DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  DUS DARS  466 
First Edition  
2022 -mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DARS 466: 2022 
© UNBS 2022  
   
Milled maize (corn) products — Specification  
 
 
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  466: 2022  
ii                © UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its c orrect application  
© UNBS 2022  
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permission from UNBS.  
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PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS 466: 2022  
© UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amen ded. UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisatio n for Standardisation (ISO),  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agr eement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before  recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Draft Uganda Standard, DUS DARS 466: 2022 , Milled maize (corn) products — Specification , is identical 
with and has been reproduced fr om an African  Standard, DARS 466: 2022 , Milled maize (corn) products — 
Specification , and adopted  as a Uganda Standard . 
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/ TC 203, Cereals, pulses and 
related products and processes . 
Wher ever the words, “ African  Standard " appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard ". 
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTAFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
466  
Third  Edition 20 22 
 
 Reference No. DARS 466:2022(E) 
ICS 67.060  
 
 
© ARSO 202 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Milled maize (corn) products  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
ii © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  3 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  4 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  4 
4.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  4 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  4 
6 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  5 
7 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 5 
7.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  5 
7.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  5 
8 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
10 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  7 
 
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARS) is an African intergovernmental organization made 
up of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of African 
Unity (AU). One of the fundamental mandates of ARSO is to develop and harmoniz e 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 co mmittees 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.  
 
Attenti on 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* 
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel. +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-311641, +254 -20-311608  
Fax: +254 -20-218792  
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
                                                 
* 2022 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs. 
 DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
iv © ARSO 202 2 — 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 reproduce d, stored or 
transmitted 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 coun try of the requester:  
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 20 22 — All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-311641, +254 -20-311608  
Fax: +254 -20-218792  
 
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 p rosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  v Introduction  
 
Maize products are processed from maize grain  which  is produced in larger  quantities in Africa. Maize 
is a major food security crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, being the  staple food for an estimated 50 percent 
of the population.  
 
This standard has been revised  to take into account:  
a) the needs of the market for the product;  
b) the need to facilitate fair domestic, regional and international trade and prevent technical 
barrie rs to trade by establishing a common trading language for buyers and sellers;  
c) the structure of the CODEX, UNECE, USA, ISO and other internationally significant standards;  
d) the needs of the producers in gaining knowledge of market standards, conformity asses sment, 
commercial cultivars and crop production process;  
e) the need to transport the product in a manner that ensures keeping of quality until it reaches 
the consumer;  
f) the need for the plant protection authority to certify, through a simplified form, that th e product 
is fit for cross -border and international trade without carrying plant disease vectors;  
g) the need to promote good agricultural practices that will enhance wider market access, 
involvement of small -scale traders and hence making farming a viable me ans of wealth 
creation; and  
h) the need to ensure a reliable production base of consistent and safe crops that meet customer 
requirements . 
The scope of this African Standard has also been expanded to cover sifted maize meal, granulated 
maize meal, maize flour  and whole maize meal as opposed to covering only whole maize meal which 
was the case in the previous edition.  
 
This African Standard is a technical revision of the earlier ARS 466 :2013 (E), Whole maize meal — 
Specification  which is hereby superseded and cancelled.  
 
 
 
 DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  1  
Milled maize (corn) products  — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
 
This African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for whole maize meal, 
granulated maize meal, sifted maize meal, maize grits and maize flour from the grains of common maize 
( Zea mays  L.) intended for human consumption.  
This standard does not apply to fortified milled maize (corn) products and maize grits intended for 
brewing, manufacturing of starch and any other industrial use.  
 
 
2 Normative references  
 
The following referenced docum ents 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, Prepackaged foods — Labelling  
 
ARS 461, Maize grains — Specification  
 
ARS 4 71, Food grade salt — Specification  
 
CODEX Stan 192, General standard for food additives  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
 
ISO 660, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of acid value and acidity  
 
ISO 711, Cereals and cereal products — Determination of moisture content (Basic reference method)  
 
ISO 712 , Cereals and cereal products — Determination of moisture content — Routine reference 
method  
 
ISO 1871,  Food and feed products — General guidelines for the determination of nitrogen by the 
Kjeldahl method  
 
ISO 2171,  Determination of ash content  
 
ISO 2591 -1, Test sieving — Part 1: Methods using test sieves of woven wire cloth and perforated metal 
plate  
 
ISO 4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony -count technique  
 
ISO 4833, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms — Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C  
 
ISO 5498,  Agricultural food products — Determination crude fibre content — General method  
 
ISO 5985, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of  ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid  
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
2 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved   
ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of  
Salmonella spp. 
 
 
 
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique 
using Baird -Parker agar medium  
 
ISO 6888 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphyl ococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 2: Technique 
using rabbit plasma fibrinogen agar medium  
 
ISO 6888 -3, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphyl ococcus aureus and other species) — Part 3: Detection 
and MPN technique for low numbers  
 
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 7932, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enu meration of 
presumptive Bacillus cereus  — Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C  
 
ISO 9526, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of iron content by flame atomic 
absorption spectrometry  
 
ISO 11085, Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs — Determination of crude fat 
and total fat content by the Randall extraction method  
 
ISO 24333 , Cereals,  and cereal products — Sampling  
 
ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B 1, and the total content of aflatoxins 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 and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or 
equal to 0.95  
 
ISO/TS 21872 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection 
of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. — Part 1: Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio 
cholerae  
 
ISO/TS 21872 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection 
of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. — Part 2: Detection of species other than Vibrio 
parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae  
 
ISO 27085, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, 
potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, arsenic, lead and cadmium by ICP -
AES 
 
AOAC Official Method 2001.04, Determination of Fumonisins B 1 and B 2 in corn and corn flakes — Liquid 
chromatography with immunoaffinity column cleanup  
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  3 3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following terms and definition s apply . 
 
3.1  
milled maize (corn) products  
products obtained from maize grains ( Zea mays  L.) through milling process  
 
 
3.2 
whole maize meal  
food prepared from fully mature, sound, un -germinated, whole kernels of maize, ( Zea mays  L.), by a 
grinding process in which the entire grain is comminuted to a suitable degree of fineness  
 
3.3 
granulated maize meal  
coarse product obtained from the milling and sifting of clean shelled maize  
 
3.4 
sifted maize meal   
form of granulated maize mea l that has been reduced to a certain degree of fineness  
 
3.5 
sifting  
particle size separation by sieving and aspiration of  roll-milled products  
 
3.6 
cleaned maize  
shelled maize that shall have been subjected to a cleaning process for the removal of foreign  and 
objectionable matter originally present  
 
3.7  
maize flour  
product obtained by removing the germ and bran followed by grinding, clean maize kernels using roller 
mills or other methods and sifting the resulting product to suitable degree of fineness.  
 
3.8 
foreign matter and extraneous matter  
all organic and inorganic material other than maize  
 
3.8.1  
organic foreign matter  
any animal or plant matter other than milled maize products  
 
3.8.2 
inorganic foreign matter  
components, such as stone, sand and dust  
 
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
4 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  4 Requirements  
 
4.1 Raw materials  
 
Milled m aize (corn) products  shall be made from shelled maize  kernels  conforming to the requirements 
given in ARS 461 . 
 
4.2 General requirements  
 
4.2.1  Milled maize (corn) products  shall:  
 
a) be of natural colour conforming to the colour of maize from which it was prepared.  
 
b) not contain any foreign matter such as insects, fungi, dirt or other contaminants  
 
c) be free from fermented musty or other objectionable colours.  
 
d) be free from rancidity and foreign odours.  
 
e) be wholesome and fit for human consumption in all aspects.  
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
Milled maize products shall conform to the requirements given in Table 1.  
 
Table 1 — Specific requirements  
 
 
 
5 Food additives  
 
The product shall contain only permitted additives complying with CODEX STAN 192 . 
  S/No. Characteristic  Type  
Sifted 
maize 
meal  Granulated 
maize meal  Whole 
maize 
meal  Maize 
flour  Test method  
(1)  Fibre content, % by m/m, max.  0.8 1.8 3.0 0.7 ISO 5498  
(2)  Crude fat on a moisture free basis, % 
by m/m, max.  2.5 2.25 3.1* 2.2 ISO 11085  
(3)  Moisture content, % by m/m, max.  13 13 13 13 ISO 711/  
ISO 712  
(4)  Total  ash, % by m/m, max.  1.2 1.7 3.0 1.0 ISO 2171  
(5)  Acid insoluble ash, % by m/m, max.  0.15 0.15 0.30 0.1 ISO 5985  
(6)  Fat acidity, mg KOH per 100g of 
product, on dry mass basis  max 45 40 50 50 ISO 660  
(7)  Total Aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1 
+AFG2)), ppb max  10 
ISO 16050  
(8)  Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb max  5 
(9)  Fumonisin ppm max  2 AOAC 
Official 
Method 
2001.04  
NOTE  Milled maize products  destined for processing baby foods shall have total aflatoxin level of not more than 4  ppb. 
 * Minimum crude fat on moisture free basis for  whole maize meal  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  5 6 Hygiene  
 
Milled maize products shall be produced and handled under hygienic conditions in accordance with 
ARS 53 and shall comply with the microbial limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the 
test methods prescribed therein.  
 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits  
 
S/N Micro -organism(s)  Requirements  Method of test  
(1) Total plate count, cfu/g  max 105 ISO 4833  
(2) Staphylococcus aureus cfu/g max  < 10    ISO 6888  
(3) Escherichia coli, cfu/g  Absent  ISO 7251  
(4) Salmonella , per 25g Absent  ISO 6579  
(6) Yeasts and moulds,  cfu/g, max.  104 ISO 21527 -2 
(7) Vibrio cholerae  absent  ISO/TS 21872  
 
 
7 Contaminants  
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
Milled maize products  shall comply with those maximum limits for metal contaminants specified in 
CODEX STAN 193  
 
 
7.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Milled maize products shall comply with those maximum residue limits established by the Codex  
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
 
8 Packaging  
 
Milled maize shall be packed in food grade packaging material, which will safeguard the hygienic, 
nutritional and organoleptic qualities of the products.  
 
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
6 © ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  9 Labelling  
 
The following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly and indelibly marked in 
accordance with the requirements of ARS 56:  
 
i) name of product as " Whole Maize Meal , Sifted Maize Meal , Maize Flour or Granulated Maize 
Meal "; 
 
ii) name and address of the manufacturer/packer/importer;  
 
iii) brand name/registered trade mark;  
 
iv) batch or code number;  
 
v) net weight in metric units;  
 
vi) the statement “Store in a Cool  and Dry Place”;  
 
vii) the statement "Human Food";  
 
viii) country of origin;  
 
ix) date of manufacture;  
 
x) best before  date; 
 
xi) instructions for disposal of used package.  
 
 
10 Sampling  
 
Sampling shall be don e in accordance with the ISO 24333 . 
 
 
  DARS 466:202 2 (E) 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  7 Bibliography  
 
 
EAS 44 :2011, Milled maize (corn) products — Specification  
 
CODEX STAN 154:1985(Rev.1:1995), Standard for Whole Maize (Corn) Meal  
 
 DARS 466:20 22 (E) 
© ARSO 20 22 — All rights reserved