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 89:2011
ICS 67.060
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
© EAC 2011
Second Edition 2011
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.
ii| 1 | Scope | 1 |
| 2 | Normative references | 1 |
| 3 | Terms and definitions | 1 |
| 4 | Quality requirements | 1 |
| 5 | Food additives | 2 |
| 6 | Hygiene | 2 |
| 7 | Contaminants | 3 |
| 8 | Packaging | 3 |
| 9 | Labelling | 3 |
| 10 | Methods of sampling | 4 |
Millet flour is commonly used for making porridge. It is also used as a supplement or substitute to maize for special dietary foods such as weaning. Its use has increased in recent years leading to increased production from domestic to commercial.
This standard has therefore been developed to protect the consumer from fraud and from many adulterations that may occur during production which may be hazardous to health. This standard is also formulated to guide the manufacturer in production. The revision was done to update the compositional requirements and microbiological limits with the current international standards as well as the practice in the industries.
ivMillet flour — Specification
This East African Standard specifies requirements and methods of sampling and test for millet flour for human consumption which is obtained from pearl millet of the Senegalese varieties (cultivars) “souna” and “sanio” grown from Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br., proso millet grown from Penicum maliaceum) and finger millet grown from Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertner.
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text constitute provisions of this East African Standard
EAS 38, Labelling of prepackaged foods — Specification
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice
EAS 103, Schedule for permitted food additives
EAS 284, Pearl millet grains — Specification and grading
EAS 41, Fruits, vegetables and derived products
EAS 74, Methods of test for animal feedstuffs
EAS 82, Milled cereal products — Methods of test
EAS 217, Methods for the microbiological examination of foods
ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic method
CODEX Stan 193, Codex general Standards for contaminants and toxins in Food and Feed
ISO 9648, Sorghum – Determination of tannin
ISO 13690, Cereals, pulses and milled products — Sampling of static batches
product destined for human consumption which is obtained from millet grains grown from Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br., Penicum maliaceum and Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertner through a process of milling during which the grain is cleaned, destoned and dehulled and the endosperm is reduced to a sufficiently fine powder.
The millet from which the flour is obtained shall be suitably decorticated and of sound quality, free from sand, have characteristic odour and flavour complying with the relevant East African Standards
1Millet flour shall be safe and suitable for human consumption.
Millet flour shall be free from abnormal flavours, odours, and living insects.
Millet flour shall be free from filth (impurities of animal origins, including dead insects) in amounts which may represent a hazard to human health.
Using a standard method of sifting, not less than 100 per cent of the product shall pass through a sieve the dimension of the mesh of which is: diameter of 500µm for 'fine' flour and diameter of 630µm for 'medium' flour.
The millet flour shall comply with the requirements of Table 1.
| Parameter | Pearl millet | Finger/ proso millet | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture content, % max. m/m | 13 | 13 | EAS 82 |
| Total ash content, % max. | 1.2 | 4.2 | EAS 82 |
| Acid insoluble ash, % max. | 0.40 | 0.40 | EAS 82 |
| Protein content, % min. (N × 5.7) | 8.0 | 6.8 | EAS 74 |
| Crude fat, % max. | 5.0 | 2 | EAS 74 |
| Fibre content, % max. | 1.8 | 3.0 | EAS 82 |
| Calcium % as CaO min. | 0.02 | 0.10 | EAS 82 |
| Tannin content %m/m max. | 0.3 | ISO 9648 | |
| Total Aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1 +AFG2)), ppb max | 10 | ISO 16050 | |
| Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb max | 5 | ||
| Fumonisin ppm max | 2 | ||
The product shall contain only permitted additives complying with EAS 103.
Millet flour shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions of appropriate sections of EAS 39.
When tested by appropriate methods of sampling and examination, the product:
The product shall be free from pathogenic micro-organism and shall comply with microbiological limits in Table 2.
| Sl. No. | Micro-organism | Maximum limit | Methods of test |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) | Total aerobic count per g | 105 | EAS 217 |
| (ii) | E. Coli per 1 g | Not detectable | EAS 217 |
| (iii) | Salmonella per 25 g | Not detectable | EAS 217 |
| (iv) | Yeast and Moulds cfu/g | 104 | EAS 217 |
| (V) | S.aureus per 25 g | Not detectable | EAS 217 |
Millet flour shall comply with those maximum limits for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.
Millet flour 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.
Millet flour 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.
Millet flour shall be packaged in containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological, and organoleptic qualities of the product.
The containers, including packaging material, shall be food grade.
When the product is packaged in sacks, these must be clean, sturdy and strongly sewn or 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 50kg where human loading and offloading is involved.
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the ISO 13690.
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