Roasted groundnuts (peanut) kernel – 
Specification   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft proposal and should not be regarded or used as a Malawi standard  
 ICS 67.060             DMS 1693:2020 
        First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD   
  ICS 67.060          DMS 1693:2020
           First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Roasted groundnuts (peanut)  kernel – 
Specification   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
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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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 TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                     Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................   i 
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  i 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  …………  i 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................    1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Term and definition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  1 
Essential composition and q uality requirements  ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
Packaging and l abelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 4 
Methods of sampling and tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  4 
Annex A: Sampling and criterial for conformity of roasted groundnuts (peanuts) kernels  ................................  5 
Annex B:  Determination of moisture content  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 6 
Annex C: Determination of total fat content  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 7 
Annex D: Determination of total ash  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  8 
  
i 
 FOREWORD  
 
Roasted groundnut ( peanut) kernels are popular in Malawi  as a savoury snack. These are processed from 
shelled and roasted peanuts to which salt, fat and spices may be  added to enhance the taste.  
 
In preparing this standard, reference was made to the following standard s:  
 
EAS 57 -2:2000, Groundnuts (Peanuts) Specification, Part 2: Roasted groundnuts (Peanuts);  and 
 
IS 10065:1981 (A mended 1982 ), Specification for roasted  groundnuts (peanut) kernels  – Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the information.  
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi standard  was prepared by the Technical Committee MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and seeds and 
their products,  and the following companies , organizations and institutions were consulted : 
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 Co. 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 five years,  or earlier when it is necessary, in order to keep abreast of 
progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .  
1 
 DMS 1693:2020 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Roasted groundnuts (peanuts) kernels – Specification  
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi standard prescribes the requirements and the methods of sampling and tes t for roasted 
groundnut ( peanut) kernels  intended for human consumption . 
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this 
draft standard . All standards are subject 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 draft 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: Labelling of pre -packed foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21: Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 51 : Fortified edible oils – Specification;  
 
MS 188:  Edible salt – Specification;  
 
MS 213:  Groundnuts – Specification;  
 
MS 302:  Contaminants and toxins in foods  – General standard;  
 
MS 610: Cereals and cereal products – Determination of moisture content (Basic reference method);  
 
AOAC Official Method 2001. 04: Determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 in corn and corn flakes ; 
 
ISO 6579: Methods for the microbiological examination of foods, Part 6:  Examination for Salmonella Spp.;  
 
ISO 6888:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus 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 16050: Foodstuffs – Determination of aflatoxin B 1, and the total content of aflatoxin B 1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products – High performance  liquid chromatographic method;  and 
 
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 TERM S AND DEFINITION S 
 
For the purpose of this draft standard,  the following terms and definition s shall apply:  
 
3.1 
broken  kernel  
more than one fourth of the groundnut kernel is broken off  
 
3.2 
damage/defects  
kernel that is rancid, mouldy, pest infested, soiled  and/ or decayed   
2 
 3.3 
foreign matter  
pieces or loose particles of any substance other than groundnut kernels , skins  or added ingredients  
 
3.4 
fried groundnuts  
groundnuts with or without seed coats which have been subjected to deep frying in a vegetable oil and to which 
salt (in form of powder or brine) and/or spices may have been added  
 
3.5 
groundnut/peanut  
fruit of the plant Arachis hypogaea  
 
3.6 
mature pod  
kernels which are firm and developed   
 
3.7 
other defects  
groundnut kernel that have skin discolouration, flesh discolouration and / or sprouted kernels  
 
3.8 
roasted groundnuts  
groundnuts with or without seed coats which have been subjected to heat by either dry roasting or deep frying 
in a vegetable oil and to which salt (in form of powder or brine) and/or spices may have been added  
 
3.9 
shelled groundnut kernels  
raw groundnuts with their shells removed, and which have not been subjected to roasting and/or various forms 
of chemical treatment  
 
3.10 
split kernel  
separated 'half' of a groundnut kernel  
 
3.11 
unshelled groundnuts  
groundnuts with part or all of the hull (shell) attached  
 
3.12 
whole kernel  
groundnut kernel that is not split or broken  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL CO MPOSITION AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 Essential ingredient  
 
Groundnut ( peanut) kernels, complying with  MS 213.  
 
4.2 Optional ingredients  
 
The following materials may be used in the pre paration of roasted groundnut (peanut) kernels:  
 
4.2.1  Edible s alt, conforming to  MS 188 ; 
 
4.2.2  Edible oils , complying with MS 51 ; 
 
4.2.3  Herbs and spices,  complying with relevant Malawi standard s; and 
 
4.2.4 Sugars, complying with relevant Malawi standards.  
  
3 
 4.3 General  requirements  
 
4.3.1 Roasted groundnuts shall be whole or splits.  Whole groundnuts shall not be mixed with splits . Roasted 
whole groundnuts shall peel easily.  
  
4.3.2 Roasted groundnut (peanut) shall be free from dead or living insects, insect residues, rodent hair and 
excreta, fungal infection, foreign matter such as stones, soil or any extraneous matter and foreign odours and 
undesirable flavour and/or rancid taste.  
 
4.3.3 Roasted groundnuts shall be free from decayed and mould -damaged kernels.  
 
4.3.4 The broken kernels in any package shall not be more than 5 % by mass.  
 
4.3.5 The roasted ground nuts shall be of pleasant taste and sm ell, and free from rancid, soap , bitter or burnt 
taste and smell. They shall have an aroma and taste characteristic of the flavours and spices used .  
 
4.3.6  The kernels shall be mature and uniform in shape, size and colour according to variety and grade.  
 
4.3.7  Specific requirements  
 
Roasted ground nuts shall conform to the composition requirements indicated in Table 1.  
 
Table 1: Specific requirements for roasted groundnuts (peanuts)  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/No.  Characteristic  Maximum limits  Methods of test  
1 Moisture content, %(m/m), max  2 Annex B  
2 Fat on dry weight basis  ,( %m/m), max  43 Annex C  
3 Free fatty acids , % m/m, max  2 AOAC  
4 Total ash, %m/m on dry weight basis  2 Annex D  
5 Total aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1 +AFG2), ppb, max  10 ISO 16050  6 Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb, max  5 
7 Total fumonisin (FB1+FB 2+FB3), ppb , max  2000 AOAC Method 
2001. 04 
 
4.3.8 Microbiological limits   
 
The product shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits  for roasted groundnuts  (peanuts)  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Type of microorganism  Maximum limit  Method of test  
1 Total viable count, cfu/g, max  <104 ISO 4833  
2 Salmonella  in 25 g, max  Absent  ISO 6579  
3 E. coli  per g, max  Absent  ISO 7251  
4 Shigella  per g, max  Absent  ISO 21567  
5 Coliforms  g (per 100 g), cfu/g, max  Absent  ISO 4832  
6 Staphylococcus aureus  per 10 g, max  Absent  ISO 6888  
7 Moulds and yeast, per g, max  102 ISO 21527 -2 
 
 
5 HYGIENE  
 
The product covered by the provisions of this draft standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance with 
MS 21.  
 
  
4 
 6 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Only those food additives listed under this product in MS 237 shall be used and only within the limits specified.  
 
 
7 CONTAMINANTS  
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
Roasted groundnuts  shall comply with maximum limits of heavy metals in accordance with MS 302 .  
 
7.2 Pesticides residues  
 
Roasted groundnuts  shall comply with the latest maximum residual limits  for pesticides established by the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission for this product.  
 
 
8 PACKING AND LABELLING  
 
8.1 Packing  
 
8.1.1  Roasted nuts shall be packed in pouches o r in suitable sealed containers, which  shall be clean, sound, 
free and of food grade quality.  
 
8.1.2  Roasted nuts  shall be packed in containers, which  will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological 
and organoleptic qualities of the products.  
 
8.1.3  The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances, which  are safe and 
suitable for their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the 
product.  
 
8.1.4  Each package shall be securely c losed and sealed.  
 
8.2 Labelling  
 
In addition to the requirements in MS 19 , each package shall be legibly and indelibly mar ked with the following:  
 
8.2.1 Name of the product  as “roasted groundnuts ’’ or “roasted peanuts” . The name may include words such 
as salted, sugar glazed , spiced , etc, where applicable;  
 
8.2.2 Name and address of the manufacturer;  
 
8.2.3 Method of roasting (dr y roasted or fry roasted ); 
 
8.2.4 Batch or code number;  
 
8.2.5 Net mass in grams or kilograms;  
 
8.2.6 Date of manufacture;  
 
8.2.7 The words 'Best before date' (the date to be given by the manufacturer);  
 
8.2.8 List of ingredients  in descending order of proportions ; and 
 
8.2.9 A statement on allergens.  
 
 
9 METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTS   
 
9.1 Repres entative  samples of the product  shall be draw n and conformity of the product  to the 
requirements of the specification shall be determined according to the procedure given in Annex A . 
 
9.2 Testing shall be done in accordance with the methods indicated against each requirement in Tables 
1 and 2 or other equivalent methods. 
5 
 Annex A  
(Normative)  
 
SAMPLING AND CRITERIA FOR CONFORMITY  OF ROASTED GROUNDNUTS (PEANUTS) KERNELS  
 
A.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF SAMPLING  
 
A.1.1  In drawing, preparing , storing and handling samples, the following precautions and directions shall be 
observed.  
 
A.1.2  The sampling instrument shall be clean and dry when used. When taking samples for bacteriological 
examination, it shall be sterile.  
 
A.1.3 Precautions shall be taken to protect the samples, the material being sampled, the sampling 
instrument and the containers for samples from adventitious contamination.  
 
A.1.4 The samples shall be placed in clean and dry containers. The sample containers shall be of such a 
size that they are almost completely filled with the sample. The sample containers shall, in addition, be sterile 
when they are used for samples for bacteriol ogical examination.  
 
A.1.5 Each container shall be sealed air -tight after filling and marked with full details of sampling, such as, 
date' of sampling, date of manufacture and batch number or code number, if any.  
 
A.1.6 Samples shall be stored in such a manner that the temperature of the material does not vary unduly 
from the normal temperature.  
 
 
A.2 SCALE OF SAMPLING  
 
A.2.1 Lot. In any consignment all the containers of the same size and belonging to the same batch of 
manufacture shall be grouped together to constitute a lot.  
 
A.2.2 For ascertaining the conformity of the material in the lot to the requirements of this specificatio n, 
samples shall be tested from each lot separately.  
 
A.2.3 The number of cont ainers to be sampled from each l ot shall depend on the quantity of material in the 
lot and the containers in which it is packed. This shall be according to Table A1. 
 
Table A1: Scale of sampling  
 
1 2 3 4 5 
S/No  Number of containers 
in the lot  Containers of less 
than 100 g  Containers of 100 g to 
500 g  Containers of 
more than 500 g  
1 Up to 100 80 8 2 
2 101 to 300  125 13 3 
3 301 to 500  200 20 5 
4 501 to 1000  315 32 8 
6 1001 and above  500 50 15 
 
A.2.4  The containers shall be chosen at random from the lot.  
 
 
A.3 PREPARATIO N OF TEST SAMPLES NUMBER OR TESTS AND CRITERIA FOR CONFORMITY  
 
A.3.1  Each of the containers selected according to A.2.3  shall be opened and contents examined for the 
requirements given in clause 4.2.1, 4.2 .2, 4.2.3  and 4.2.5. If each of the containers so examined is found 
meeting the relevant requirements, the lot shall be considered to have satisfied the specification.  
 
A.3.2 The lot having been found satisfactory according to A.3.1  shall be further tested for the chemical 
requirements given in 4.2.4. For this purpose, from each of the selected containers, an approximately equal 
quantity of the material shall be taken so a s to make a composite sample of about 600 g. This sample shall be 
divided into three equal parts and transferred to clean and dry glass containers, sealed air -tight and marked 
with full details of sampling, such as date of sampling, batch or code number , name of the manufacturer and 
other important particulars of the consignment. One of these composite samples shall be for the purchaser, 
another for the supplier and the third for the referee.    
6 
 ANNEX B  
(Normative)  
 
DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE  CONTENT  
 
B1  APPARATUS  
 
B1.1 Oven 95°C - 100 °C 100 mm Hg (13.3 kPa] or hot air oven at 105 °C . 
 
B1.2 Analytical balance . 
 
B1.3 Dishes with lid . Aluminium, nickel or thin stainless steel of diameter 60 mm.  
 
B1.4 Glass rod . 
 
B1.5 Sand , washed with 5 % hydrochloric acid solution and rinsed free from hydrochloric acid; sieved so 
that the grains  are sizes within the range 100 mm to 400 mm and calcinated.  
 
B1.6 Desiccator . 
 
 
B2 PROCEDURE  
 
B2.1 Preparation of apparatus  
 
Dry in the oven at 95 °C - 100 °C under a pressure of 100 mm Hg (13.3 kPa) a metal dish and its lid in which  
has been put 10 g – 20 g of prepared sand and a glass rod. Dry for an hour, weigh the dish to the nearest  
0.000 2 g after cooling in a desiccator.  
 
B2.2 Preparation of the sa mple  
 
Transfer to the predried dish about 2 g to 5 g of the homogenized (blended) sample and weigh. Mix it  intimately 
with the sand by means of the rod taking care to avoid any loss of product or sand to the dish. Dry  the prepared 
sample in the oven for 5 h at 95°C – 1 00°C.  
 
 
B3 Calculation  
 
Moisture percentage by mass =  
0 12 1 100
MMMM
  
 
Where,  
 
0M
= Mass in g of the dish and accessories (sand, rod and lid);  
 
1M
 = Mass in g of the dish (and its access ories) and  sample before drying;  and 
 
2M
 = Mass in g of the dish (and its accessories) and sample after drying . 
   
7 
 ANNEX C  
(Normative)  
 
DETERMINATION OF OIL (FAT)  
 
C1 REAGENTS  
 
C1.1 Petroleum ether, of boiling range 40 °C to 60 °C.  
 
C1.2 Hexane . 
 
C1.3  Oven 95°C - 100 °C 100 mm Hg (13.3 kPa] or hot air oven at 105 °C . 
 
 
C2 PROCEDURE  
 
Weigh accurately about 2.5 g of the sample, dried using oven or hot air  (C1.3 ), and extract with petroleum 
ether or hexane,  food grade, in a Soxhlet or other suitable extractor. The extraction period may vary from 4 h 
at a condensation rate of 5 - 6 drops per second. Dry the extract on a steam bath for 30 min, cool in a 
desiccators and weigh. Continue at 30 min intervals this alternative drying and weighings until the d ifference 
between  two successive weighings is less than one milligram.  
 
Note the lowest mass.  
 
 
C3 CALCULATION AND EXPRESSION OF RESULTS  
 
Crude fat (on moisture - free basis), per cent by mass =  
MMM ) (1002 1  
Where,  
 
1M
= mass in g of the extr action flask with dried extract;  
 
2M
= mass in g of the extraction flask ; and 
 
M
 = mass in g of the dried sample taken for the test . 
   
8 
 Annex D 
(Normative)  
 
DETERMINATION OF TOTAL ASH  
D1 PROCEDURE  
 
Ignite the dried material in the dish ( see B2.1 ) with flame of a suitable burner for about one hour. Complete  
the ignition by keeping in a muffle furnace at 550 °C to 600 °C until g rey ash results, cooling and we ighing at  
half-hour intervals until the difference in mass between two successive weighings is less than one milligram.  
 
Note the lowest mass.  
 
 
D2 CALCULATION  
 
D2.1 Calculate total ash as follows:  
 
Total ash  (on dry basis) percent by mass = 
0 10 2 ) (100
MMMM
  
Where,  
 
0M
 is mass in g o f the dish with its accessories;  
 
1M
 is mass in g of the dish, its accessories and the dried material after drying as in ( B2.1); and 
 
2M
 is mass in g of the dish, its accessories and ash after ignition (B2.2). 
 
  
 
 
ICS 67.060         DMS 1693 :2020 
First  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 Industry and Trade .  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 standard ization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, 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.