DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 3010:2024  
ICS 67.060   
First Edition  
 
 © KEBS 2024   
 Nixtamalized maize products — Specification  
 
 
 
 
  
 DKS 3010:2024   
ii © KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)  
Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme (ASDSP)  
Farm Concern International  
Egerton University  
Nairobi County -Division of Public Health  
Government Chemist 's 
Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)  
Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)  
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)  
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation  
Ministry of Health — Division of Food Safety  
Ministry of Health — Division of  Nutrition and Dietetics  
National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB)  
National Public Health Labs (NPHL)  
University of Nairobi  
Ministry of Investments, Trade  and Industry  — State Department for Industry  
World Food Programme (WFP)  
Salim Wazaran Limited  
Nestle Kenya Limited  
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  2023 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, 
copyright subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 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 mea ns 
without prior permission in writing from the Managing Director.  
  DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 3010:2024  
ICS 67.060  
First Edition  
 
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  iii 
  
Nixtamalized maize products — Specification  
 
 
  Kenya Bureau of Standards, Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
DKS 3010:2024   
iv © KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
 
This draft Kenya Standard has been prepared by the Processed Cereals and Pulses Technical Committee under guidance 
of the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bureau of Standards.  
 
Development of this Draft Kenyan Standard has been necessitated by the need to standardize nixtamalized maize products 
that are gaining popularity in Kenya. The standard elaborates the main requirements that must be considered for safe and 
quality nixtamal ized maize products that have been shown to be generally safe compared to conventional products in the 
market.  
This standard stipulates the specifications of products obtained from nixtamalization of maize grains. It is envisaged that 
through this standardization, nixtamalized products will be produced to diversify maize products, meet safety and quality 
requiremen ts, as well as enhance trade of the products. Diversification of  maize product s will reduce the over reliance on 
wheat flour baked and fried products as well as improve both food security and nutritional qualities of the products.  
 
During the development of this standard, reference was made to the following documents:  
i. KS EAS 768: 2019 , Fortified milled maize (corn) products — Specification.  
ii. Technical Specifications for the manufacture of: Fortified Nixtamalized Maize Flour – Honduras and RBP, version 
1, OSCQ, 2018  
iii. KS EAS 44-2019 , Milled  maize  (corn)  products  — Specification  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from these sources.  
 DKS 3010:2024   
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  i 
  
TABLE OF CONTENTS  
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... iv 
2           Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 2 
4.1.1  Maize  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 2 
4.1.2 Calcium hydroxide  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 2 
4.1.3 Optional ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 2 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2 
4.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 3 
5 Fortification requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 3 
6 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 3 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 
8 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .4 
8.1 Heavy  metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..4 
8.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 4 
8.3 Mycotoxins  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....4 
9 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......4 
10 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 4 
10.1 General  and nutritional labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....4 
10.2 Nutrition and health claims  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 4 
11 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 5 
 DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 3010:2024   
 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  1 
 Nixtamalized maize products — Specification  
 
1   Scope  
 
This Draft Kenya Standard  specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for nixtamalized maize products 
prepared from the grains of common maize ( Zea mays L.) intended for human consumption . 
 
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 edition of the refere nced 
document (including any am endments) applies.  
 
AOAC 965.22, Sorting Corn Grits Sieving Method Modified  
AOAC 2011.14, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium and Zinc in fortified food 
products. Microwave Digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma -Optical Emission Spectrometry  
CODEX STAN 192, Codex general standard for food additives  
KS EAS 2, Maize grains — Specification  
KS EAS 38, Labelling  of pre-packaged  foods  — Specification  
KS EAS 39, Code  of practice  for hygiene  in the food and drink  manufacturing  industry  
KS EAS 44, Milled  maize  (corn)  products  — Specification  
KS EAS 768, Fortified Milled Maize (corn) Products - Specification   
KS EAS 803, Nutrition  labelling  — Requirements  
KS EAS 804, Claims  on food — General  requirements  
KS EAS 805, Use of Nutrition  and Health  Claims  — Requirements  
KS EAS 900, Cereals and Pulses – Sampling   
KS EAS 901, Cereals and Pulses – Test Methods  
KS ISO 11085, Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs — Determination of crude fat and total fat content 
by the Randall extraction method  
KS 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  
KS 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  
KS ISO 2171, Cereals, pulses and by -products — Determination of ash yield by incineration  
KS ISO 5498, Agricultural food products — Determination Crude Fibre Content - General Method  
KS ISO 5985, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of Ash Insoluble in Hydrochloric Acid  
KS ISO 6561 -1, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of cadmium content — Part 1 — Method using 
graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry  
KS ISO 6561 -2, Fruits, vegetables and derived products - Determination of cadmium content - Part 2: Method using flame 
atomic absorption spectrometry  
KS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and serotyping of 
Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella  spp. 
KS ISO 6633, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of lead content — Flameless atomic absorption 
spectrometric method  
KS 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  
KS ISO 7305, Milled Cereal Products - Determination of Fat Acidity  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
3.1  DKS 3010:2024   
2 © KEBS:202 4 – All rights reserved  
 Nixtamalization   
the process of preparing maize in which the grain is boiled and steeped in food grade calcium hydroxide, washed, and 
then dehulled.  
3.2  
Steeping  
 Soaking of maize grain in water containing Calcium Hydroxide  
3.3  
Nixtamalized maize grain s 
maize grains obtained from nixtamalization.  
3.4  
Nixtamalized maize products  
products obtained from nixtamalization of maize grains  and/or processing of nixtamalized maize grain s. 
3.5  
Dried Nixtamalized maize grain s  
the product obtained from the drying of  nixtamalized maize grains.  
3.6  
Nixtamalized maize flour   
the product obtained from the milling of dried  nixtamalized  maize grains or drying of nixtamalized maize dough.  
3.7  
Nixtamalized maize dough  
the product obtained from the wet grinding of nix tamalized  maize  grain  or kneading of the nixtamalized maize flour. It 
is also kn own as masa.  
3.8  
Nixtamalized fried/baked products   
fried/baked products made from nixtamalized maize grain s. 
3.9  
 Food grade calcium hydroxide  
       is high purity calcium hydroxide acceptable for use in food products.  
3.10   
Food grade packaging materials   
     packaging  material made of substances which are safe and suitable for the intended use, and which will not impart any   
toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
 
4 Requirements  
4.1   Raw materials  
4.1.1   Maize  
Nixtamalized maize products shall be prepared from maize complying with KS EAS 2.  
4.1.2 Calcium hydroxide  
Nixtamalized mai ze products shall be prepared with food grade calcium hydroxide  as guided in Annex A . 
4.1.3 Optional ingredients  
In addition to the essential ingredients, optional food grade ingredients may be used. These may include but  not limited  to: 
i. Salt  
ii. Edible fat/oil  
iii. Spices, herbs,  and condiments  
Where optional ingredients are used for fried/baked products, they shall comply with relevant standards.  
4.2  General requirements  
Nixtamalized maize products shall:  
i. have characteristic colour of maize grains from which they were prepared;  
ii. be free from foreign matter such as insects, fungi or dirt;  
iii. be free from foreign taste and odour;  
iv. be wholesome and fit for human consumption.  DKS 3010:2024  
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  3 
 4.3 Specific requirements  
Nixtamalized maize products shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the test 
method s specified therein.  
Table 1: Specific quality requirement for nixtamalized maize products  
S/N Characteristic  Product Type  Test method  
Dried 
nixtamalized 
maize grains  Nixtamalized 
maize flour  Nixtamali
zed maize 
dough  Nixtamalized 
fried/baked 
products  
1.  Crude fibre, % m/m, 
max.   3.0 3.0  3.0  3.0 KS ISO 5498  
2.  Crude fat on moisture 
free basis, % m /m, 
max.   3.0 3.0  3.0  N/Ib) KS ISO  11085  
3.  Moisture content, % 
m/m, max.  13.5 14 N/Aa) N/Ib) KS EAS 901, 
Clause 5  
4.  Total ash, % m /m, 
max.  3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 KS ISO 2171  
5.  Acid insoluble ash, % 
m/m, max.   0.4 0.4  0.4 0.4 KS ISO 5985  
6.  Fat acidity, mg KOH 
per 100 g of product, 
m/m, max.  80  80  80  80 KS ISO 7305  
7.  Residue on sieving 
through 1000 -micron 
sieve, % m/m, max   N/A a)   0.5  N/A a)  N/A a)  AOAC 965.22  
8.  Calcium mg/kg max  2,000  2,000  2,000  2,000  AOAC 2011.14  
a) NA-Not Applicable. The parameter is not applicable to the product.  
b) N/I – Not indicated. Maximum levels of the parameter vary widely based on the product  
 
5 Fortification requirements  
Nixtamalized maize flour may be fortified. When fortified , the nixtamalized maize flour shall comply with the levels of 
micronutrients provided in KS EAS 768 when tested in accordance with test methods specified therein.  
 
6 Food additives  
Where food additives are used  in nixtamalized maize products , they shall comply with KS CXS 192. 
 
7 Hygiene  
7.1 Nixtamalized maize products shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with KS EAS 39.  
7.2 The products shall comply with microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein.  
 
Table  2: Microbiological  limits  for nixtamalized  maize  products  
S/N Micro -organism  Maximum  limit Test method  
i.  Escherichia  coli, cfu/g 102(a) KS ISO 16649 -2 
ii.  Salmonella  spp. in 25 g Absent  KS ISO 6579 -1 
iii.  Yeast  and moulds, cfu/g 104 KS ISO 21527 -2 
iv.  Staphylococcus  aureus , cfu/ g 10(a) KS ISO 6888 -1 
(a) for ready to eat, the E.Coli and S. Aureus shall  be absent  
 
 DKS 3010:2024   
4 © KEBS:202 4 – All rights reserved  
 8 Contaminants  
8.1 Heavy  metals  
Nixtamalized maize products shall comply with maximum limits for heavy metals as given in Table 3 when tested 
in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
 
Table  3: Heavy  metals  limits  for nixtamalized  maize  products  
S/N Heavy metal  Limit, mg/kg  Test method  
i.                      Lead (Pb)  0.2 KS ISO 6633  
ii.                    Cadmium (Cd)  0.1 KS ISO 6561 -1, KS ISO 6561 -2 
 
8.2 Pesticide residues  
Nixtamalized maize products shall comply with the maximum residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission for this commodity.  
 
8.3 Mycotoxins  
Nixtamalized maize products shall comply with mycotoxin limits specified in Table 4 when tested in  accordance 
with test methods specified therein.  
 
Table  4: Mycotoxins  limits  for nixtamalized  maize  products  
S/N Mycotoxin  Maximum limit µg/kg  Test method KS EAS 901  
i. Total aflatoxins  10 Clause 9  
Clause 10  
ii. Aflatoxin  B1 5  Clause 9  
iii. Fumonisins  2,000  Clause 11  
Clause 12  
 
9 Packaging  
Nixtamalized  maize  products  shall be packaged  in food grade  packaging  materials that ensure safety and quality requirements 
specified in this standard are maintained throughout the shelf life of the product.  
 
10 Labelling  
10.1  General  and nutritional labelling  
In addition  to the requirements  in KS EAS 38 and KS EAS 803, the following shall apply:  
 
a) Name  of product  such  as "Nixtamalized Maize  Grains,  Nixtamalized Maize  Flour, Nixtamalized Maize  Dough, 
Nixtamalized Fried/Baked Product ";  
b) name  and address  of the manufacturer/packer/importer;  
c) brand  name/registered  trade  mark,  if any; 
d) lot or batch  number  in code  or in clear  format;  
e) net weight  in metric  units;  
f) storage instruction s   
g) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption”  
h) country  of origin;  
i) date of manufacture;  
j) expiry  date;  and 
k) instructions  for disposal  of used  package.  
 
10.2   Nutrition and health claims  
Nixtamalized maize products may have nutrition and health claims. Such claims when declared shall be in compliance with 
KS EAS 803, KS EAS 804 and KS EAS 805.  DKS 3010:2024  
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  5 
  
 
11 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with KS EAS 900.  
 
 
 
Annex A : Specifications of food grade calcium hydroxide  
(Informative)  
Specification  Limit  
Composition, Purity, min   85% 
Magnesium sulphate, max  5%  
Lead, max  20 µg/kg  
Fluoride, max   1.5mg/kg  
Arsenic, max  5 µg/kg  
Cadmium, max  2 µg/kg  
Chromium, max  20 µg/kg  
Mercury, max  1 µg/kg  
Nickel, max  20 µg/kg   
6 © KEBS:202 4 – All rights reserved