DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  DUS DARS  463 
First  Edition  
2022 -mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DARS 463: 2022  
 
© UNBS 2022  
   
Pearl millet grains — Specification  
 
 
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  463: 2022  
ii                © UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsib le for its correct application  
© UNBS 2022  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
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PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  463: 2022  
© UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of t he Laws of Uganda, as amended. UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisati on for Standardisation (ISO);   
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standard s; and  
(c) the National Enquiry Poin t on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of represent atives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the com ments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Draft Uganda Standard , DUS DARS 463:2022 , Pearl millet grains — Specification , is identical with a nd is 
being reproduced from an African  Standard , DARS 463:2022 , Pearl millet grains — Specification , and is 
proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 203, Cereals, pulses and 
related products and pr ocesses . 
Wherever the words, “African  Standard " appear, they should  be replaced by "Uganda Standard ". 
  
 
   
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTAFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
463  
Third  Edition 20 22 
 
 Reference No. ARS 463:2022(E) 
ICS 67.060  
 
 
© ARSO 202 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pearl millet grains — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 463:202 2 
ii © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  1 
3 Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2 
4 Quality requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  3 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
4.2.1  Graded pearl millet  ................................ ................................ ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
4.2.2  Ungraded pearl millet  ................................ ................................ . Error! Bookmark not defined.  
4.2.3  Reject grade pearl millet  ................................ ............................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  4 
5.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  4 
5.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  4 
5.3 Mycotoxin limits  ................................ ................................ ..........  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
6 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 4 
8 Marking or labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
9 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 
Annex A (normative)  Determination of ergot ................................ ................................ ..........................  6 
A.1 Test for presence of ergot in food grains  ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
A.2 Determination of quantity of ergot ( Claviceps purpurea  Tul.) ................................ ....................  6 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  10 
 
  DARS 463:202 2 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARS) is an African intergovernmental organization made 
up of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of African 
Unity (AU). One of the fundamental mandates of ARSO is to develop and harmoniz e African Standards 
(ARS) for the purpose of enhancing Africa’s internal trading capacity, increase Africa’s product and 
service competitiveness globally and uplift the welfare of African communities.  The work of preparing 
African  Standa rds is normally carried out through ARSO  technical committees. Each Member State  
interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be 
represented on that committee. International organizations, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), 
governmental and non -governmental  organizations , in liaison with ARSO , also take part in the work.  
 
ARSO  Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.  
 
The main task of technical committees is to prepare ARSO  Standards. Draft ARSO  Standards adopted 
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an ARSO  
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bo dies casting a vote.  
 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the  elements of this document may be the subject of 
patent rights. ARSO  shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 
This African Standard was prepare d by the ARSO Technical Committee on Cereals, pulses and derived  
products  ARSO TC 12  
 
This African Standard is a technical revision of the earlier ARS 463: 2016 (E), Standard for pearl millet 
grains which is hereby superseded and cancelled.  
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation  2022 — All rights reserved* 
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel. +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-311641, +254 -20-311608  
Fax: +254 -20-218792  
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
                                                 
* 2022 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs. 
 DARS 463:202 2 
iv © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved   
Copyright notice  
 
This ARSO document is copyright -protected by ARSO. While the reproduction of this document 
by participants in the ARSO standards development process is permitted without prior permission 
from ARSO, neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or 
transmitted in any form for any other purpose without prior writt en permission from ARSO.  
 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be 
addressed as shown below or to ARSO’s member body in the country of the requester:  
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2022— All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-311641, +254 -20-311608  
Fax: +254 -20-218792  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
 
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be p rosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 463:202 2 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  v Introduction  
 
Of all the world's cereals, pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ) is the sixth most important. It is a staple 
food in many African countries as well as India. Today, pearl millet is planted on some 14 million 
hectares in Africa and 14 million hectares in Asia. Global  production of its grain probably exceeds 10 
million tons a year, to which India contributes nearly half. At least 500 million people depend on pearl 
millet for their lives.  
 
Pearl millet is supremely adapted to heat and aridity and, for all its current de cline, seems likely to spring 
back as the world gets hotter and drier. Perhaps the best of all ''life -support" grains, pearl millet thrives 
where habitats are harsh. Of all the major cereals, it is the one most able to tolerate extremes of heat 
and drought . It yields reliably in regions too hot and too dry to consistently support good yields of maize 
(or even sorghum). These happen to be the regions most desperately in need of help.  
 
Pearl millet is easy to grow. It suffers less from diseases than sorghum,  maize, or other grains. Also, it 
has fewer insect pests.  
 
The widespread impression that pearl millet grain is essentially an animal feed, unpalatable to all but 
the desperately hungry, is wrong. The grain is actually a superior foodstuff, containing at l east 9 percent 
protein and a good balance of amino acids. It has more oil than maize and is a "high -energy" cereal. It 
has neither the tannins nor the other compounds that reduce digestibility in sorghum.  
 
Pearl millet is also a versatile foodstuff. It is used mainly as a whole, cracked, or ground flour; a dough; 
or a grain like rice. These are made into unfermented breads ( roti), fermented foods ( kisra  and 
gallettes ), thin and thick porridges ( toh), steam -cooked dishes ( couscous ); non-alcoholic  beverages, 
and snacks.  
 
Grain from certain cultivars is roasted whole and consumed directly. The staple food of the mountainous 
regions in Niger is millet flour mixed with dried dates and dried goat cheese. This nutritious mixture is 
taken on long journeys across the  Sahara and eaten mixed with water —no cooking required.  This 
standard has been revised to take into account:  
a) the needs of the market for the product;  
b) the need to facilitate fair domestic, regional and international trade and prevent technical 
barriers to trade by establishing a common trading language for buyers and sellers;  
c) the structure of the CODEX, UNECE, USA, ISO and other internationally significant standards;  
d) the needs of the producers in gaining knowledge of market standards, conformity assessment,  
commercial cultivars and crop production process;  
e) the need to transport the product in a manner that ensures keeping of quality until it reaches 
the consumer;  
f) the need for the plant protection authority to certify, through a simplified form, that the prod uct 
is fit for cross -border and international trade without carrying plant disease vectors;  
g) the need to promote good agricultural practices that will enhance wider market access, 
involvement of small -scale traders and hence making farming a viable means of  wealth 
creation; and  
h) the need to ensure a reliable production base of consistent and safe crops that meet customer 
requirements . 
 
  
 
 
 DARS 463:202 2(E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  1  
Pearl millet grains — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
 This African Standard specifies the requirements, methods of sampling and test for whole and 
decorticated pearl millet of the of the species Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. intended for food 
consumption . This standard also specifies grading requirements for pearl millet grains . It does not apply 
to processed pearl  millet.  
 
 
2 Normative references  
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
ARS 53, General principles of food hygiene — Code of practice  
 
ARS 56, Prepac kaged foods — Labelling  
 
AOAC Official Method 2001.04, Determination of Fumonisins B 1 and B 2 in corn and corn flakes — Liquid 
chromatography with immunoaffinity column cleanup  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed 
 
ISO 520, Cereals and pulses — Determination of the mass of 1000 grains  
 
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 6561 -1, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of cadmium content — Part 1: 
Method using gr aphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry  
 
ISO 6561 -2, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of cadmium content — Part 2: 
Method using flame atomic absorption spectrometry  
 
ISO 6633, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of lead content — Flameless 
atomic absorption spectrometric method  
 
ISO 9648, Sorghum — Determination of tannin  
 
ISO 16050,  Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B 1, and the total content of aflatoxin B 1, B2, G1 and 
G2 in cer eals, nuts and derived products  — High performance liquid chromatographic method  
 
ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or 
equal to 0.95  
 
ISO 24333, Cereals and cereal products — Sampling  
 
ISO 27085, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 463:202 2 
2 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, arsenic, lead and cadmi um by ICP -
AES 
ISO 5984 , Animal feeding stuffs -- Determination of crude ash  
 
ISO 7251 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
 
ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
 
 
3 Terms and Definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following terms and definitions apply.  
 
3.1 
pearl millet grain  
whole or decorticated  grain of the species Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.  
 
3.2 
whole grains  
grains of pearl millet obtained after proper threshing  
 
3.3 
decorticated grains  
grains of pearl millet from which the outer parts have been removed in an appropriate manner using  
suitable technology method.  
 
3.4 
foreign matter  
all organic and inorganic material (such as plant parts, sand, soil, glass) other than pearl  millet grains  
 
3.5 
other edible grains  
edible grains (including oil seeds) other than the one which is under consideration  
 
3.6 
insect or pest damaged grains  
kernels with obvious weevil -bored holes or which have evidence of boring or tunnelling, indicating the 
presence of insects, insect webbing or insect refuse, or degermed grains, chewed in one or more than 
one part of the kernel which exhibit evident traces of an attack by rodents, birds, mites, etc.  
 
3.7 
immature and shrivel led grains  
grains that are not properly developed  
 
3.8 
weevilled grains  
grains that are partially or wholly bored by insects injurious to grains but does not include germ eaten 
grains and egg spotted grains  
 
3.9 
poisonous, toxic and/or harmful seeds  
seed which if present in quantities above permissible limit may have damaging or dangerous effect on 
health, organoleptic properties or technological performance such as Jimson weed — Datura ( D. 
fastuosa  Linn and D. stramonium  Linn.) corn co ckle ( Agrostemma githago  L., Machai Lallium 
remulenum  Linn.) Akra (Vicia  species) , Argemone mexicana , Khesari and other seeds that are 
commonly recognized as harmful to health  
 
3.10  DARS 463:202 2(E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  3 extraneous matter  
foreign matter/extraneous matter  
all organic and inorganic material other than pearl millet  
 
3.11  
food grade packag ing materials  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which 
will not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
Pearl millet  shall meet the following general requirements : 
 
a) the dried mature grains of Pennisetum (glaucum) americanum Linn;  
 
b) clean, wholesome, uniform in size  and colour .  
 
c) Pearl Millet grain shall be practically free from foreign odours, live pests, toxic or noxious seeds, 
and other injurious contaminants as determined from samples representative of the lot.  
 
d) free from abnormal flavours, obnoxious smell  and discolouration .  
 
e) free from poisonous, toxic and/or harmful seeds in amounts that may constitute a hazard to 
human health.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
 
Pearl millet grain shall comply with maximum limits given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the 
test methods  specified therein.’’  
 
Table 1 — Specific requirements for pearl millet grains  
 
S/NO  Characteristic  Grade  Method of test  
1 2 3 
1 
 Foreign matter, whole 
grains, % m/m, max. Organic  
 0.35 
 0.75 
 1 
  
 
 
ISO 605  2 Foreign matter, decorticated, % m/m, max. 0.5 0.5 0.5 
3 Filth, % m/m, max  0.1  0.1  0.1  
4 Other edible grains, % m/m, max. 2.0 2.5 3.0 
5 Damaged grain, % m/m, max.   1.0 2.0 4.0 
6 Immature and shrivelled, % m/m, max.  3.0 5.0 8.0 
7 Weevilled grains % by count , max 2.5 4.0 6.0 
8 Moisture content, %  m/m,  max 13.5 13.5 13.5 ISO 711/712  
9 Ergot affected grains %m/m , max 0.05 Annex A  
10 Total ash (decorticated) % by dry mass , max  1.0 ISO 5984  
11 Tannin content, % by mass, max.   0.5  ISO 9648  
12 1000 Kernel weight, g  
a. Whole millet grains  
 
b. Decorticated millet grains   
5.0 to 10.0  
 
4.0 to 8.0     
ISO 520  
 
 
ISO 520  DARS 463:202 2 
4 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  13 Decortication %m/m max  20 Undefined  
14 Total Aflatoxin (AFB 1+AFB 2+AFG 1 +AFG 2)), 
ppb max  10 ISO 16050  
 
15 Aflatoxin B 1 only, ppb max  5 
16 Fumonisin , ppm max  2 AOAC Official 
Method 2001.04  
  
 
 
5 Contaminants  
 
5.1 Heavy metals  
 
Pearl millet grains shall comply with those maximum limits for metal contaminants specified in CODEX 
STAN 193 and in particular those listed in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Heavy Metal contaminants  for Pearl millet grains  
 
S/N Parameter  Limit (ppm max)  Test method  
(1) Lead (Pb)  0.1 ISO 6633  
(2) Cadmium (Cd)  0.02 ISO 6561 -1 or ISO 6561 -2 
 
5.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Pearl millet grains  shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
 
6 Hygiene  
 
Pearl millet shall be produced and handled under hygienic conditions in accordance with ARS 53  
 
 
7 Weights and meas urements  
 
Pearl millet  grains shall be packaged in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of the 
destination country.  
 
NOTE Maximum package weight of 50 kg where human loading and offloading is involved’  
 
 
8 Packaging  
 
8.1 Pearl millet grains  shall be packed in food grade packaging materials which shall be clean, 
sound, free from insect and fungal infestation, and the packing material shall be securely closed 
and sealed.  
 
8.3 Each package shall contain pearl millet grains  of the same type and of the same grade 
designation.  
 
8.4 If pearl millet grains are  presented in bags, the bags shall also be free of pests and 
contaminants.  
 
 
9  Labelling  
 DARS 463:202 2(E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  5 The following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly an d indelibly marked in 
accordance with the requirements of ARS 56 : 
: 
 
i) product name as “ Whole Pearl Millet Grains ” or “Decorticated Pearl Millet Grains ; 
 
ii) variety;  
 
iii) grade;  
 
iv) name, address and physical location of the producer / packer/importer;  
 
v) lot/batch/code number;  
 
vi) net weight, metric unit ;  
 
vii) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’;  
 
viii) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’;  
 
ix) crop year;  
 
x)  best before date’  
 
xi) instructions o n disposal of used package;  
 
xii) country of origin;  
 
xiii)  a declaration on whether the pearl millet was genetically engineered or not  
 
 
10 Sampling  
 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the ISO 24333 . 
 
  DARS 463:202 2 
6 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  Annex A  
(normative)  
 
Determination of ergot  
 
 
A.1 Test for presence of ergot in food grains  
 
A.1.1 Reagents  
 
(a) Petroleum ether  — 40 – 60 °C 
 
(b) Solvent ether  
 
(c) Dilute Ammonia  10 % (v/ v)  
 
(d) Tartaric acid solution  — 1 % (freshly prepared)  
 
(e) p-dimethyl amino benzaldehyde (PDAB)  — Dissolve 0.125 gm of PDAB in  a cold mixture of 
65 ml of conc sulphuric acid and 35 ml of distilled water.  
 
Add 0.1 ml of 5 % Ferric chloride solution and let it stand for 24 hours  before use.  
 
A.1.2 Apparatus  
 
(a) Grinding mill  
 
(b) Electric shaker  
 
A.1.3 Procedure  
 
Grind about 50 gm of sample in the grinding mill to a fine powder. Take 10 gm  of powdered sample in 
a stoppered conical flask. Add sufficient petroleum ether  and shake for half an hour in the electric 
shaker. Allow to settle and decant off  the petroleum ether. Dry the material in air. Add to the material 8 
ml of dilute  ammonia and sufficient quantity of solvent ether. Again,  shake for ½ hour. Filter  ether portion 
in a beaker and concentrate to a small volume. Add 2 ml of tartaric  acid solution t o the beaker and 
shake thoroughly.  Mix 1 ml of this tartaric acid – sample solution with 1 or 2 ml of p -dimethyl 
benzaldehyde solution.  
 
The appearance of blue colour indicates presence of ergot. 
 
A.2 Determination of quantity of ergot ( Claviceps purpurea  Tul.)  
 
A.2.1 Objective and field of application  
 
The method is used for both qualitative and quantitative determination of ergot  in food and feed . The 
method is suitable for the examination of  food and feed  of different particle sizes. In pelleted feedingstuff 
only qualitative  determination is possible.  
 
A.2.2 Principle  
 
Ergot in food and feed  is determined by the macroscopic and microscopic  identification of the ergot 
sclerotia and fragments. Quantification is done by  weighing the amount of identified sclerotia and 
fragments with a particle size >0.5 mm.  
 
A.2.3 Reagents  
 
A.2.3.1 Chloral hydrate,  = 60%  
 DARS 463:202 2(E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  7 A.2.3.2 Sodium hydroxide (pelleted)  
 
A.2.3.3 Potassium hydroxide (pelleted)  
 
A.2.3.4 Ethanol,  = 50%  
 
A.2.3.5 Acetone  
 
The reagents listed can be replaced by others which produce comparable  results.  
 
A.2.4 Equipment and accessories  
 
A.2.4.1 Optical equipment  
 
A.2.4.1.1  Stereo microscope (up to 70x magnification)  
 
A.2.4.1.2  Magnifier (up to 10x magnification)  
 
A.2.4.2 Mortar and pestle  
 
A.2.4.3 Sieves fitted with wire nettings or perforations with different mesh sizes  (e.g. 2.0 mm, 1.0 mm, 
0.5 mm, 0.25 mm) and collecting tray;  recommended additional equipment: sieve towers, sieve shaker  
 
A.2.4.4 Analytical balance (accuracy 0.001 g)  
 
A.2.4.5 Oven (up to 130 °C)  
 
A.2.4.6 Laboratory glassware  
 
A.2.4.7 Filters (e.g. paper, gaze)  
 
A.2.4.8 Freeze dryer  
 
A.2.4.9 Hot plate or Bunsen burner  
 
A.2.4.10 Reference material  
 
A.2.5 Procedure  
 
The examination is performed in non -pelleted food and feed. Pelleted food and feed have to be 
depelleted before examination ( A.2.4.2; A.2.8.1).  
 
Qualitative determination of the sclerotia is performed macroscopically and  microscopically considering 
ergot a nd its fragments in both the sieve fraction >0.5mm and < 0.5mm.  
 
Quantification is performed by selecting and weighing of ergot and its  fragments with a particle size 
>0.5mm out of the laboratory sample or an  aliquot of it.  
 
A.2.5.1 Preparation of the laboratory sample  
 
A.2.5.1.1  Whole kernel feedstuff (at least 250g) are weighed ( A.2.4.4) and used directly for the 
investigation ( A.2.5.2 and A.2.5.3).  
 
A.2.5.1.2  Non-pelleted feedstuff (at least 10g) are weighed ( A.2.4.4) and fractionated by  sieving. The 
obtained fractions > 0.5mm and  0.5mm are weighed ( A.2.4.4).  
 
A.2.5.2 Identification of ergot  
 
Ergot sclerotia are identified based on their characteristic features. The  identification may be facilitated 
by comparison to reference material ( A.2.4.10) and existing descriptions.  DARS 463:202 2 
8 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved   
Morphology : Ergot sclerotia  Tul. are elongated with a length up to  several centimetres, coloured dark 
violet to black. The shape is similar to  cereal kernels. They only consist of fungal hyphae.  
 
Anatomy : Cross sections through the random parts of ergot sclerotia  show very small, narrow 
interconnected hyphae which yield a dense  pseudoparenchymatic tissue. The cells contain lots of fat 
oil. The outer  layers of the hyphae are coloured dark violet to black, whereas the inner  parts are coloured 
light pink to violet.  
 
For the identification of ergot fragments in the sieve fractions <0.5mm  the following colour reaction can 
be used. This staining procedure is only  applicable to fresh sclerotia material.  
 
A filter paper i s soaked with a solution of 3ml ethanol ( A.2.3.4) and 2 sodium hydroxide pellets ( A.2.3.2) 
or 2 potassium hydroxide pellets ( A.2.3.3). The sample is distributed on the filter paper.  
 
After app. 5 min. a red -violet halo around the ergot fragments is observed.  
 
The dark violet colouring of the outer hyphae layers is dissolved also in chloralhydrate ( A.2.3.1) and 
colours it violet.  
 
A.2.5.3 Quantification  
 
The quantification of ergot is performed using the sieve fractions > 0.5  mm. 
 
Material identified as ergot in each fraction is selected and weighed. An aliquot of the sieved fractions 
may be used if necessary. The ergot content of the fractions >0.5mm is summarized and expressed in 
mg/kg feedstuff ( A.2.6.1).  
 
A.2.6 Calculation and report  
 
A.2.6.1 Calculation  
 
The amount of ergot fragments in mg/kg (ppm) feedstuff (original  sample) is calculated using the 
following formula:  
 
EBCC1000
 [mg/kg]  
 
C = amount of component in mg/kg feedstuff (ppm)  
 
BC = selected fragments of component in the  laboratory sample or an aliquot of it [mg]  
 
E = total weight of the laboratory sample or an examined aliquot  of the laboratory sample [g]  
 
A.2.6.2 Report  
 
A.2.6.2.1  Negative result:  
 
As far as was discernible using a microscope, ergot was not found in the  submitted sample.  
 
A.2.6.2.2  Positive result:  
 
As far as was discernible using a microscope xx mg ergot/kg feedstuff  were found in the submitted 
sample. For quantification ergot particles >0.5 mm are considered.  
 
A.2.6.2.3  Possible adding to the report:  
 
In pelleted feedstuff only qualitative determination of ergot is  possible.  
 DARS 463:202 2(E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  9 A.2.8 Remarks  
 
A.2.8.1 For the identification of ergot in pelleted feedstuffs , the sample is depleted using either of the 
following procedures:   
 
(a) At least 10 g of the pressed material is mixed with at least three times as much water. The 
suspension is stirred up several times and left standing until the pellets disintegrate. Then the 
depelletised material is filtered ( A.2.4.7) and dried at room temperature or freeze -dried 
(A.2.4.8).  
 
(b) For depelletising at high humidity pressed material (at least 10 g) is left standing in humid 
atmosphere at 70 °C ( A.2.4.5) until the pellets disintegrate. The material is crushed, sieved 
(A.2.4.3) and dried at room temperature immediately to p revent the particles from sticking 
together again.  
 
A.2.8.2 Ergot are the permanent forms or sclerotia of ergot which mainly occur  in rye, more seldom in 
wheat, triticale and barley.  
 
A.2.8.3 This method also is suitable for the examination of raw material  and food.  
 
 
 
 
  DARS 463:202 2 
10 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  Bibliography  
 
 
EAS 284 :2012, Pearl millet grains — Specification  
 
CODEX STAN 169:1987 (Rev.1:1995), Whole and decorticated pearl millet grains  
 
 
CODEX STAN 228:2001 (Rev.1:2004), General methods of analysis for contaminants  
 
 DARS 463:20 22 
© ARSO 20 22 — All rights reserved