Soybean  flour  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft Malawi standard  and it shall neither be used nor regarded as a Malawi standard.  
 ICS 67.060            DMS 478:2022  
  Second  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STAN DARD  ICS 6 7.060                  DMS 478:2022
            Second edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Soybean  flour  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                              Page 
 
Foreword  ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………… …………   i 
Technical committee   …………………………………………………………………………………………….…..    i 
Notice  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..    i 
Scope  …………………………………………………………………………………………... ................ ........ ......  1 
Normative reference s  …………………………………………………………………………… ………… ………..  1 
Terms and d efinitions  …………………… ………………………………………………………… ………… …..…  2 
Essential composition and quality r equirements  ………………………………………………………… ………..  2 
Hygiene… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………… ………....  3 
Food additives………………………………………………………………………………………………… …..       3 
Contaminants ……………………………………………………………………………………… ………… ……       3 
Packaging and labeling   ………………………………………………………………………… ………… …….       4 
Sampling and m ethods of test   …………………………… …………………………………… ………… …….       4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi  standard  has been prepared by the Technical Committee MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and 
seeds and their products , to provide requirements for soybean  flour.  
 
In preparing this standard  reference was made to the following standard:  
 
East African Community  standard , EAC 799:2018, Edible full fat soya flour  – Specification  
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the information.  
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft standard  was prepared by the  Technical Committee MBS/TC 16,  Cereals, pulses, legumes and 
their products , and the following organizations were  represented:   
 
Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation ; 
Agricultural Commodity Exchange ; 
Auction Holdings Limited Commodity Exchang e; 
Consumer Association of Malawi;  
Export Trading Limited ; 
Grain Traders and Processors Association;  
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources;  
Malawi Bureau of Standards;  
Ministry of Agr iculture – Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station , 
Ministry of Health – Department of Nutrition , HIV and AIDS ;  
Ministry of Industry and Trade;  
National Smallholders Farmers Association of Malawi ; 
Rab Processors Limited ; 
Trademark East Africa; 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. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being revi ewed . 
 1        DMS 478:2022  
DRAFT MALAWI  STANDARD  
 
Soybean  flour – Specification  
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test met hods for soybean  flour obtained from 
soybean  (Glycine max (L.) Merr ) intended for human consumption .  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCE S 
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through refe rence in this text, constitute pro visions of this 
Malawi 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 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 prepacke d foods  – General standard ; 
 
MS 21: Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic conditions ; 
 
MS 144 : Agricultural food products – Determination of crude fibre content – General method ; 
 
MS 145: Cereals and cereal products – Sampling;  
 
MS 188 : Edible salt – Specification;  
 
MS 237: General standard for food additives ;  
 
MS 244 : Soybean s – Specification ;  
 
MS 302 : Contaminants and toxins in foods – General standard ;  
 
ISO 4832: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs –Horizontal method for the enu meration of 
coliforms – Colony -count technique;  
 
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 fee ding 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 730 5: Milled cereal products – Determination of fat activity;  
 
ISO 11085: Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs – Determination of crude fat and total 
fat content by the Randall extraction method ;  
 
ISO 13690:  Cereals, pulses and milled pr oducts – Sampling of static batches ;  
 
ISO 14902:  Animal feeding staffs – Determination of trypsin inhibitor activity of soya products ;  
 
ISO 16050:  Foodstuffs – Determination of A flatoxi n B1, and the total content of A flatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereal s, nuts and derived products – High-performance liquid chromatographic method ;  
 
ISO 20483 : Cereals and pulses – Determination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude protein 
content – Kjeldahl method ;   
 2  
ISO 21527 -2: Microbiology of food and a nimal feedstuffs – 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 24557:  Pulses – Determination of moisture content – Air oven ; and  
 
AOAC 965.22 : Sorting corn grits – Sieving method . 
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft standard , the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
soybean  flour  
milled product obtained from whole dry soybean s 
 
3.2 
soybean  
whole mature dry bean of Glycin e max  (L) Merr. varieties  
 
3.3 
food grade packaging material  
packaging 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  
 
3.4 
foreign  matter  
all organic and inorganic mate rial other than soybean  flour 
 
3.5 
filth 
impurities of animal and plant origin like dead insects  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 Raw materials  
 
Soybean  flour shall be prepared from soybean s complying with MS 244.   
 
4.2 General r equirements  
 
Soybean  flour shall:  
 
4.2.1 Be characteristic of the colour of soybean  from which they were prepared ; 
 
4.2.2  Not contain any foreign  matter, live insects and filth;  
 
4.2.3  Be free from fermented musty or other objectionable o dour and colours;  
 
4.2.4  Be wholesome and fit for human consumption in all aspects.  
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
Soybean  flour shall conform to the requirements specified in Table 1  when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 3 Table 1  – Requirements for soybean  flour  
 
1 2 3 6 
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Test method  
1 Moisture content , % m/m, max  10.0 ISO 24557  
2 Protein (N x 6.25 dry basis) % m/m , min  35 ISO 20483  
3 Soya oil (fats on dry basis) % m/m, m in 16 ISO 11085  
4 Acid i nsoluble ash,  % m/m, max  0.4 ISO 5985  
5 Crude fibre , % m/m, max  6.0 MS 144  
6 Trypsin inhibitor activity ml/g, max  5.0 ISO 14902  
7 Fat acidity , mg KOH/100g, max  80 ISO 7305  
 
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 % shall pass through a 1000um sieve for coarse flour.  
 
4.5 Microbiological limits  
 
Soybean  flour shall not contain any pathogenic organisms and shall comply with microbiological limits  given 
in Table 2. 
 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits for soybean  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 soybean  flour shall be done in premises built and maintained under hygienic conditions as 
prescribed in  MS 21.  
 
 
6 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Only those food addit ives listed in MS 237 under this product shall be used and only within the limits 
specified.  
 
 
7 CONTAMINANTS  
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
Products covered by this draft proposal  shall comply with the maximum limits  of heavy metals  specified in 
MS 302.  
 
7.2 Pesticid es residues  
 
Soybean  flour shall comply with the maximum pesticides residues  limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  
 
7.3 Aflatoxins  
 
The maximum content of aflatoxins in soya protein products 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   
 4 8 PACK AGING  AND LABEL LING 
 
8.1 Packaging  
 
Soybean  flour shall be packed  in food grade material to safeguard the safety, hygienic, nutritional and 
organolept ic qualities of the product.  
 
8.2 Labe lling 
 
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 : 
 
8.2.1  Name of product as “ Soybean  flour”  
 
8.2.2  Name a nd address of the manufacturer/packer/importer;  
 
8.2.3  Brand name/registered trade mark;  
 
8.2.4  Batch or code number;  
 
8.2.5  Net weight in metric units;  
 
8.2.6  Storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place ’’; 
 
8.2.7  The statement "Food for human consum ption";  
 
8.2.8  Country of origin;  
 
8.2.9  Date of manufacture;  
 
8.2.10  Best before date ; and  
 
8.2.11  Instructions for disposal of used package.  
 
 
9      SAMPLING AND METHOD OF TESTS  
 
9.1 The method of sampling shall be done in accordance with  MS 145 and  ISO 13690 . 
 
9.2 Soybean  flour shall be tested in accordance with Table 1  and Table 2  and any other equivalent test 
methods.  
 
 
  
ICS 67.060           DMS 478:2022  
Second e dition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI BUREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malaw i 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 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.