AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
935  
Second  Edition 2023 
 
 Reference No. FDARS 935:2023 
ICS 67.060  
 
 
© ARSO 2023  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edible full fat soya flour — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 935: 2023  
ii © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  2 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  2 
4.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  3 
4.3.1  Particle size ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
6.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  3 
6.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
8 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
10 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  5 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  6 
 
  DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) is an African intergovernmental organization 
established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of 
African Unity (AU) in 1977. One of the fundamental mandates of  ARSO is to develop and harmonize 
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 A frican Standards 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, Regio nal 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 techni cal 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 bodies 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 prepared by the ARSO Technical  Committee on Cereals, pulses and derived 
products  (ARSO/TC 12). 
 
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2023 — All rights reserved* 
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel. +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
                                                 
* © 2023 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs.  DARS 935: 2023  
iv © ARSO 2023 — 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 written 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 reques ter: 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2023  — All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
 
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 prosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  v Introduction  
 
Soya products are becoming a main stream part of regional dietary items. The benefit associated with 
the products includes among others the richness in protein supply. This is great benefit especially as 
an alternative protein source. However, it is important to note that soya has naturally high level of anti -
nutritional properties related to trypsin inhibitor and tannins. The manufacturers advised to apply 
appropriate processing technologies to reduce these anti-nutrient properties to acceptable safe levels 
for human consumption  
 
Edible full fat soya flour is made by using dry soya beans, ground into flour. Edible full fat soya flour 
being rich in protein is often mixed with other types of flour to add nutrit ional value to diet.  
 
This standard is prepared to ensure safety and quality of edible full fat soya flour for human 
consumption.  
 
Antinutritional Factors: In preparation of edible full fat soya flour, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) 
shall be applied to  soya beans to inactivate possible antinutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors, to 
ensure safety.  
 
 
 DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  1  
Edible full fat soybean  flour — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This Draft African Standard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for edible full fat 
soybean  flour obtained from soybean( Glycine max (L.) Merr) 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 reference s, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) 
applies.  
 
ARS 53, General principles of food hygiene — Code of practice  
 
ARS 56, Prepackaged foods — Labelling  
 
ARS 872, Dry soybeans — Specification  
 
AOAC Official Method 999.10:1999, Determination of lead, cadmium, copper, iron and zinc in foods 
— Atomic absorption spectrophotometry after microwave digestion  
 
AOAC Official Method 999.11:1999, Determination of lead, cadmium, copper, iron and zinc in foods 
— Atomic absorption spectrophotometry after dry ashing  
 
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 192, General standard for food additives  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
 
ISO 3310 -1, Test sieves — Technical requirements and testing — Part 1: Test sieves of metal wire 
cloth  
 
ISO 4833, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs  — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms — Colony -count technique at 30 °C  
 
ISO 5985, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid  
 
ISO 6579,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp.  
 
ISO 6888  (all parts) , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Stap hylococcus aureus and other species)  
 
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 11085,  Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs — Determination of crude fat 
and total fat content by the Randall extraction method  
 
ISO 14902 , Animal feeding staffs — Determination of trypsin inhibitor activity of soya products  
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 935: 2023  
2 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  ISO 20483, Cerea ls and pulses — Determination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude 
protein content — Kjeldahl method  
 
ISO 24333, Cereals and cereal products — Sampling  
 
ISO 24557, Pulses — Determination of moisture content — Air-oven method  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this document , the following terms and definitions  apply.  
 
3.1 
edible full fat soya flour  
mill product obtained from whole dry soya beans  
 
3.2 
soya bean  
whole mature dry bean of Glycine max  (L) Merr varieties  
 
3.3 
food grade  packaging material  
material which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the 
product  
 
3.4 
filth 
impurities of animal origin, including dead insects and rodents or their parts  
 
3.5 
foreign matter  
all organic and inorganic material other than edible full fat soybea n flour and other edible grains  
 
3.5.1  
inorganic matter  
stones, glass, pieces o f soil and other mineral matter  
 
3.5.2  
organic matter  
any animal or plant matter (seed coats, straws, weeds) other than edible full fat soybean flou, inorganic 
extraneous  matter and harmful/toxic seeds  
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 Raw materials  
 
Edible full fat soy bean  flour shall be prepared from soybeans complying with ARS 872 . 
 
4.2 General requirements  
 
4.2.1  Edible full fat  soybean  flour shall be  
 
a) of a colour characteristic of the variety of the beans used ; 
 
b) safe and suitable for human consumption ; 
 
c) free from abnormal flavours  and odours ; rancid odour ; 
 
d) free from extraneous and foreign matter and filth (impurities of animal origin, including dead 
insects  and rodents or their parts ); 
 DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  3 e) free from fungal infestation ; and  
 
f) free from living insects.  
 
4.2.2 All processing of the soybean  including drying milling or other treatment of the soybeans , 
intermediate milling products and the milled soybean  flour shall be carried out in a manner that:  
 
a) minimizes loss of nutritive value, particularly protein quality;  
 
b) avoids undesirable changes in technological properties of the soybean  flour;  and 
 
c) avoids having unground grains and hull in the flour.  
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
4.3.1  Particle size  
 
Using a standard method of sifting, not less than 90 % of the flour shall pass through a sieve of mesh 
diameter 0.60 mm for ‘ fine' flour and 1.20 mm for ‘ coarse ’ flour. The sieve shall comply with ISO 3310 -
1. 
 
4.3.2   Edible full fat soy bean  flour shall comply with the limits given in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with the test  methods specified therein.  
 
Table 1 — Specific requirement s for edible full fat soy bean  flour  
 
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Moisture content, % m/m, max.  10.0 ISO 24557  
ii.  Protein content, % (N %x6.25) , min. 35.0 ISO 20483  
iii.  Soya o il (on moisture free basis) , %, m/m,  min. 16.0 ISO 11085  
iv.  Acid insoluble ash, %, max.  0.40 ISO 5985  
v.  Trypsin inhibitor activity, ml/g , max. 5.0 ISO 14902  
 
5 Food additives  
 
Edible full fat soy bean  flour may contain only permitted food additives complying with CODEX STAN 
192. 
 
6 Contaminants  
 
6.1 Heavy metals  
 
Edible full fat soybean  flour shall comply with those maximum limits for metal contaminants specified 
in CODEX STAN 193 and in particular those listed in Table 2  when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein . 
 
Table 2 — Heavy metal contaminants  limits for edible full fat soy bean  flour  
 
S/N Parameter  Limit  
ppm max . Test method  
i.  Lead (Pb)  0.2 AOAC 999.11 or AOAC 999.10  
ii.  Cadmium (Cd)  0.1 AOAC 999.11 or AOAC 999.10  
 
6.2 Pesticide residues  
 DARS 935: 2023  
4 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  Edible full fat soyben flour shall comply with those maximum residue limits established by the Codex  
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
7 Hygiene  
 
7.1 Edible full fat soy bean  flour shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the 
provisions of appropriate sections of ARS 53.  
 
7.3 Edible full fat soya flour  shall be free from pathogenic micro -organisms and shall comply with 
microbiological limits in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein . 
 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits  for edible full fat soy a flour  
 
S/N Micro -organism(s)  Requirement  Test m ethod  
i.  Total plate count, cfu/g  105 ISO 4833  
ii.  Staphylococcus aureus cfu/10 g max . 100 ISO 6888  
iii.  Escherichia coli, MPN , max.  Absent  ISO 7251  
iv.  Salmonella , per 25  g, max.  Absent  ISO 6579  
 
8 Packaging  
 
Edible full fat soy bean  flour shall be packed in suitable food grade packaging materials. When the 
product is packaged in sacks, these shall be clean, sturdy and strongly sewn or sealed . 
 
9 Labelling  
 
9.1 Labelling of retail packages  
 
In addition to the requirements in ARS 56 , each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the 
following : 
 
a) product name as “Edible Full Fat Soy Flour”  and the terms ‘Fine' or ‘Coarse', in accordance 
with 4.3.1, shall appear in close proximity to the name of the food ; 
 
b) brand name/trade name;  
 
c) name, address and physical location of the manufacturer/ packer/importer;  
 
d) lot/batch/code number;  
 
e) list of additives, if used;  
 
f) net weight, in SI units ; 
 
g) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’;  
 
h) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place aw ay from any contaminants’’;  
 
i) Date of manufacture;  
 
j) ‘best before’ date;  
 
k) instructions on disposal of used package;  
 
l) country of origin ; and  
 DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  5 m) a declaration on whether the Edible full fat soybean flour were produced from genetically 
modified soybean or not’ . 
 
9.2 Labelling of non-retail containers  
 
Information for non -retail containers shall either be given on the container or in accompanying  
documents, except that the name of the product, lot identification and the name and address of the  
manufacturer or packer shall appear on the container. However, lot identification and the name and  
address of the manufacturer or packer may be replaced by an identification mark, provided that such 
a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.  
 
10 Sampl ing 
 
Sampling shall be don e in accordance with ISO 24333 . 
 
  DARS 935: 2023  
6 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  Bibliography  
 
[1] EAS CD/T/95/2012, Edible full fat soya flour — Specification  
 
[2] Indian Standard, IS 7837:1999,  Specification for edible full -fat soya flour  
 
[3] Gandhi, A. P. 2009. Review Article: Quality of soybean and its food products. International 
Food Research Journal 16: 11 -19 (2009)  
 
 DARS 935: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved