DEAS 331:201 8 
 
 
ICS 67.060  
 
 
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
Green gram — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third Edition 2018
 DEAS 331:2018  
 
 
 
 
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DEAS 331:2018  
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 Commun ity established an East African Standards 
Committee mandated to develop and issue East African Standards.  
 
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, 
together with the representatives from the private s ectors 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 they always have the latest 
versions of the standards  
 
they are implementing.  
 
EAS 331:2018  was prepared by Technical Committee EAS/TC 014, Cereals, Pulses and related products  
 
This Third  editio n cancels and replaces the second edition (EAS 331:201 2) which has been technically 
revised.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  
 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 331:2018  
 
Green gram — Specification  
1 Scope  
This draft East African Standard specifies requirements , sampling and test methods  for the 
dry whole grains of the green gram of Vigna radiata  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 901, Cereal and Pulses - Test methods  
EAS 900, Cereal and Pulses - Sampling  
EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Specification   
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice   
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   
green grams   
dry whole grains of Vigna radiata   
3.2 
defective/damaged green grams   
Green grams that have been broken, pest damaged, shriveled , immature, rotten, moldy , diseased, 
germinated, discolored  and heat damaged .  
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved3.3 
Immature / shriveled grain  
green  grams which are underdeveloped and wrinkled over the entire surface.  
 
3.4 
rotten and diseased  
green gram affected by mould  growth or bacterial decomposition, or other causes that may be 
noticed without having to cut the grains to examine them and render them unsafe for human 
consumption  
3.5 
discoloured  
green gram which are damaged, by heat, frost or water 3.6  
 
3.6 
objectiona ble odours  
odours which are entirely foreign to green grams and which, because of their presence, 
render green grams unfit for human consumption  
 
3.7 
pest infestation  
presence of live insects or other organisms, either in adult or other development stages  
 
3. 8 filth  
Impurities  of animal origin  
 
3.9 pest damaged grains  
grain showing damage from attack by rodents, insects, mites or other pests”  
 
3.10 
foreign matter  
all organic and inorganic material other than green gram, broken kernels and other grains  
 
3.10.1  
inorganic matter  
stones, glass, pieces of soil and other mineral matter   
3.10.2  
organic matter  
any animal or plant matter (seed coats, straws, weeds) other than grain of maize, damaged green 
gram, other grains, inorganic extraneous matter and harmful/toxic seeds  
 
3.11 other edible grains  
any edible  grains  including  oilseeds other than green grams’.  
 
3.12 contrasting varieties  
other varieties that are of a different colour, size, or shape from the grains of the designated 
variety.  
 
3.13  
food grade packaging material  
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  
Green grams shall be:  
the dried mature grains of Vigna radiata , shall be:  
a) clean, wholesome, uniform in size and shape;   
b) well -filled grains  of uniform colour;  
c) free from musty or other undesirable odour.  
d) practically free from live pests;  
e) practically free from noxious or harmful seeds in amounts that could be harmful to 
human health.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4.2 Specific requirements  
Green gram shall comply with the limits given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein  
Table 1 — Specific requirements  
 
S/N Characteristics   Grade   Method of  
       
test     
1 2 3      
      EAS 901  
i Moisture, % m/m max.   14   
       
       ii   
shrivelled/diseased and 
discolored grain % m/m max.  3.0  5.0  7.0   
       iii  
Broken/split (define according 
to EAS46)  1.0 2.0 3.0  
       iv Pest damaged, % m/m max.  1.0 2.0 3.0  
v Total Defective, % m/m max  3.5  
 
6.3 9.1 6   
         
   
vi  Contrasting varieties,  % m/m 
max.  0.5 1.0 2.0  
       
 
vii  Foreign 
matter  %  0.5 0.8    1.0  
 m/m max        
 
inorganic   
0.3    
      viii    
             
ix) Filth m/m max    0.1  
x ) Other edible grains, % m/m 
max.      
  0.1 0.5 3.0  
      
      
NOTE 1 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.  
NOTE 2 Discoloration  is limited to at least 25 % change in color  on both sides of the grain.  
 
5       Contaminants  
5.1   Pesticide residues  
Green grams 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  
Green grams shall comply with those maximum limits for other contaminants established in 
CODEX STAN 193.  
5.3 Heavy metals  
Sorghum grain shall comply with those limits for heavy metals specified in CODEX STAN 193 
established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission . 
 
6 Hygiene  
Dry green grams shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions 
of appropriate s ections of EAS 39.  
 
7. Weights and measures  
Green gram shall be packaged in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of the 
destination country.  
NOTE  EAC Partner States are signatory to the International Labor  Organizations (ILO) for 
maximum p ackage weight of 50 kg where human loading and offloading is involved.  
 8. Packaging  
8.1 Green grams shall be packed packaging materials which will safeguard the hygienic 
nutritional and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
8.2 Each Package shall be securely closed and sealed.  
 
9. Labelling  
9.1 In addition to the requirements in EAS 38, each package shall be legibly and indeli bly 
labelled with the following;  
 
a) product name as “Whole Sorghum Grains”;  
b) grade;  
c) name, address and physical location of the producer/packer/importer;  
d) lot/batch/code number;  
e) net weight, in kilograms;  
f) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’;  
g) storage instruction as “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’;  
h) crop year;  
i) packing date;  
j) instructions on disposal of used package;  
k) country of origin; and  
l) declaration on whether the Sorghum was genetically modified, where applicable.  
 
9.2 Labelling of non -retail containers  
Information detailed in 9 .1 shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, 
except that the name of the product, lot identification and the name and address of the processor 
or packer as well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container.  
However, lot identification and the name and address o f the processor or packer may be replaced 
by an identification mark provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying 
documents.  
 
10. Sampling methods  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the EAS 900  
 
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved