AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
865  
Second  Edition 2023 
 
 Reference No. DARS 865:2023 
ICS 67.060  
 
 
© ARSO 2023  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dry g reen grams — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 865: 2023  
ii © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  3 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  3 
4.2.1  Grading  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 3 
5 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
5.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  4 
5.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
6 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  5 
9 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  5 
Annex A  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
(informative)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  6 
Illustration of green grams  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  6 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  7 
 
  DARS 865: 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. +25 4-20-2224561, +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 865: 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 
trans mitted 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 request er: 
 
 
© 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 865: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  v Introduction  
 
The green  gram  (Vigna radiata (L.)) is a leguminous pulse crop,  prized for its seeds, which are high in 
protein, easily digested, and consumed as food. Green gram s are high in vitamins A, B 1, B2 and C and 
niacin.  
 
Green grams  protein is comparatively rich in lysine, an amino acid deficient in cereal grains, and 
deficient in methiomine, cystine, and cysteine, amino acids found abundantly in cereal grains.  A diet 
combining green gram mungbeans  and cereal grains compensates for the deficiencies in protein quality 
found in either grain alone and provides a balanced amino acid content.  
 
Green grams are part of the strategic food commodity basket recognized by the declaration of the 
African Union F ood 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 devel opment of the African continent.  
 
 
 DARS 865: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  1  
Dry g reen grams — Specification  
 
1 Scope  
 
This Draft African Standard specifies requirements , sampling and test methods for the dry green gram s 
of the cultivar Vigna radiat a (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 referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
ARS 53, General principles of f ood hygiene — Code of practice  
 
ARS 56, Prepackaged foods — Labelling  
 
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 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 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 (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 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  
 
ISO 24333, Cereals and cereal products — Sampling  
 
ISO 24557, Pulses — Determination of moisture content — Air-oven method  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose s of this document,  the following terms and definition s apply . 
 
3.1 
green grams  
dry whole grains of Vigna radiat a (L.) 
 
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 865: 2023  
2 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  3.2 
damaged grains  
grains which are distinctly identified as having been visibly affected by insects, fungi, heat, water, 
disease or any other causative agent. These include grains that are damaged or split in the process of 
handling or those that are off colour.  
 
3.3 
immatu re grains  
grains which are not fully developed, normally smaller in size than the mature gr ains, shrivelled and off 
colour  
 
3.4 
objectionable odours  
odours which are entirely foreign to green grams and which, because of their presence, render green 
grams unfit for human consumption  
 
3.5 
pest infestation  
presence of live insects or other organisms, either in adult or other development stages  
 
3.6 
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  
 
3.7 
foreign matter  
all organic and inorganic material other than dry green grams or broken green grams and other edible 
grains  
 
3.7.1 
inorganic foreign matter  
stones, glass, pieces of soil and other mineral matter  
 
3.7.2 
organic foreign matter  
any animal or plant matter (seed coats, straws, weeds) other than dry green grams, broken dry green 
grams, inorganic extraneous matter and harmful/toxic seeds  
 
3.8 
contrasting varieties  
other varieties that are of a different colour, size, or shape from the grains of the designated variety  
 
3.9 
total defective /damaged grains  
pest damaged, discouloured, diseased, germinated, mouldy, immature and shrivelled grains, or otherwise  
materially damaged, which specifically do not include broken grains  
 
3.10 
filth 
impurities of animal origin including dead insects, rodent hair and excreta  
 
3.11  
poisonous, 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 — Datura  (D. fastuosa  L. 
and D. stramonium  L.) corn cockle ( Agrostemma  githago  L., Machai  Lallium  remulenum  L.) Akra ( Vicia  
species), Argemone  mexicana , Khesari  and other seeds that are commonly recognized as harmful to health  
 
 
 DARS 865: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  3 4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
Dry green grams  shall be:  
 
a) the dried mature grains of pulse green gram Vigna radiata (L.); 
 
b) well-filled, smooth, hard, clean, wholesome, uniform in size, shape, colour ; 
 
c) free from substances which render them unfit for human consumption;  
 
d) free of pests, live animals, fungus infestation, added colouring matter, weevils, obnoxious 
substances, glass, metal, coal, dung, discoloration and all other impurities that represent a 
hazard to human health;  
 
e) free from abnormal flavo urs, musty, sour or other undesirable odour,  obnox ious smell  and 
discoloration;  and 
 
f) free from toxic or noxious seeds that are commonly recognized as harmful to health.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
 
4.2.1  Grading  
 
Green grams shall be graded into three grades on the basis of the tolerable limits established in Table 
1 when tested in accordance with th e test methods specified therein  which shall be additional to the 
general requirements set out in this standard.  
 
Table 1 — Specific re quirements  for d ry green grams  
 
S/N Characteristic  Limit Test m ethod  
Grade 1  Grade 2  Grade 3  
i.  Moisture, % m/m, max. 14.0 14.0 14.0 ISO 24557  
ii.  Total defective grains, % m/m, max. 3.5 6.3 9.1 ISO 605  
iii.  Immature grain % m/m, max. 2.0%  3.0 4.0 
iv.  Contrasting varieties, % m/m, max. 0.5 1.0 2.0 
v.  Foreign material% m/m, max. 0.65 [0.5]  0.65 [0.8]  0.65 [1]  
vi.  Inorganic material  0.3 0.3 0.3 
vii.  Filth 0.1 0.1 0.1 
viii.  Other edible grains %  m/m, max. 
Any edible grains or oilseeds other than 
green grams  0.1 0.5 3.0 ISO 605  
ix.  Insect /pest damaged % m/m, max. 
Grains per cent by count clean -cut weevil 
bored  1 2 3 ISO 605  
NOTE  The parameter, total defective grains is  not the sum total of the individual defects. It is limited to 70% of the sum 
total of individual defects.  
  DARS 865: 2023  
4 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  5 Contaminants  
 
5.1 Heavy metals  
 
Dry g reen grams  shall comply with those maximum limits for metal contaminants specified in CODEX 
STAN 193.  
 
5.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Dry green grams  shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity . 
 
6 Hygiene  
 
6.1 Dry green grams  shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions 
of appropriate sections of ARS 53 . 
 
6.2 When tested by appropriate methods in the standards  listed in Clause 2, the product  
 
a) shall be free from microorganisms in amounts which may represent a hazard to health and shall 
not exceed the limits stipulated in Table 3; and 
 
b) shall not contain any substance originating from microorganisms in amounts which may 
represent a hazard to health.  
 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits  for d ry green grams  
 
S/N Type of micro -organism  Limit  Test method  
i.  Yeasts and moulds, max. per g  105 ISO 21527 -2 
ii.  Staphylococcus aureus  cfu per g, max  Absent  ISO 6888  
iii.  E. coli, per g  Absent  ISO 7251  
iv.  Salmonella, per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579  
 
7 Packaging  
 
7.1 Dry g reen grams  shall be packed 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 g reen grams  shall be packed in containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
 
7.3 Each package shall contain dry green grams  of the same variety  and of the same grade 
designation.  
  DARS 865: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  5  
8 Labelling  
 
8.1 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 “Dry green grams”;  
 
b) variety;  
 
c) grade;  
 
d) name, address and physical location of the producer/ packer/importer;  
 
e) lot/batch/code number;  
 
f) net weight, in SI units ; 
 
g) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’ ; 
 
h) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’;  
 
i) crop year;  
 
j) packing date;  
 
k) instructions on disposal of used package;  
 
l) country of origin;  and 
 
m) a declaration on whether the green grams were genetically modified or not.  
 
8.2 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 th e 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 865: 2023  
6 © ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  Annex A  
(informative)  
 
Illustration of green grams  
 
 
 
  
DARS 865: 2023  
© ARSO 2023 — All rights reserved  7  
Bibliography  
 
[1] EAS 331 :2012, Green grams — Specification  
 
[2] Pulses Grading and Marking Rules , 2003, Schedule V, Grade designation and definition of 
quality of Moong (whole) , Ministry o f Agriculture, India, 7th April 2004  
 
[3] CODEX STAN 171 :1989 (Rev. 1 :1995) , Standard for Certain Pulses  
 
[4] Australian Pulse Standards, 2012/2013: Mungbeans minimum export standards  
 
 DARS 865:2023  
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved