EAS 2:2013 
ICS 67.060  
© EAS 2013                                                                                                                             Third Edition 2013  
 
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
Maize grains — Specification 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY EAS 2:2013 
ii © EAC 2013 – All rights reserved
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Violators may be persecuted EAS 2:2013 
© EAC 2013– All rights reserved  iii
 Contents Page 
Foreword ...................................................................................................................... ................................... iv 
1  Scope ......................................................................................................................... .......................... 1 
2  Normative references .......................................................................................................... ............... 1 
3  Terms and definitions ......................................................................................................... ................ 1 
4  Quality requirements .......................................................................................................... ................ 3 
4.1  General requirements ................................. ......................................................................... ............... 3 
4.2  Specific requirements ......................................................................................................................... 3 
5  Contaminants .................................................................................................................. .................... 4 
5.1  Pesticide residues ............................................................................................................ .................. 4 
5.2  Other contaminants ............................................................................................................ ................ 4 
6  Hygiene ....................................................................................................................... ......................... 4 
7  Packaging ..................................................................................................................... ....................... 5 
8  Labelling ..................................................................................................................... ......................... 5 
9  Methods of sampling ........................................................................................................... ............... 6 
 
 EAS 2:2013 
iv © EAC 2013 – All rights reserved
 Foreword 
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.
  
The Committee is composed of representatives of the Na tional Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community. 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that t hey always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing
.  
EAS 2:2013 was prepared by Technical Committee EAS/TC 014, Cereals, Pulses and related products  
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (EAS 2:2005) which has been technically revised. 
 EAS 2:2013 
© EAC 2013– All rights reserved  v
 Introduction 
This standard has been developed to take into account: 
a) the needs of the market for the product;  b) the need to facilitate fair domestic, regional and in ternational trade and prevent technical barriers 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 assessment, 
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 the 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 means of wealth creation; and 
h) the need to ensure a reliable production base of consistent and safe crops that meet customer 
requirements. 
 
  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD EAS 2:2013
 
© EAC 2013– All rights reserved 1
 Maize grains — Specification 
1 Scope 
This  East African Standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for maize grains of 
varieties grown from common maize  grains, Zea Mays indentata  L., and/or Zea mays indurata  L., or their 
hybrids intended for human consumption. 
2 Normative references 
The following referenced documents 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. 
EAS 38, Labelling of pre-packaged foods — Specification 
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 79, Cereals, pulses and milled products — Sampling of static batches 
EAS 217, Methods for the microbiological examination of foods 
EAS 285, Maize-Determination of moisture content 
ISO 605, Pulses — Determination of impurities, size, foreign odours, insects, and species and variety — Test 
methods 
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 5223, Test sieves for cereals 
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, G 1 and G 2 in 
cereals, nuts and derived products  — High performance liquid chromatographic method 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed 
3 Terms and definitions 
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
3.1 
maize (corn) 
shelled grains or kernels of the species Zea mays indentata L, (dent maize) and/or Zea mays indurata  L, (flint 
maize), or their hybrids  
2 © EAC 2013 – All rights reserved
 3.2 
blemished/damaged 
grains which are insect or vermin damaged, stained, diseased, discoloured, germinated, frost damaged, or 
otherwise materially damaged 
3.3 
insect or vermin damaged 
kernels with obvious weevil-bored holes or which have evidence of boring or tunneling, indicating the presence of insects, insect webbing or insect refuse , or degermed grains, chewed in one or more than one 
part of the kernel which exhibit evident traces of an attack by vermin 
3.4 
stained  kernels whose natural colour has been altered by external factors. This includes ground, soil or weather 
damaged kernels, which may have dark stains or discolourations with a rough external appearance 
3.5 
diseased  
grains made unsafe for human consumption due to deca y, moulding, or bacterial decomposition, or other 
causes that may be noticed without havi ng to cut the grains to examine them 
3.6 
discoloured  kernels materially discoloured by excessive heat, including that caused by excessive respiration (heat 
damage) and dried damaged kernels. Kernels may appear darkened, wrinkled, blistered, puffed or swollen, 
often with discoloured, damaged germs. The seed coat may be peeling or may have peeled off completely, 
giving kernels a checked appearance 
3.7 
germinated  kernels showing visible signs of sprouting, such as cracked seed coats through which a sprout has emerged 
or is just beginning to merge  
3.8 
frost damaged  
kernels which appear bleached or blistered and the seed coat may be peeling, germs may appear dead or 
discoloured  
3.9 
mouldy  
grains with visible mycelial growth on its tip or surface 
3.10 
immature/shriveled  
grains which are underdeveloped, thin and papery in appearance 
3.11 
broken kernels 
pieces of maize which shall pass through a 4.50 mm metal sieve  
3.12 
other grains 
edible grains, whole or identifiable broken, other than maize (i.e., cereals, pulses and other edible legumes) 
3.13 
foreign matter 
all organic and inorganic material (such as sand, soil, glass) other than maize, broken kernels and other 
grains  
© EAC 2013– All rights reserved  3
 3.14 
filth 
impurities of animal origin 
3.15 
defective  pest damaged, discouloured, diseased, germinated, mouldy, immature and shrivelled grains, or otherwise 
materially damaged, which specifically do not include broken grains 
3.16 
food grade 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 
4 Quality requirements 
4.1  General requirements 
4.1.1  Maize may be presented as yellow, white, or red, or a mixture of these colours. 
4.1.2  Yellow maize may contain not more than 5.0 % by weight of maize of other colours. Maize grains 
which are yellow and/or light red in colour are considered to be yellow maize. Yellow maize also means maize 
grains which are yellow and dark red in colour, provided the dark red colour covers less than 50 % of the surface of the grain.  
4.1.3  White maize may contain not more than 2.0 % by weight of maize of other colours. Maize grains 
which are white and/or light pink in colour are considered to be white maize. White maize also means maize 
grains which are white and pink in colour, provided the pi nk colour covers less than 50 % of the surface of the 
grain. 
4.1.4  Red maize may contain not more than 5.0 % by weight of maize of other colours. Maize grains which 
are pink and white, grey or dark red and yellow in colour are considered to be red maize, provided the pink or 
dark red or yellow colour covers 50 % or more of the surface of the grain. 
4.1.5  Mixed maize includes maize not falling into the classes of white, yellow or red maize as defined in 
4.1.2 to 4.1.4 
4.1.6  Maize may be presented as flint or dent or their hybrids or mixtures thereof. 
4.1.7  Flint maize includes maize of any colour which consists of 95 % or more by weight of grains of flint 
maize. 
4.1.8  Dent maize includes maize of any colour which consists of 95 % or more by weight of grains of dent 
maize. 
4.1.9  Flint and dent maize includes maize of any colour which consists of more than 0.5 % but less than 
95.0 % of flint maize. 
4.1.10  Maize shall be free from foreign odours, moulds, live pests, rat droppings, toxic or noxious weed 
seeds and other injurious contaminants as determined from samples representative of the lot. 
4.1.11  Maize shall be of a reasonably uniform colour according to type, be whole and clean. 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Maize grains shall be categorised into three grades on the basis of the tolerable limits established in Table 1.  
4 © EAC 2013 – All rights reserved
 Table1 ― Specific requirements 
5 Contaminants 
5.1 Pesticide residues 
Maize grains shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission for this commodity  
NOTE Where the use of certain pesticides is prohibited by some Partner States, it should be notified to all Partner 
States accordingly. 
5.2 Other contaminants 
Maize grains shall comply with those maximum limits for other contaminants established in CODEX STAN 
193. 
6 Hygiene 
6.1 Maize grains shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions of appropriate 
sections of EAS 39.  
6.2 When tested by appropriate standards of sampling and examination listed in Clause 2, the products 
shall: 
a) be free from microorganisms in amounts which may represent a hazard to health and shall not exceed 
the limits stipulated in Table 2; 
b) be free from parasites which may represent a hazard to health; and S/N Characteristics Maximum limits Method of 
test 
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 
i)  Foreign matter, % m/m 0.5 1.0 1.5 
ISO 605 
 ii)  Inorganic matter, % m/m 0.25 0.5 0.75 
iii)  Broken kernels, % m/m 2.0 4.0 6.0 
iv)  Pest damaged grains, % m/m 1.0 3.0 5.0 
v)  Rotten and diseased grains, % m/m 2.0 4.0 5.0 
vi)  Discoloured grains, % m/m 0.5 1.0 1.5 
vii)  Moisture, % m/m 13.5 ISO 711/712 
viii)  Immature/shrivelled grains, % m/m 1.0 2.0 3.0 
ISO 605 
ix)  Filth, % m/m 0.1 
x)  Total defective grains, % m/m 3.2 7.0 8.5 ISO 605 
xi)  Total aflatoxin (AFB 1+AFB 2+AFG 1 +AFG 2), ppb 10 
ISO 16050 
xii)  Aflatoxin B 1, ppb 5 
xiii)  Fumonisin, ppm  2 AOAC 
2001.04 
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.  
© EAC 2013– All rights reserved  5
 c) not contain any substance originating from microorganisms in amounts which may represent a hazard 
to health. 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits 
S/N Type of micro-organism Limits Method of test 
i) Yeasts and moulds, cfu per g, max. 104 
EAS 217 
 ii) Staphylococcus.aureus , cfu per g, max. 103 
iii) Escherichia coli  per g Absent  
iv) Salmonella  per 25 g  Absent  
7 Packaging 
7.1  Maize grains shall be packed in suitable packages which shall be clean, sound, free from insect, fungal 
infestation and the packaging material shall be food grade  
7.2  Maize grains shall be packed in containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, and 
organoleptic qualities of the products. 
7.3  Each package shall contain maize grains of the same type and of the same grade designation. 
7.4 If maize grains are presented in bags, the bags shall also be free of pests and contaminants. 
7.5 Each package shall be securely closed and sealed. 
8 Labelling 
In addition to the requirements in EAS 38, each package shall be legibly and indelibly labelled with the 
following: 
i) product name as “White Maize Grains, Yellow Maize Grains Red Maize Grains or Mixed Maize Grains”; 
ii) grade; 
iii) name, address and physical location of the producer/ packer/importer; iv) lot/batch/code number; 
v) net weight, in kilograms; 
NOTE EAC Partner States are signatory to the International Labour Organizations (ILO) for maximum package 
weight of 50 kg where human loading and offloading is involved. 
vi) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’; 
vii) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’; 
viii) crop year; 
ix) packing date; x) instructions on disposal of used package; 
xi) country of origin; and  
6 © EAC 2013 – All rights reserved
 xii) a declaration on whether the maize was genetically modified where applicable. 
9 Methods of sampling 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the EAS 79/ISO 13690. 
 EAS 2:2013 
 
© EAC 2013 – All rights reserved