KENYA STANDARD                       DKS 2087: 202 3 
                           ICS 67.060  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kenya pishori milled rice  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 2023          Third  Edition 202 3 
 
 
 
 DKS 2087: 20 23                                                                                                        
 
ii                    © KEBS 2023  — All rights reserved  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Tec hnical Committee:  
 
Agriculture and Food Authority — Food Crop Directorate  
Eastern African grain council  
National Public and Health Laboratories  
Ministry of Health – Department of public health  
Government Chemist  
Ministry of Agriculture, livestock and F isheries  
National Cereals and produce board  
Capwell industries  
Unga ltd  
Mombasa Maize Millers  
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute  
University of Nairobi  
Kenya Bureau of Standards  — Secretariat . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. Suggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 20 23 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyr ight 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Sec tion 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in  writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
          ICS 67.060  
 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD                                         DKS 2087: 202 3 
 © KEBS 20 23 — All rights reserved            iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kenya pishori milled rice  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254  020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020)  604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http: //www.kebs.org   
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
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Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814         
 
 
 
 
 
 DKS 2087: 20 23                                                                                                        
 
iv                    © KEBS 2023  — All rights reserved   
 
Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard has been prepared by the Cereals and Pulses Technical Committee under the 
guidance of the Standards Project Committee and it is in accordance with the  procedures of the Kenya 
Bureau of Standards.  
 
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (KS 2087:2009), which has been technically 
revised.  
Kenya p ishori is valued for its distinct aroma, taste and fine cooking qualities as a non -glutinous rice variety. 
Thus Kenya p ishori has also been used for blending to improve quality of other rice varieties offered for sale 
to the consumers.  
 
However, there has emerged a malpractice of blending rice of inferior quality wi th certain proportion of Ken ya 
pishori and se lling the blends as pure Kenya p ishori. The revision  of this standard is therefore gea red 
towards identifying “Kenya p ishori”  as a national heritage, eliminating the associated marketing malpractices 
and safeguarding the interests of the s takeholders as well as guaranteeing the enhanced safety of the 
consumers.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following  documents : 
 
 MS 225:1974  Specification for milled rice.  
 
 Standard for milled rice (Federal Grain Inspe ction service USDA) – USA, 1983 . 
 
 Pakistan Standard: Specif ication for Rice – PS 3342:1993 . 
 
 Codex Stand ard for Rice, Codex Stan 198 , 1995 . 
 
 Forum for Agricultural Research for Africa in Accra, Ghana (FARA) , 2004 . 
 
 University of Arkansas Rice Processin g Program (UARPP) , 2004 . 
 
 International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Phillipines (IRRI) , 2005 . 
 
 West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) , 2005 . 
              
            East African Standard 123 - Milled rice - specification  
 
 
Acknowledgemen t is hereby made for the assistance derived from these sources . 
 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD            DKS 2087: 202 3 
© KEBS 20 23 — All rights reserved                      1  
 
Kenya pishori milled rice — Specification  
 
1 Scope  
 
This Kenya Standard specifies the requirements, classification, grading and prescribes methods of tests for 
Kenya pishori milled rice (Oryza sativa ) intended  for human consumption.  
 
 
2 Normative  References  
 
CODEX STAN 193,  General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Requirements  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufactu ring industry — Code of practice    
EAS 764, Rough (paddy) rice — Specification  
EAS 765, Brown rice — Specification  
EAS 900 , Cereals  and pulse s — Sampling   
EAS 901, Cereals and pulses — Test methods  
 
3 Definition s 
 
For the purpose s of this standard, the fol lowing definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
Kenya pishori rice  
shall be paddy or milled rice of varieties “NIBAM 10 ” and “ NIBAM 11 ” as designate in research circles, and 
any other variety duly approved and released by  Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization , 
as a “Kenya Pishori ” variety for commercial production   and exclusively grown  in Kenya.  
 
 
3.2 
paddy  
 
whole or broken unhulled kernels of rice ( Oryza spp)  
 
3.3 
hull/husk  
outer cover of the paddy  grain  
 
3.4 
de-husking  
the process of removing hu sk from the paddy  
 
3.5 
polishing  
the process of intentionally removing bran layers from de -husked paddy  
 
3.6 
milling  
the process of de -husking and/ or polishing  
 
3.7 
brown rice  DKS 2087: 20 23 
            
                              © KEBS 20 23— All rights reserved  2 rice from which only the outermost layer (husk) of a grain has been removed  
 
3.8 
milled rice  
whole or broken kernels of rice ( Oryza spp) from which the germ, embryo or at least the outer bran layer 
have been intentionally removed  
 
3.9 
polished rice   
brown rice from which most of the bran layer h as been   intentionally removed  
 
3.10 
kernel  
the ed ible portion of the paddy grain  
 
3.11 
whole kernel  
a processed  rice grain which is not broken  
 
 
3.12 
glutinous rice  
a rice variety having amylose content below 2  % and characterized by a white and opaque appearance and 
a tendency of sticking to gether on cooking  
 
3.13 
non-glutinous rice  
a variety of rice having amylose content above 2  % characterized by a hard translucent appearance which 
breaks with a clean vitreous fracture, and does not have the tendency of sticking together after cooking  
 
3.14 
chalky kernels  
kernels, whole or broken, except for glutinous rice, of which at least 75  % of the surface h as an opaque, 
floury appearance  
 
3.15 
immature grain  
unripe and/or undeveloped whole or broken kernel  
 
3.16 
red kernel   
head rice or broken kernel  having a red bran covering more than 25 % of its surface  
 
3.17  
red streaked kernels  
head rice or broken kernel with red bran streaks of length greater than or equal to 50 % of that whole kernel, 
but where the surface covered by these red streaks is less than 25 % of the total surface  
 
 
3.18 
head rice  
whole kernel or part of the kernel with a length greater than or equal to 75 % of the average length of the test 
sample kernels  
 
3.19 
broken rice  
pieces of rice that are less than three -quarters of a whole  kernel and includes grains of rice in which part of 
the endosperm is exposed or rice without a germ. If the piece is more than three -quarters of a kernel it is 
considered as head rice.  
 
3.20                        DKS 2087: 2 023 
 
 
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 large broken kernel  
part of kernel with a length less than thre e-quarters but greater than one half of the average length of the test 
sample kernels  
 
3.21 
medium broken kernel  
part of kernel with a length less than or equal to one half but greater than one quarter of the average length 
of the test sample kernels (see  Figure 1)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key  
 
a Not passing through a round perforation of 1.4 mm in diameter  
 
L is the average length  
 
Figure 1 — Size of kernels, broken kernels and chips  
 
 
 
3.22 
finely broken rice/chips  
broken kernels of milled rice, of less than 25 % of th e average length of the whole kernel  
 
3.23 
damaged kernels  
kernels, whole or broken which are distinctly damaged by insects, water, fungi or any other causative agents 
other than those caused by the milling process.  They  include stained, spotted and yello w grains  
 
 
 
3.24 
parboiled rice  
paddy which has been steeped in water, steamed and dried before husks are removed and subsequently 
polished with a view to enhancing its nutrition value  
 
3.25 
bran 
a product from the milling of rice, consisting of the outer (peric arp) layers of the kernel and part of the germ  DKS 2087: 20 23 
            
                              © KEBS 20 23— All rights reserved  4  
3.26 
immature kernels  
unripe and/or undeveloped whole or broken kernel which may be green in colour  
 
 
3.27  
foreign matter  
all organic and inorganic material  
 
3.28 
inorganic matter  
stones, glass, pie ces of soil and other mineral matter  
 
3.29  
organic matter  
any animal or plant matter (seed coats, straws, weeds) other than rice, damaged rice, other grains, inorganic 
extraneous matter and harmful/toxic seeds  
 
3.30  
filth  
impurities of animal origin  
 
3.31 
objectionable rice   
rice which is mouldy, musty or chemically contaminated and unfit for human consumption  
 
3.32 
other rice varieties   
whole or broken kernels of rice with different grain characteristics in size, shape  and aroma from “Kenya 
pishori ” 
 
3.33 
food grade packaging material  
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 Classification  
 
4.1 Kenya pisho ri milled rice shall be classified based on length, shape and mass as indicated, when 
tested according to EAS 901 . 
 
4.2 Kenya pishori Milled rice shall be of the following grain types based on the length of the kernel:  
 
4.2.1 Extra long grain  
 
Having an ave rage kernel length of 7.00 mm and above.  
 
4.2.2 Long grain  
 
Grain with average kernel length of 6.00 mm and 6.99  mm. 
 
4.2.3 Medium g rain  
 
Grain with an average kernel length of 5.0 mm to 5.99 mm.  
 
4.2.4 Short g rain  
 
Grain with average kernel length of le ss than 5.00 mm.  
                        DKS 2087: 2 023 
 
 
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4.3 Pishori  milled rice shall be of the following types based on the shape of the kernel:  
 
4.3.1 Slender  
 
Milled rice having a kernel lengt h over three times its breadth.  Also known as long grain rice.  
 
4.3.2  Medium   
 
Milled rice having  a kernel length/width ratio between 2.1 and 2.9 . 
 
4.3.3  Bold  
 
Milled rice having a kernel length/width ratio between 1.1 and 2.0 . 
 
4.3.4 Round  
 
Milled rice having a kernel length/width ratio le ss than 1.1 . 
 
4.4 Milled rice shall be of the following type b ased on the mass of the kernel:  
 
4.4.1 Extra h eavy  
 
1 000 whole milled kernels with 14 % moisture content weighing over 25 g.  
 
4.4.2 Heavy   
 
1 000 whole milled kernels with 14 % moisture content weighing 20 g to 25 g.  
 
4.4.3 Light  
 
1 000 whole milled kerne ls with 14 % moisture content weighing under 20 g.  
 
 
5.1 Quality requirements  
 
5.1 General requirements  
 
Kenya pishori  milled rice  shall have the following characteristics : 
 
5.1.1 Shall be milled rice obtained only from such paddy  or  brown rice that com plies with EAS 764 and EAS 
765   
 
5.1.2 Shall be obtained from paddy of moisture content not more than 14  %. 
 
5.1.3 Shall fall under the classification “long grain ” as defined in 3. 2.2. 
 
5.1.4 Shall fall under the classification “slender grain ” as defined in 3.3.1. 
 
5.1.5 Shall fall under the classification “light grain ” as defined in 3. 4.3. 
 
5.1.6 Shall be non -glutinous as defined in 2.13 . 
 
5.1.7 Shall have a minimum amylose content of 10  % when tested according to Annex A.  
 
5.1.8 Shall not contain any for eign varieties beyond the limits stated in Table 1 . 
 
5.1.9 Shall be of uniform colour, and desirable appearance.  
 
5.1.10 Shall have a typical flavour  and be free from rancid taste.  DKS 2087: 20 23 
            
                              © KEBS 20 23— All rights reserved  6  
5.1.11 Shall have a typical aroma  when tested according to Annex B.  Additi on of artificial aroma is 
prohibited . 
 
5.1.12 Shall be free from  unpleasant or repulsive odours.  
 
5.1. 13 The use of Kenya p ishori milled rice for the purposes of blending shall be limited only to the  guide -
lines stipulated in the KS 2086 , Varieties b lend milled rice — Specification.  
 
5.1.14 Kenya pishori milled rice shall be free from all contaminants and adulterants  such as but not limited to 
insects, rodents and their derivatives.  
 
 
5.2 Specific  quality requirements/limits  
 
“Kenya p ishori milled rice “ shall comply with the specifications on Table 1.  
 
Table 1 — Specific quality  requirements/ limits  for Kenya pishori milled rice 
 
 
SL No.  
Grading f actor  
 
 
 Grade r equirement/l imits  
  
Test 
method  
 EAS 901  Premium  Grade  
1 Grade  
2 Grade  
3 
 
i)  
Moisture con tent, % m/m , max.   
14 
  
Clause 5  
      Clause 4  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
iii)  
Broken, % m/m , max.   
5 15  
25  
35 
 
iv)  
Chalky/green immature grains  
, % m/m , max.   
1  
 3  
 5   
10 
 
v)  
Red or red streaked , 
 % m/m , max.   
Nil 
  
Nil 
  
0.25  
0.5 
 
vi)  
Foreig n varieties  
 %, m/m max.   
Nil  
Nil  
1  
2 
 
vii)  
Foreign and extraneous matter,  
 % m/m max.   
Nil 
  
0.2 
  
0.3  
 
0.6 
 Inorganic matter  0.1 
 filth 
 
viii) Paddy , (grains per 1 000)  
 by count  (or % m/m), max.  
3 
(0.03)   
 
30 
(0.3) 
 
ix)  
Damaged grains ,  
 % m/m max .  
1  
1.5  
2  
3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.0 contaminants  
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 6.1 Pesticide residues  
 Pishori Milled rice shall comply with pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commissio n  for this commodity.  
 
6.2 Other contaminants  
 
6.2.1 Pishori Milled rice shall comply with limits for heavy metals specified in CODEX STAN 193 established 
by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
6.2.2 Pishori Milled rice shall comply with limits for mycotoxins given in Table 2 when tested in accordance 
with the test met hods specified therein.  
 
Table 2 — Mycotoxin limits for  pishori milled rice  
 
 
S/NO   Mycotoxin  Maximum limit  Test method  
EAS 901  
 
i.  
  
 Total aflatoxins (AFB 1+AFB 2+AFG 1 +AFG 2)), μg/kg  10  
 
Clause 9 or 10  
 
  
ii.  
  
Aflatoxin B 1, μg/kg   
5 
 
 
 
7 Hygie ne 
 
7.1 Pishori  rice shall be produced,  prepared  and handled  in accordance with  EAS 39. 
 
7.2 Pishori  rice shall  comply  with the limits  given in Table  3 when tested in accordance  with the test 
methods  specified  therein.  
       
                  Table  3 ― Micro-orga nisms limits  for milled   pishori rice 
 
S/N Micro -organism  Limit  Test method  
i. Escherichia coli , in cfu/g, max.  102 ISO 16649 -2 
ii. Salmonella spp. per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iii. Yeast and moulds, per g, max.  104 ISO 21527 -2 
iv. Staphylococcus aureus cfu/g , max.  103 ISO 6888 -1 
 
 
 
 8 Weights  and measures  
 
Pishori m illed rice shall be packaged in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of the 
destination country.  
 
NOTE Kenya is a signatory to the International Labour Organizations (ILO) f or maximum package weight of 50 kg where 
human loading and offloading is involved.  
 
 
9 Packaging  DKS 2087: 20 23 
            
                              © KEBS 20 23— All rights reserved  8   
9.1  Pishori  milled rice shall be packed in food grade packaging materials which will safeguard the hygienic, 
nutritional, and organoleptic qualities of the  products.  
 
9.2 Each package shall be securely closed and sealed.  
 
 
 
10 Labelling  
 
In addition to the requirements in EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packag ed foods, each package  shall be legibly 
and indelibly marked with the following:  
 
i) product name as “Keny a pishori  milled rice’’ ; 
 
ii) grain type (long, medium or bold) ; 
 
ii) variety ; 
 
iv) grade;  
 
v) name, address and physical location of the miller/ packer/importer ; 
 
vi) lot/batch/code number ; 
 
vii) net weight in kg;  
 
viii) the declaration “food for human c onsumption ’’; 
 
ix) storage instruction as “store in a cool dry pla ce away from any contaminants’’;  
 
x) production date ; 
 
xi) expiry date ; 
  
xiii) instructions on disposal of used package ; 
 
xv) a declaration on genetic modification status . 
 
10.1.1 A declara tion of other  varieties and blends as Kenya p ishori is prohibited and shall be punishable by 
law under the Stan dards Act , Cap. 496 of the Laws of Kenya.  
 
10.1.2 Introduction of artificial aroma is prohibited and does not qualify a variety to be “Kenya Pishori Rice’’. 
 
 
10.2 Labelling of non -retail  bulk containers   
Information in 9.1 shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except that the 
name of the product, lot identification, and the name and address of the processor or packer  as well as 
storage instructions, shall appear on the container.  
However, lot identification, and the name and address of the processor or packer may be replaced by an 
identification mark provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompan ying documents.   
 
 
11. Cooking quality / sensory evaluation  
 
When cooked, Kenya Pishori rice shall retain the  characteristic natural  aroma   
 
When cooked Kenya Pishori rice shall expand  and be fluffy  
 
10 Sampling                         DKS 2087: 2 023 
 
 
© KEBS 20 23 — All rights reserved          
     9 
 Sampling shall be done in accordance with EAS 900.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex   A 
(normative)  
 
Determination for amylose  
 
A.1 Method of test for amylose  
 
Reaction of iodine with the amylose fraction of starch gives a blue -coloured inclus ion type product. The 
formation of this complex is employed in the determination of the amylose cont ent of various food materials. 
Blue values of food samples are compared with those of pure amylose standards on a calibration curve.  
 
A.2 Standard curve  
 
A standard curve will be prepared by making standard amylose solu tions to cover 0 -10.0 ppm m/v.  
 
A.2.1 Stock s olution  
 
Accurately weigh 1 g of amylase and dissolve it in 1 L of distilled water.  This soluti on contains 100 ppm of 
amylose.  Take 10 m L of the stork solution into 100 -mL volumetric flask and make to  the mark w ith distilled 
water.  This solution contains 100 ppm amylose.  
 
A.2.2  Prepare standard solutions of 2  ppm, 4 ppm, 6 ppm, 8 ppm and 10 ppm for determination by 
pipetting 2  m/s, 4 m/s, 6 m/s, 8 m/s and 10 m/s from the solution prepared above.  Make to  the mark  with 
water in a 100 -mL volumetric flask.  
 
A.2.3  Read absorbance at 610 nm on an ultra -violet visible spectrophotometer.  Prepare a calibration 
curve of absorbance against concentration.  
 
A.3 Method  
 
A.3.1  0.5 g of finely ground material is weighed accurat ely in a small beaker.  The power is dampened with 
2 mL ethyl alcohol and 20  mL water added. 4 mL  of 10 % NaOH solution are added and the mixture is 
filtered through No.1 Whatman filter paper and the filtrate made to 100 m L with distilled water.  
 
A.3.2  5 mL of the solution are pipetted in a 250 -mL volumetric flask, 100 m L water added and 5 drops of 
6N HCl added to make the solution acidic.  The solution is mixed thoroughly with 15 m L of the iodine solution 
(see Clause A.4) and made to 250 m L with distilled water.  
 DKS 2087: 20 23 
            
                              © KEBS 20 23— All rights reserved  10 A.3.3  Read absorbance of the blue colour developed on a ultra -violet visible spectrophotometer at 610 nm 
and determine concentration from the prepared calibration curve.  
 
A.3.4  Calculate and report the amylose content in the original sample taking into consideration the 
dilutions made.  
 
A.4 Preparation of Iodine solution  
 
10 mg of iodine and 1 g KI are dissolved in a little water and made to 50 m L with distilled water.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX B  
 
(normative)  
 
Determination of aroma in rice  
 
 
 
B. Aroma test using Potassium  Hydroxide(KOH )   
 
Measured at ripening, when the caryopsis is hard. The main component of aroma in rice is the 2 -acetyl -
1pirroline  (AcPy).  
 
1. 10ml of 1.7% solution of KOH should be added to 2 g of decorticated grains.  
 
2. The aroma, whic h is similar to that in popcorn, is released within 10 min.  
 
3. The level of expression is determined by comparison with other varieties being evaluated.  
             Scale: 1) absent 2) very weak, 3) weak, 4 ) strong  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        DKS 2087: 2 023 
 
 
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