Degermed maize (corn) meal and maize 
(corn) grits  – Specification   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft proposal and should not be regarded or used as a Malawi standards  
 ICS 67.060              DMS 937:2020 
   Second edition  
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD   
  ICS 67.060            DMS 937:2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Degermed maize (corn) meal and maize 
(corn) grits  – 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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i 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                     Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................   i 
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  i 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..  i 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................    1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  2 
Essential composition and q uality requirements  ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  4 
Packaging  and labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 4 
Methods of sampling and analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
 
FOREWORD  
 
This draft standard is a first revision of MS 937:2014 , Dergermed  maize (corn) meal and maize (corn) grits  – 
Specification . The revision of this standard is being done to incorporate technical changes that have been 
done to the base documents .. In preparing this standard, reference was made to the following standard s:  
 
CODEXSTAN 155:1985 (Revised in 1995, Amended in 2019 ), Standard  for degermed maize ( corn)  meal and 
maize (corn ) grits; and  
 
ARS 467:2016,  Degermed maize meal and maize grits . 
 
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 companies , organizations and institutions were consulted : 
 
Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC)  
University of Malawi – Chancellor College  
F&F Industries Limited  
HMS Foods and Grains  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
Ministry of Agriculture – Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Services  
Ministry of Health  
Ministry of Industry  
Moon Puffs  
Unity Super Meal  
 
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 937:2020 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Degermed maize(corn) meal and maize(corn) grits  – 
Specification  
1 SCOPE  
 
1.1 This draft s tandard applies to degermed  maize (corn) meal and to degermed maize (corn) grits for 
direct human consumption milled from kernels of common maize, Zea mays L.  
 
1.2 It does not apply to whole maize (corn) meal, maize (corn) flours, quick grits, hominy grits, selfrising 
maize (corn) meals, enriched maize (corn) meals, enriched maize (corn) grits, bolted maize (corn) meals, 
maize (corn) flakes, and alkaline treated maize (corn) products.  
 
1.3 This draft standard  does not apply to maize (corn) meals for use as a brewing adjunct, to mai ze (corn) 
meals used for manufacturing of starch and any industrial use, nor to maize (corn) meal for use as an animal 
feed 
 
 
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 146: Cereals and pulses – Methods of sampling as grain;  
 
MS 302:  Contaminants and toxins in foods - General standard;  
 
MS 610: Cereals and cereal products — Determination of moisture content (Basic reference method);  
 
ISO 1871: Food and feed products – general guidelines for the determination of nitrogen by Kjeldahl method;  
 
ISO 2171 : Determination of ash content;  
 
ISO 3310 -1: Test sieves – Technical requirements and testing,  Part 1: Test Siev es of metal wire cloth;  
 
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 13690 : Cereals, pulses and milled products – Sampling of static batches  
 
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;  
 
ISO 21527 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts  
2 
 and moulds – Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0.95; and  
 
AOAC Official Method 2001.04: Determination of f umonisins B1 and B2 in corn and corn flakes – Liquid 
chromatography wit h immunoaffinity column cleanup.  
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft standard,  the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
degermed maize (corn) meal   
is the food prepared from fully mature, sound, degermed kernels of maize (corn), Zea  mays L., cleaned from 
impurities, mould, seeds of weeds and other cereals by a grinding process in which the grain is comminuted 
to a suitable degree of fineness and from which bran and germ are removed. In its preparation, coarse particles 
of the ground maize kernel may be separated, reground and recombined with all of the material from which 
they were separated  
 
3.2 
degermed maize (corn) grits  
is the food prepared from fully mature, sound, degermed, kernels of maize (corn), Zea mays L., cleaned from 
impu rities, mould, seeds of weeds and other cereals, by a grinding process in which the grain is comminuted 
to a suitable degree of fineness and from which bran and germ are almost completely removed . 
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1  Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits shall be safe and suitable for human consumption.  
 
4.1.2  Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits shall be free from abnormal flavours, odours, and 
living insects.  
 
4.1.3  Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits shall be free from filth (impurities of animal origin, 
including dead insects) in amounts which may represent a hazard to human health.  
 
4.2 Quality factors   
 
4.2.1  Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits shall comply with composition and quality 
requirements stipulated in Table 1 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
3 
 Table 1: Composition and quality factors for degermed maize meal and maize grits  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/No  Composition /quality factor  Limit  Method of test  
1 Moisture  content. %m/m, max  15 ISO 5498  
2 Acid insoluble ash, % m/m, on dry weight basis  0.1 ISO 5985  
3 Crude protein, % min on dry weight basis  7 ISO 1871  
4 Crude fat % max, on dry weight basis  2.25 ISO 5986  
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), ppm, max  2 AOAC  
8 Granularity    
 
Degermed maize meal  
 95 % or more sha ll 
pass through a 
0.85 sieve;             
45 % or more shall 
pass through  a 
0.71 mm sieve;  – 
and – 25 % or less 
shall pass through  
a 0.210 sieve  AOAC 965.22 
(Type I method 
with sieve 
specifications 
as in ISO 
3310/l -1982 
test sieves)  
 
Degermed maize grits  95% or more 
through a 2.00 mm 
sieve; 20 % or less 
through a 0.71 mm 
sieve  
 AOAC 965.22 
(Type I method 
with sieve 
specifications 
as in ISO 
3310/l -1982 
test sieves)  
  
 
 
4.2.2 The product s shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits  for degermed maize meal and maize grits  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/No.  Type of microorganism  Maximum limit  Method of test  
(i)  Total viable count, cfu/g, max  105 ISO 4833  
(ii)  Salmonella  in 25 g, max  Absent  ISO 6579  
(iii)  E. coli  per g , max   Absent  ISO 7251  
(iv)  Vibrio cholerae  per g , max   Absent  ISO/TS 21872  
(v)  Coliforms  g (per 100 g), cfu/g, max  Absent  ISO 4832  
(vi)  Staphylococcus aureus  per 10 g, 
max 102 ISO 6888  
 Bacillus Cereus, per 25 g, max  Absent  ISO 7932  
(vii) Moulds and yeast, per g, max  103 ISO 21527 -2 
 
 
5 HYGIENE  
 
5.1 Products covered in this draft standard shall be prepared and  handled in accordance with the 
appropriate sections of the MS 21 and other Codes of Practice recommended by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission which are relevant to this product.  
 
5.2 To the extent possible in good manufacturing practice, the product shall be free from objectionable 
matter.  
 
 
 
  
4 
 6 CONTAMINANTS  
 
6.1 Heavy metals  
 
The products shall comply with maximum limits of heavy metals in accordance with MS 302.  
 
6.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits  shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits 
established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
6.3 Mycotoxin limits  
 
Degermed maize meal and degermed maize grits  shall comply with those maximum mycotoxin limits set in 
Table 1 above, and those established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity when tested 
according to ISO 16050.  
 
 
7 PACKAGING  AND LABELING  
 
7.1 Packaging  
 
7.1.1  Degermed  maize meal and degermed maize grits  shall be packed in suitable packages which will 
safeguard  the hygienic, nutritional, tec hnological and organoleptic qualities of the products.  
 
7.1.2 The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of food grade materials . They shall not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product.  
 
7.3 When the product is packaged in sacks, these must be clean, sturdy and strongly sewn or sealed.  
 
7.2 Labelling  
 
In addition to the provisions prescribed in MS 19, each package shall be legibly and indel ibly marked with the 
following:  
 
7.2.1 Product name as “degermed maize (corn) meal”, or “maize (corn) grits”  
 
7.2.2  Name, address and physical location of the producer/ packer/importer;  
 
7.2.3  Lot/batch/code number;  
 
7.2.4  Net weight, in kg; and 
 
7.2.5  Best before date.  
 
7.3 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 su ch a mark is clearly identifiable with the 
accompanying documents.  
 
 
8 METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING  
 
8.1 Sampling for testing as required in this  draft proposal shall be done according to  MS 146 and                           
ISO 13690.  
 
8.2 Testing shall be done in accordance with the methods indicated against each requirement in Tables 
1 and 2 or other equivalent methods.  
.  
ICS 67.060           DMS 937:2020 
Second 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 tim e 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.