1   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Groundnut flour – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: Th is is a draft proposal and it shall neither be used nor  regarded as a Malawi standard .  
 ICS 67.060          DMS 1275 :2022  
  Second  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  1 ICS 67.060                DMS 1275 :2022
            Second edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Groundnut  flour  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
P O Box 946  
BLANTYRE  
 
    Tel: +265 1 870 488 
   Fax: +265 1 870 756  
     E-mail:  mbs@mbsmw.org  
Website: www.mbsmw.org   
 
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
Contents                              Page 
 
Foreword  ................................ ..........................   ……………………………………………………………………….i  
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  ii 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .  ii 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................    1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  2 
Essential composition and quality requirements  ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  3 
Packaging and labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
Methods of sampling and tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft standard has been prepared by MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and seeds and their products, to provide 
requirements for groundnut flou r. It is a revision of MS 1275 :2016 , Groundnut flour – Specification.  
 
In preparing this standard, reference was made to the following standard s:  
 
Uganda  Standard, US 2123:2019, Full fat groundnut flour – Specification ; and 
 
Rwanda  Standard, RS 417:2020, Peanut flour – Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the information.  
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft standard  was prepared by the MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and seeds and their products , and the 
following organizations were  represented:   
 
Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation;  
 
Auction Holdings Limited Commodity Exchange ; 
 
Consumers Association of Malawi;  
 
Conforzi Plantations Limited;  
 
Eastern Produce Malawi Limited ; 
 
Estrell Trading ;  
 
Export Trading Group ; 
 
Kawaladzi Estate C o. Limited ; 
 
Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources ; 
 
Ministry of Agriculture – Bvumbwe  Agricultural Research Station ; 
 
Ministry of Health – Department of Nutrition, HIV & AIDS;  
 
Ministry of Industry and Trade;  
 
National Smallholder  Farmers ' Association of  Malawi ; 
 
Thyolo Nut Company;  
 
Trademark East Africa;  
 
Treenut Growers Association; and   
 
University of Malawi.  
 
NOTICE  
 
This standard shall be reviewed  every 5 years or earlier when it is necessary , in order to keep abreast of 
progress. Co mments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being revi ewed .1      DMS 1275 :2022  
DRAFT  MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Groundnut flour  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft s tandard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for groundnut f lour from the 
varieties of Arachis hypogaea L intended for human consumption.  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCE S 
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this 
Malawi standard. All standards are subje ct to revision and, since any reference to a standard is deemed to 
be a reference to the latest edition of that standard, parties to agreements based on this standard are 
encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard  indicated below. 
Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19 : General standard for labelling or prepacked foods;  
 
MS 21: Code of hygienic conditions for food processing unit s; 
 
MS 144 : Agricultural food products – Determination of crude fibre content – General method ; 
 
MS 145: Cereals and pulses – Method of sampling as milled products;  
 
MS 148: Cereals and pulses – Determination of fat content ; 
 
MS 149: Cereals and pulses – Determination of ash content ; 
 
MS 213: Groundnut s – Specification ; 
  
MS 302: Contaminants and toxins in foods  – General standard ; 
 
ISO 4832: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs –Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms – Colony -count te chnique;  
 
ISO 4833: Microbiology of the food chain – Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms –  
Part 1: Colony count at 30 °C by the pour plate technique;  
 
ISO 6579 : Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the  detection of  Salmonella 
spp;  
 
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 7305:  Milled cereal products – Determinati on of fat activity;  
 
ISO 16050:  Foodstuffs – Determination of A flatoxi n B1, and the total content of A flatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products – High-performance liquid chromatographic method ;  
 
ISO 20483 : Cereals and pulses – Dete rmination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude protein 
content – Kjeldahl method ;  
 
ISO 21527 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feedstuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts 
and moulds – Part 2: Colony count technique in pro ducts with water activity less than or equal to 0.95 ; and  
2 
  
AOAC 965.22: Sorting corn grits – Sieving method . 
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft proposal , the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1  
groundnut flour  
product obtained from course milling whole raw  or roasted groundnuts  or peanut  kernels  
 
3.2  
raw groundnuts  
groundnuts with their shells removed and which have not been subjected to roasting and/or various forms of 
chemical treatment  
 
3.3 
roasted groundnuts  
groundnuts with or without seed coats , which have been subjected to dry heat  
 
3.4  
foreign matter  
all organic or inorganic mat ter other than groundnut flour  
 
3.5  
food grade packaging material  
packaging material made of substances which are safe and suitab le for their intended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 Raw materials  
 
Groundnut  flour shall be prepared from groundnuts  complying with MS 213.  
 
4.2 Requirements for the finished product  
 
4.2.1  Groundnut flour shall have a taste and odour characteristic of the product.  
 
4.2.2  Groundnut flour shall be free from rancidity and mustiness.  
 
4.2.3  Groundnut flour shall have colour characteristic of t he raw or roasted nuts or of light tan or buff.  
 
4.2.4  The flour  shall be free from foreign matter.  
 
4.3 Specific  requirements  
 
Groundnut flour shall comply with specific requirements given in Table 1  when tested in accordance with the 
methods specified th erein . 
Table 1 – Requirements for groundnut  flour  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Test method  
1 Moisture content % m/m, max.  11 MS 610  
2 Protein (N x 6.25 dry basis) % m/m, min.  20 ISO 20483  
3 Fat content, % m/m, max.  46 MS 148  
4 Total ash % m/m, max  2 MS 149  
5 Crude fibre % m/m, max  2.3 MS 144  
6 Free fatty acids , % m/m, max  1.0 AOAC  
 
  
3 
 4.4 Particle size  
 
When tested in accordance with AOAC 965.22, not less than 90 % shall pass through a 600um sieve for fine 
flour and not less than 90 % shal l pass through a 1000um sieve for course flour.  
 
4.5 Microbiological limits  
 
Groundnut  flour shall not contain any pathogenic organisms and shall comply with microbiological limits 
given in Table 2. 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits for groundnut flour  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/No  Microorganism  Maximum limit  Method of test  
1 E.coli , MPN/g  Absent  ISO 7251  
2 Salmonella spp . per 25 g  absent  ISO 6579  
3 Yeast and moulds, cfu/g  104 ISO 21527 -2 
4 Total Plate Count (TPC), cfu/g  104 ISO 4833  
5 Coliform , cfu/g  10 ISO 4832  
 
 
5 HYGIENE  
 
The processing of groundnut flour  shall be done in premises built and maintained under hygienic conditions 
as prescribed in  MS 21 . 
 
 
6 CONTAMINANTS  
 
6.1 Heavy metals  
 
Products covered by this draft proposal shall comply with the maximum limits o f heavy metals specified in 
MS 302.  
 
6.2 Pesticides residues  
 
Groundnut  flour shall comply with the latest maximum pesticides residues  limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  
 
6.3 Aflatoxins  
 
The maximum content of aflatoxins in groundnut flour when determined in accordance with the                  
ISO 16050 shall not exceed 5 ppb ( µg/kg) for aflatoxin B 1 and 10 ppb for total aflatoxins . 
 
 
7 PACK AGING  AND LABE LLING  
 
7.1 Packaging  
 
7.1.1 Groundnut flour shall be packaged in suitable , clean,  sound,  food grade material,  free from in sect 
and fungal infestation .  
 
7.1.2 The fill of each package shall comply with the Metrology  Act of Malawi . 
 
7.1.3 Groundnut flour shall be packaged in containers which will  safeguard  the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
 
7.1.4 Each package shall be securely sealed .  
 
 
  
4 
 7.2 Labeling  
 
In addition to the provisions prescribed in MS 19, the following shall appear in legible and indelible marking 
on each package and on each  outer container : 
 
7.2.1 The name of the product shall be “ Groundnut flour”, “peanut flour” and/or “nsinjiro ”. If the product is 
from roasted nuts, the name of the product shall state that it  is roasted.  
7.2.2  Brand name/trade name;  
7.2.3  The name and p hysical address of the manufacturer;  
7.2.4  Lot identification/ batch/code number  
7.2.5  Net weight in metric units;  
7.2.6  Date of manufacture;  
7.2.7   Expiry date;  
7.2.8  Country of origin;  
7.2.9  Storage conditions;  
7.2.1 0 A statement on allergen; and 
 
7.2.1 1 Texture of groundnut flour (fine or course) . 
 
 
8 METHOD S OF SAMPLING AND TESTS  
 
8.1 The method of sampling shall be done in accordance with MS 145.  
 
8.2 Groundnut flour  shall be tested in accordance with Table 1  and Table 2  or equivalent method s. 1 
ICS 67.060         DMS 1275 :2022
                       Second edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI BUREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.  Set up 
in 1972 by the Malawi Bureau of Standards 
Act (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal 
body whose activities aim at formulating and 
promoting the general adoption of standards 
relating to structures, commodities, materials, 
practices, operations and from time to time 
revise, alter and amend the same to 
incorporate advanced technology.  To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this sch eme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national 
standards are granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability.