Roasted macadamia kernels  – 
Specification   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft proposal and should not be regard ed or used as a Malawi standard  
 ICS 67.060            DMS 1761:2021  
 First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD   
  ICS 67.060          DMS 1761 :2021
                First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Roasted macadamia kernels  – 
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  
Price based on  4 pages  
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                     Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................   i 
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  i 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..  i 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................    1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Term and definition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  2 
Essential composition and quality requirements  ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
Hygiene ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  3 
Packaging and labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 4 
Methods of sampling and tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  4 
  
i 
 FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standard has been prepared by MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and seeds and their products, to 
provide requirements for roasted macadamia kernels.  
 
In preparing this standard, reference was  made to the following standard :  
 
EAS 1005:2019, Roasted macadamia kernels – Specification.  
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the information.  
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi standard  was prepared by the Technical Committee MBS/TC 51, Edible nuts and seeds and 
their products, and the following companies, organizations and institutions were consulted:  
 
Auction Holdings Limited Commodity Exchange;  
 
Consumers Association of Malawi;  
 
Conforzi Plantations Limited;  
 
Eastern Produce Malawi Limited;  
 
Estrell Trading;  
 
Export Trading Group;  
 
Kawaladzi Estate Co. Limited;  
 
Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources;  
 
Ministry of Agriculture – Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station;  
 
Ministry of Health – Department of Nutrition, HIV & AIDS;  
 
Ministry of Industry and Trade;  
 
National Smallholder Farmers' Association of  Malawi ; 
 
Thyolo Nut Company;  
 
Trademark East Africa;  
 
Treenut Growers Association; and  
 
University of Malawi.  
 
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 bei ng reviewed.   
1 
 DMS 1761 :2021 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels  – Specification  
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft standard specifies the requirements, methods of sampling and testing for roasted macadamia of 
varieties (cultivars) grown from Macadamia integrifolia , Macadamia tetraphylla  and Macadamia ternifolia , and 
their hybrids intended for human consumpti on. 
 
 
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 internati onal 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 228:  Raw macadamia kernels – Specification;  
 
MS 237: Food additives – General standard;  
 
MS 302:  Contaminants and toxins in foods – General standard;  
 
MS 1566 , Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of peroxide value – Iodometric (visual) endpoint 
determination;  
 
MS 1756, Oilseeds – Determination of moisture and volatile matter content;  
 
MS 1757:  Oilseeds – Manual or automatic discontinuous Sampling ; 
 
MS 1784: Oilseeds – Determ ination of acidity of oils;  
 
MS XX: Code of hygienic practice for tree nuts;  
 
ISO 735: Oilseed residues – Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid;  
 
ISO 4832: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs –Horizontal method for the enumeration 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 4888 -1: 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: 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 enume ration of 
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species);  
  
2 
 ISO 7932: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
presumptive Bacillus cereus – Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C;  
 
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 11290, Microbiology of the food chain – Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration 
of Listeria monocytogenes and of Listeria spp.;  
 
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 chromatog raphic 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 acti vity less than or equal to 0.95;  and 
 
ISO 21567:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of Shigella 
spp. 
 
 
3 TERM AND DEFINITION  
 
For the purpose of this draft Malawi standard, the following term and definition shall apply:  
 
3.1  
roasted macadamia kernels  
kernels  obtained by dry heat treatment or frying of raw macadamia kernels in edible oil with or without 
seasoning  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1  Roasted macadamia kernels shall have typical characteri stic colour, flavour and odour of well roasted 
kernels with no evidence of musty, rancid or other undesirable tastes or odours .  
 
4.1.2  Roasted macadamia kernels shall be practically free from living insects, moulds, dead insect, mites, 
insect fragments, excrement and rodent contamination or any other substance s, which are injurious to health . 
 
4.2 Raw material requirements  
 
4.2.1  Raw macadamia kernels complying with MS 228 .  
 
4.2.2  Where seasonings are used, they shall comply with the relevant Malawi sta ndards .  
 
4.3 Specific quality requirements  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels shall comply with the specific requirements stipulated in Table 1  when tested to 
the methods specified therein.  
 
Table 1: Specific requirements for roasted macadamia kernels  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Characteristic  Maximum limits  Methods of test  
1 Moisture content, %(m/m), max  2 MS 1756  
2 Free fatty acids, (as oleic acid) % m/m, max  2 MS 1784  
3 Acid insoluble ash (Roasted and salted), % m/m, max  0.5 ISO 735  
4 Peroxide value, meq/kg, max  3 MS 1566  
5 Total aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1+AFG2), ppb, max  4 ISO 16050  6 Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb, max  2 
  
3 
 4.4 Grading  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels may be graded. Where grading is done, the macadamia shall comply with the 
grades in  Table 2.  
 
Table 2: Grades for roasted macadamia kernels  
 
1 2 3 4 5 
S/N Grade  Description  Whole kernel 
percentage  Size range (m/m)  
1 Premium  Whole kernels  100 15 to 25  
2 Popular  Wholes and halves  Min. 50  10 to 17  
3 Cocktail  Whole and halves  11 to 49  10 to 17  
4 Medium  Halves and pieces  Max. 10  4 to 12  
Note:  Tolerance of  up to 5 % mass of the next lower grade  
 
4.5 Microbiological limits  
 
The product shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 3.  
 
Table 3: Microbiological limits for roasted macadamia kernels  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/No  Type of microorganism  Maximum limit  Method of test  
1 Total viable count, cfu/g  <104 ISO 4833  
2 Salmonella  in 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579  
3 E. coli  per g  Absent  ISO 7251  
4 Shigella  per g,  Absent  ISO 21567  
5 Coliforms  , cfu/g  Absent  ISO 4832  
6 Staphylococcus aureus  per 25 g Absent  ISO 6888  
7 Moulds and yeast, per g  102 ISO 21527 -2 
8 Bacillus cereus ,   cfu/g    Absent   
 ISO 7932  9 Clostri dium perfringens,   cfu/g  Absent  
10 Listeria 1 X 25g per g  Absent  ISO 11290  
 
 
5 HYGIENE  
 
The product covered by the provisions of this draft standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance with 
MS 21  and MS XX . 
 
 
6 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Only those food additives listed in MS 237 under this product shall be used and only within the limits specified.  
 
 
7 CONTAMINANTS  
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels shall comply with maximum limits of heavy metals in accordance with MS 302.  
 
7.2 Pesticides residues  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels shall comply with the  latest  maximum residual limits for pestic ides established by 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this product.  
 
  
4 
 8 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
8.1 Packaging  
 
Roasted macadamia kernels shall be packaged in containers made from food grade packaging material and 
sealed in a manner that will safeguard  the hygienic, nutritional and organoleptic properties of the product.  
 
8.2 Labelling  
 
In addition to the requirements in MS 19, each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following:  
 
8.2.1 Name of the product  as “roasted macadamia kernel s/nuts” . The name may include words such as 
salted, spiced, flavoured, sugar glazed, etc. , where applicable ; 
 
8.2.2 Name and address of the manufacturer;  
 
8.2.3 List of ingredients;  
 
8.2.4 Method of roasting (dry roasted or fry roasted ); 
 
8.2.5 Batch or code number;  
 
8.2.6 Net weight  in grams or kilograms;  
 
8.2.7 Date of manufacture;  
 
8.2.8 The words 'Best before date' (the date to be given by the manufacturer);  
 
8.2.9 The grade (if graded in accordance with Table 2 ); and 
 
8.2.10 A statement on a llergen . 
 
 
9 METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTS  
 
9.1 Representative samples of the product  shall be done in accordance with MS 1757.  
 
9.2 Testing shall be done in accordance with the methods indicated against each requirement in  
Tables 1  and 3 or other equivalent methods.  
 
  
ICS 67.060          DMS 1761 :2021  
First 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 
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