DRAFT  EAST  AFRICAN  STANDARD  DEAS  44: 2024  
 
ICS 87.040  
 
 
 
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST  AFRICAN  COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2024  sixth Edition  2024
DEAS 44: 2024  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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DEAS  44: 2024  
 
 
 
Foreword  
 
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements  
governing quality of products  and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through  
harmonized standardization, trade barriers  that are encountered  when  goods and services are  exchanged  within  the 
Community  will be removed.  
 
The Community  has established  an East African  Standards  Committee  (EASC)  mandated  to develop  and issue  
East African Standards (EAS). The Committee is composed of representatives of the  National Standards  Bodies 
in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private se ctor organizations in  the 
community.  
 
East African  Standards  are developed  through  Technical  Committees  that are representative  of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft East Afr ican 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  Principles  and procedures for  development of East  African Standards.  
 
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 . 
 
The committee  responsible  for this document  is Technical  Committee  EASC/TC  014, Cereals  and pulses.  
 
Attention is drawn to the  possibility that some of  the elements of  this document may be subject of  patent  rights. 
EAC shall not be held responsible for  identifying  any or all such  patent  rights.  
 
This fourth  edition  cancels and  replaces  the third edition  (EAS  44: 2017), which  has been  technically  revised.  © EAC 2024  – All rights  reserved  1  
 
DRAFT  EAST  AFRICAN  STANDARD  DEAS  44: 2024  
 
 
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  — Specification  
 
 
 
1 Scope  
 
1.1 This draft East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for whole maize  meal, 
granulated maize meal, sifted maize meal, maize grits and maize flour from the grains of common maize  ( 
Zeamays L.) intended  for human  consumption.  
 
1.2 This standard  does  not apply  to fortified  milled  maize  (corn)  products  and maize  grits intended  for brewing,  
manufacturing  of starch and  any other  industrial  use. 
 
 
2 Normative  references  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes  
requirements  of this document.  For dated  references,  only the edition  cited  applies.  For undated  references,  the 
latest ed ition of the referenced document  (including  any amendments) applies.  
 
 
AOAC  965.22 , Sorting  corn grits  sieving  method  modified  
 
CODEX  STAN  193, Codex  general  standard  for contaminants  and toxins  in food and feed 
 
EAS 2, Maize  grains  — Specification  
 
EAS 38, Labelling  of pre-packaged  foods  — General  requirements  
 
EAS 39, Hygiene  in the food and drink  manufacturing  industry  — Code of  practice  
 
EAS 900, Cereals  and pulses  — Sampling  
 
EAS 901, Cereals  and pulses  — Test methods  
 
ISO 2171 , Cereals,  pulses  and by-products  — Determination  of ash yield by incineration  
 
ISO 5985 , Animal  feeding  stuffs  — Determination  of ash insoluble  in hydrochloric acid  
 
ISO 6561 -1, Fruits,  vegetables  and derived  products  — Determination  of cadmium  content  — Part 1: Method  
using graphite 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 6579 -1, Microbiology  of the food chain  — Horizontal  method  for the detection,  enumeration  and 
serotyping  of Salmonella  — Part 1: Detection  of Salmonella spp  © EAC 2024  – All rights  reserved  2  
ISO 6633, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of lead content — Flameless atomic  
absorption  spectrometric method  
 
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of  
coagulase - positive  staphylococci  (Staphylococcus  aureus  and other  species)  — Part 1: Technique  using  Baird - 
Parker  agar medium  
 
ISO 7305,  Milled  cereal  products  — Determination  of fat acidity  
 
ISO 11085,  Cereals,  cereals -based  products  and animal feeding  stuffs  — Determination  of crude  fat and total 
fat content  by the Randall extraction  method  
 
ISO 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta - 
glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli — Part 2: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using 5 - bromo -4- 
chloro -3- indolyl  beta-D-glucuronide  
 
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 
 
 
3 Terms  and definitions  
 
For the purposes  of this document,  the following  terms  and definitions  apply.  
 
3.1 
milled  maize  (corn)  products  
products  obtained  from maize  grains  (Zea mays  L.) through  milling  process  
 
3.2 
whole  maize  meal  
food prepared  from fully mature,  sound,  un-germinated,  whole  kernels  of maize,  (Zea mays  L.), by a grinding  
process in  which  the entire  grain  is comminuted  to a suitable  degree  of fineness  
 
3.3 
granulated  maize  meal  
coarse  product  obtained  from milling  and sifting  of clean  shelled  maize  
 
3.4 
sifted  maize  meal  
form of granulated  maize  meal  that has been  reduced  to a certain  degree  of fineness  
 
3.5 
sifting  
particle  size separation  by sieving and  aspiration of  milled  products  
 
3.6 
clean  maize  kernel  
shelled  maize  that has been  subjected  to a cleaning  process  for the removal  of foreign  and objectionable  
matter  originally  present  
 
3.7 
maize  flour  
product obtained by removing the germ and bran followed by grinding, clean maize kernels using roller mills or  
other  methods and  sifting  the resulting  product  to suitable degree  of fineness  
 
3.8 
food  grade  packaging  material  
material  which  will safeguard  the hygienic,  nutritional,  technological,  and organoleptic  qualities  of the product  
 
 
. © EAC 2024  – All rights  reserved  3  
3.9 
foreign  matter  
organic  or inorganic  material  other  than maize  flour 
 
3.10 
filth 
impurities  of animal  origin  including dead  insects  
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 Raw materials  and ingredients  
 
Maize  grains  complying  with EAS 2 
 
4.2 General requirements  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall be: 
 
a) characteristic  of the colour  of maize  from which  it is prepared;  
 
b) free from living  insects,  worms,  filth, and foreign  matter;  
 
c) free from fermented  musty  or other  objectionable  odours  and colours;  and 
 
d) wholesome  and fit for human  consumption.  
 
4.3 Specific  requirements  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall comply  with the requirements  given  in Table  1 when  tested  in accordance  
with the  test methods specified therein.  4  
Table  1 — Specific  requirements  for milled  maize  (corn) products  
 
S/No.  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Sifted  
maize  meal  Granulated  
maize  meal  Whole  
maize  
meal  Maize  
flour  Maize  grit 
i) Crude fibre on  
moisture  free basis  % 
m/m,  max.  0.7 1.0 3.0 0.7 1.0 ISO 5498  
ii) Crude  fat on 
moisture  free basis,  
% m/m,  max.  3.0 3.0 3.1* 3.0 3.0 ISO 11085  
iii) Moisture  content,  
%m/m,  max.  14 14  
13.5 14 14 EAS 901 
iv) Total  ash on moisture  
free basis, % m/m,  
max.  1.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 ISO 2171  
v) Total  ash on moisture  
free basis, % m/m,  
max.  1.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 ISO 2171  
vi) Acid insoluble   ash  
on moisture  free basis,  
% m/m,  max.  0.15 0.35 0.40 0.15 0.15 ISO 5985  
vii) Fat acidity, mg  KOH  
per 100 g of product,  
on moisture free  
basis,  max.  80 80  
200 80 80 ISO 7305  
viii) Residue on sieving  
through 1000 -micron  
sieve,  %, m/m,  
max.  0.5 N/A N/A 0.5 N/A AOAC  965.22  
* Minimum crude  fat on moisture  free basis  for whole  maize meal  
 
N/A Not applicable  
 
5 Food  additives  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  may contain  only the permitted  food additives  specified  in CODEX  STAN  192. 
 
 
6 Hygiene  
 
6.1 Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall be prepared  and handled  in accordance  with EAS 39. 
 
6.2 The product  shall comply  with the microbiological  limits  in Table  2 when  tested  in accordance  with test 
methods specified  therein.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  © EAC 2024  – All rights  reserved  5  Table  2 — Microbiological  limits  for milled  maize  (corn) products  
 
S/N Micro -organism  Limit  Test method  
i) Total  aerobic  count,  cfu/g,  max.  105 ISO 4833 -1 
ii) Escherichia  coli, cfu/g  <1x 102 ISO 16649 -2 
iii) Salmonella , per 25 g Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iv) Yeast  and moulds,  cfu/g,  max.  104 ISO 21527 -2 
v) Staphylococcus  aureus , cfu/g  <10 ISO 6888 -1 
 
7 Contaminants  
 
7.1 Pesticide  residues  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall comply  with those  maximum  residue  limits  established  by the Codex  
Alimentarius  Commission for  this commodity.  
 
7.2 Heavy  metals  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall comply  with the heavy  metal  limits  in Table  3 when  tested  in accordance  
with test  methods specified  therein.  
 
Table  3 — Heavy  metals  limits  for milled  maize  (corn) products  
 
S/N Heavy  metal  Maximum  limit 
 
mg/kg  Test method  
ii) Lead  (Pb) 0.2 ISO 6633  
iii) Cadmium (Cd)  0.1 ISO 6561 -1 
ISO 6561 -2 
7.3 Mycotoxins  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall comply  with mycotoxin  limits  specified  in Table  4 when  tested  in 
accordance with  test methods specified therein.  © EAC 2023 – All rights  reserved  6  Table  4 — Mycotoxins  limits  for milled  maize  (corn)  products  
 
S/ N Mycotoxin  Maximum  Limit  
µg/kg  Test method  
i. Total  aflatoxins  10 EAS 901 
ii. Aflatoxins  B1 5 
iii. Fumonisins  2 000 
 
 
 
8 Packaging  
 
Milled  maize  (corn)  products  shall be packaged  in food grade  packaging  materials.  When  sacks  are used  for 
packaging,  they shall be clean, sturdy  and securely  sewn or  sealed.  
 
 
9 Labelling  
 
The following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly and indelibly marked in  
accordance  with the requirements of  EAS 38: 
 
a) name  of product  as "Whole  Maize  Meal,  Sifted  Maize  meal,  Maize  Flour  or Granulated  Maize  Meal";  
 
b) name  and address  of the manufacturer/packer/importer;  
 
c) brand name  and/or  registered  trade  mark;  
 
d) batch  or code  number;  
 
e) net weight  in SI units;  
 
f) storage  instruction  as “Store  in a cool dry place  away  from any contaminants’  
 
g) the statement  "Food  for human  consumption";  
 
h) country  of origin;  
 
i) date of manufacture;  
 
j) expiry  date;  and 
 
k) instructions  for disposal  of used  package.  
 
 
10 Sampling  
 
Sampling  shall be done  in accordance with EAS  900. 
 
 
. © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  7  Bibliography  
 
[1] CODEX  STAN  154:1985(Rev.1:1995),  Standard  for whole  maize  (corn)  meal  
 
[2] EAS 44:2017, Milled  maize (corn)  products  — Specification  
 
 
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