitre” — Part 1: Reference method
ISO 7971-2, Cereals — Determination of bulk density, called “mass per hectolitre” — Part 2: Routine method
CODEX Stan 193, Codex general Standards for contaminants and toxins in Food and Feed
ISO 11050, Wheat flour and durum wheat semolina — Determination of impurities of animal origin
ISO 13690, Cereals, pulses and milled products — Sampling of static batches
ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High performance liquid chromatographic method
ISO 20483, Cereals and pulses — Determination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude protein content — Kjeldahl method
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry- Code of practice
EAS 38, Labelling of pre-packaged foods — Specification
EAS 79, Cereals and pulses as grain — Methods of sampling
EAS 217, Methods for the microbiological examination of foods
1For the purpose of this East African Standard, the following definitions shall apply.
grain that consists of 50 percent or more common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), club wheat (T. compactum Host.), and durum wheat (T. Durum Desf.).
Grains and pieces of grain of wheat that will pass readily through a sieve perforated with slots measuring 1.6 mm wide and 9.5 mm long.
Seeds of weeds gazetted as harmful and any other weed, which may be gazetted as harmful in future. This include:
seed of the plant Datura stramonium
seeds of the plant Lolium temulentum
Seeds of the plant genus Avena other than Avena sativa common cultivated oats and Avena byzantina
all organic and inorganic material other than wheat, broken kernels, other grains and filth.
Groups of wheat varieties having baking characteristics, which differ from those of the dominant group.
Wheat varieties having similar baking characteristics as determined from time to time by the national plant breeding station at Njoro.
Shall mean any of the following;
wheat grain discoloured by heat, fermentation, moulds, weather damage or disease but does not include black point which is brown, dark brown or almost black discoloration at the embryo end of the grain.
wheat in which the pericarp covering the embryo has been ruptured.
wheat grain, which has been damaged by any insect or any other pest.
2wheat grain containing in or amongst the grain any form of living and/ or other organism known to be capable of causing damage or spoilage to the grain.
Wheat grains which are distinctly green in colour
Wheat damaged by external heat or as a result of heating caused by fermentation.
wheat, which has about one third or more of its surface, discoloured physically damaged or mouldy due to weather conditions.
Concreted earthy mineral or any other matter derived from the soil and any other matter of similar hardiness.
Wheat which is mouldy, musty or otherwise commercially objectionable or unfit for human consumption.
Wheat grains shall meet the following general requirements/limits as determined using the relevant standards listed in Clause 2. Wheat grains:
Wheat grains shall be graded into four grades on the basis of the tolerable limits established in Table 1 which shall be additional to the general requirements set out in this standard.
Shall be wheat grains which do not fall within the requirements of Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this standard but are not rejected wheat grains.
3Note: For Tanzania and Burundi this requirement shall not apply
| Characteristic | Specification | Method of test | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | |||
| Varietal restriction | Approved varieties only | |||||
| Moisture, max (%) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | ISO 711/712 | |
| Standard of quality | Minimum test weight kg/hl (g/0.5 L) | 79(395) | 75(375) | 70(350) | 65(325) | |
| Protein, min (%) m/m NX5.7@11 % Moisture basis | Hard/strong white | 13.0 | 12.0 | 11.5 | 10.0 | EAS 82 |
| Soft white | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | ||
| Foreign Mater Max(%)m/m) | Total | 0.40 | 0.70 | 1.30 | 2.40 | ISO 605 |
| Unmillable Material Above the Screen (% by wt) | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.60 | ||
| Screenings, Max (% by wt) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.60 | ISO 5223 | |
| Falling Number, Min (sec) | 350 | 300 | 300 | 300 | ||
| Edible grains other than wheat (whole or identifiably broken), (% by wt) | 0.50 | 1.50 | 2.0 | 3.0 | ISO 7970 | |
| Wheat of other classes or varieties (% by wt) | Contrasting classes | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | |
| Total | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | ||
| Defective grains, max (% by count, 300 grain sample, unless otherwise stated | Total Defective | 3.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | ISO 605 |
| Bulk density kg/hl, min | 70 | ISO 7971-1 & 2 | ||||
| Other contaminants, Max | Total Aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1 +AFG2)), ppb | 10 | ISO 16050 | |||
| Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb | 5 | |||||
| Fumonisin – Total ppm(FB1 + FB2 + FB3) | 2 | |||||
Note: Grade 4 to be for only partner states’ domestic use.
Wheat grains shall comply with those maximum limits for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.
Wheat grains shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.
Note: where the use of certain pesticides is prohibited by some Partner States, then it shall be notified to all Partner States accordingly.
Wheat grains shall comply with those maximum mycotoxin limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. In particular, total aflatoxin levels in pearl millet grains for human consumption shall not exceed 10 µg/kg (ppb) with B1 not exceeding 5 µg/kg (ppb) when tested according to ISO 16050.
Wheat grains shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions of appropriate sections of EAS 39
When tested by appropriate standards of sampling and examination listed in Clause 2, the products:
| Type of micro-organism | Limits | Test method | |
|---|---|---|---|
| i) | Yeasts and moulds, max. per g | 104 | EAS 217 |
| ii) | S.aureus per 25 g | Not detectable | |
| iii) | E. Coli, max. per 1 g | Not detectable | |
| iv) | Salmonella, max. per 25 g | Not detectable |
Wheat grains shall be packed in suitable packages which shall be clean, sound, free from insect, fungal infestation and the packing material shall be of food grade quality.
Wheat grains shall be packed in containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the products.
The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product.
Each package shall contain wheat grains of the same type and of the same grade designation.
If wheat grains are presented in bags, the bags shall also be free of pests and contaminants.
Each package shall be securely closed and sealed.
In addition to the requirements in EAS 38, each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following:
Note: EAC partner states are signatory to the International Labour Organizations (ILO) for maximum package weight of 50 kg where human loading and offloading is involved.
6Sampling shall be done in accordance with the EAS 79/ISO 13690.
7