AFRICAN 
STANDARD DARS  
867  
Second  Edition 2022 
 
 Reference No. DARS 867:2022(E) 
ICS 67.060 
 
 
© ARSO 2022 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Dry c owpeas — Specification  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 DARS 867:2022  
ii © ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents 
 
1 Scope  .........................................................................................................................................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................................................................................................. 1  
3 Definitions  ...................................................................................................................................  1 
4 Quality Requirements  ................................................................................................................. 2  
4.1 General requirements  ................................................................................................................. 2  
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................................................................................................. 2  
5 Contaminants  .............................................................................................................................  3 
5.1 Heavy  metals  ..............................................................................................................................  3 
5.2 Pesticide residues  ...................................................................................................................... 3  
6 Hygiene  ...................................................................................................................................... 3  
7 Packaging  ...................................................................................................................................  3 
8 Labelling  .....................................................................................................................................  3 
9 Sampling methods  ...................................................................................................................... 4  
Bibliography  ............................................................................................................................................  5 
Illustration of cowpeas  .............................................................................................................................  6 
 
  DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — 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 African 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, Regional 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 technical 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 2022 — All rights reserved
* 
 AR
SO Central Secretariat  
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P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
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Tel. +254- 20-2224561, +254- 20-3311641, +254- 20-3311608  
 
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Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
                                                 
* © 2022 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs. DARS 867:2022  
iv © ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved   
Copyright notice  
 
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© African Organisation for Standardisation 2022 — 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 
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 Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators  may be prosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  v Introduction 
 
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L .)) is one of the most important grain legumes in Africa and in parts of the 
Americas and Asia. The protein in cowpea seed is rich in the amino acids, lysine and tryptophan, 
compared to cereal grains; however, it is deficient in methionine and cystine when compared to animal proteins. Therefore, cowpea seed is valued as a nutritional supplement to cereals and an extender of 
animal proteins.  
 
Cowpeas are part of the strategic food commodity basket recognized by the declaration of the African 
Union Food Security Summit held in December 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria. This standard was harmonized 
as part of the response by the resolution of the AU Food Security Summit to harmonize standards and 
grades for strategic food commodities as a means of promoting and facilitating intra- African food trade. 
Such facilitation would lead to free movement of food commodities from areas of surplus to areas of 
deficit, leading to overall achievement of food and nutrition security, food self -sufficiency and 
socioeconomic development of the African continent.  
  
 DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  1  
Dry c owpeas — Specification  
  
1 Scope  
 This African  Standard specifies the requirements  and methods of sampling and test  for dry cowpeas of 
the varieties (cultivars) grown from Vigna unguiculata  (L.) Sync. Vigna sinensis (L.) intended for human 
consumption.
 It does not apply to processed cowpeas.  
  
2 Normative references 
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 ARS 53, General principles of food hygiene — Code of practice  
 
ARS 56, Pre-packaged foods — Labelling 
 
 ISO 27085, Determination of calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, 
manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, arsenic, lead and cadmium by ICP -AES  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
 ISO 605, Pulses — Determination of impurities, size, foreign odours, insects, and species and variety 
— Test methods  
 
ISO 24333, Cereals and cereal products — Sampling 
 
ISO 24557, Pulses — Determination of moisture content — Air-oven method 
 
3 Definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following definitions shall apply . 
 3.1 
cowpeas  
driedmature seeds of Vigna unguiculata ( L.) and Vigna sinensis (L.)  
 
3.2 
broken cowpeas  
pieces of cowpeas that are less than three-quarters the size of a whole grain  
 
3.3 
rotten and damaged cowpeas  
cowpeas  and pieces of cowpeas  that are materially damaged or discolo ured by frost, weather, disease, 
weevils or other insects, or other causes so as to materially affect the appearance and quality of the cowpeas  
 3.4 
discoloured cowpeas  
cowpeas  which are damaged by heat, frost or water  
 3.5 
shrivelled cowpeas  
cowpeas which are under -developed and wrinkled over their entire surface  
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 867:2022  
2 © ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  3.6 
split  
broken pieces of cowpeas that are less than three- quarters of the whole seed, and cotyledons that are 
loosely held together by the seed coat  
 
3.7 
food grade packaging material  
material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
 
3.8 
foreign matter all organic and inorganic material (such as plant parts, sand, soil, glass, filth) other than cowpeas  
 
 
3.9poisonous, toxic and/or harmful seeds  
any seed which if present in quantities above permissible limit may have damaging or dangerous effect 
on health, organoleptic properties or technological performance such as Jimson weed — D atura (D. 
fastuosa  L. and D. stramonium  L.) corn co ckle (Agrostemma githago L., Machai Lallium remulenum  L.) 
Akra (Vicia species), Argemone mexicana, Khesari and other seeds that are commonly recognized as 
harmful to health 
 
 
4 Requirements 
 
4.1 General requirements 
 
Cowpeas  shall be:  
 
(a) the dried mature seeds  of Vigna unguiculata (L .) and Vigna sinensis (L.) 
 
(b) clean, well -filled, wholesome, uniform in size, shape, colour and in sound merchantable 
conditions;  
 
(c) free from substances which render them unfit for human consumption;  
 
(d) free from abnormal flavours, musty, sour or other undesirable odour,  obnoxious smell  and 
discolouration;   
 
(e) free of pests, live animals, animal carcasses, animal droppings, fungus infestation, added 
colouring matter, moulds, impurities of plant and animal origin including insects,  rodent hair and 
excreta and shall meet any other sanitary and phytosanitary requirements;  
 
 
(g) free from toxic , poisonous or harmful  seeds that are commonly recognized as harmful to health. 
 
4.2 Specific requirements 
 
4.2.1  Grading  
 
Cowpeas shall be graded into three grades on the basis of the tolerable limits established in Table 1 
which shall be additional to the general requirements set out in this standard.  
 
Table 1 — Specific requirements  
 
Characteristics  Limits  Method 
of test  Grade 
1 Grade 
2 Grade 
3 
(1)  Foreign matter, % max. m/m  0.2 0.6 1.0 
ISO 605 (2)  Inorganic matter, % max. m/m  0.1 0.5 0.75 
(3)  Broken/split  cowpeas , % m/m  1 2 3 DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  3 (4)  Pest damaged  cowpeas , % max. m/m  2 3 6 
(5)  Rotten and diseased cowpeas , % max. m/m  0.5 0.5 1 
(6)  Discoloured  cowpeas , % max. m/m  1 1 3 
(7)  Immature/shrivelled cowpeas , % max. m/m  1 2 3 
(8)  Filth, % m/m  0.1 0.1 0.1 
(9)  Total defective cowpeas , % max. m/m  2 4 5 
(10)  Moisture, % max. m/m  14.0 14.0 14.0 ISO 
24557 
NOTE 1  The parameter, total defective cowpeas is not the sum total of the individual defects. It is limited 
to 70% of the sum total of individual defects. 
 
 
 5 Contaminants 
 
5.1 Heavy  metals 
 
Cowpeas shall comply with those maximum limits for metal contaminants specified in CODEX STAN 
193 and in particular those listed in Table 2.  
 
 
Table 2 — Metal contaminants 
 
S/N Parameter  Limit (ppm max)  Test method  
(1) Lead (Pb)  0.1  ISO 27085  
(2) Cadmium (Cd)  0.1  ISO 27085  
 
 
5.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Dry c owpeas  shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity   
  
6 Hygiene  
 6.1 Dry cowpeas  shall be produced, prepared and handled under hygienic conditions in 
accordance with ARS 53.  
 
 
7 Packaging  
 
7.1 Dry cowpeas  shall be packaged  in suitable food grade packag ing materials  which shall be 
clean, sound, free from insect, fungal infestation and the packing material shall be of food grade quality  
and shall be securely closed and sealed.  
 
7.2 Dry c owpeas  shall be packaged  in packaging materials which will safeguard the hygienic, 
nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the products.  
 7.3 Each package shall contain dry cowpeas  of the same type and of the same grade designation.  
  
8 L abelling 
 
8.1      General Labelling  
The following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly and indelibly marked in 
accordance with the requirements of ARS 56:  DARS 867:2022  
4 © ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  (i) product name as “ Dry Cowpeas”;  
 
(ii) variety; 
 
(iii) grade;  
 
(iv) name, address and physical location of  the producer/ packer/importer;  
 
(v) lot/batch/code number;  
 
(vi) net weight, in SI units ; 
 (vii) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’  
 
(viii) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’;  
 (ix) crop year;  
 
(x) packing date;  
 
(xi) instructions on disposal of used package;  
 (xii) country of origin;  
 
(xiii) a declaration on whether the cowpeas were genetically modified or not.  
 
 
8.2 
Labelling of non-retail containers  
 
Information detailed in 8. 1 shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except 
that the name of the product, lot identification and the name and address of the processor or packer as well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container.  
 
For products  purchased for use by the buyer/retailer, at least the name of producer, l ot number and/or 
‘crop year’  shall be indicated on the container.  
 Lot identification and the name and address of the processor or packer may be replaced by an 
identification mark provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.  
 
 
9 Sampling  
 Sampling shall be done in accordance with the ISO 24333. 
  
 
  
 
  
  DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  5 Bibliography  
 
EAS 755 :2012, Cowpeas — Specification  
 
Pulses Grading and Marking Rules , 2003, Schedule XIX, Grade designation and definition of quality of 
Lobia, Ministry o f Agriculture, India, 7th April 2004  
 Malawi Standard, MBS 242:1991, Cowpeas — Specification  
 
CODEX STAN 171 :1989 (Rev. 1: 1995) , Standard for Certain Pulses  
 Australian Pulse Standards, 2012/2013 — Caloona / Poona cowpeas minimum export standard  
 
  DARS 867:2022  
6 © ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved  Illustration of cowpeas 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DARS 867:2022  
© ARSO  2022 — All rights reserved