PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS DEAS 1 
Secon d Edition  
2018-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DEAS 1: 2018 
© UNBS 2018 
   
Wheat flour ― Specification  
 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 1: 2018 
ii                © UNBS  2018 - 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 correct application  
© UNBS 2018 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to 
The Executive Director 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
P.O. Box 6329 
Kampala 
Uganda 
Tel: +256 417 333 250/1/2 
Fax: +256 414 286 123 
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 1 : 2018 
© UNBS  2018 - 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 amended.  UNBS is mandated to co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement 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 DEAS 1: 2018 , Wheat flour  ― Specification , is identical with and has been 
reproduced from an International Standard, DEAS 1: 2018, Wheat flour ― Specification , and is being 
proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard. 
This standard was developed by the Subcommittee on Cereals, pulses and related products , SC 3, under the 
Food and agriculture Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2 ). 
Wherever the wo rds, “ East African Standard " appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
This standard cancels and replaces the first edition, US EAS 1: 2011, Wheat flour  ― Specification , which has 
been technically revised. PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DEAS 1:2018 
ICS 67.060 
                                                                                                                             Fourth Edition 2018  
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
Wheat flour — Specification 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  ii 
 Copyright notice 
This EAC document is copyright-protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without prior permission from 
EAC, neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any 
form for any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community 2017 — All rights reserved 
East African Community  
P.O. Box 1096 
Arusha 
Tanzania 
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8 
Fax: 255 27 2504481/2504255 
E-mail: eac@eachq.org   
       Web: www.eac-quality.net   
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. Violators 
may be prosecuted. 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  iii 
 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 National 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 they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing.  
EAS 1 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/ TC 014, Cereals, pulses and  related products.  
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (EAS 1:2017), which has been technically revised. 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1: 201 7 
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  1 
 Wheat flour — Specification 
1 Scope 
This draft East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for wheat flour prepared 
from common wheat, Triticum aestivum L . or club wheat, Triticum compactum Host , or mixtures thereof 
intended for human consumption.  
It does not apply to wheat flour obtained from Triticum durum  and fortified wheat flour. 
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. 
AOAC 952.13, Arsenic in food — Silver diethyldithiocarbamate 
AOAC 965.22, Sorting corn grits — Sieving method 
CODEX STAN 192,  General standard for food additives 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed 
EAS 35, Edible salt — Specification  
EAS 38, Labelling of pre-packaged foods — Specification  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 51, Wheat grains — Specification 
EAS 900, Cereals and Pulses - Sampling  
EAS 901, Cereals and Pulses – Test Methods 
ISO 2171, Cereals, pulses and by-products — Determination of ash yield by incineration   
ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms -- Part 1: 
Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique  
ISO 5498, A gricultural food products — Determination crude fibre content — General method 
ISO 6561-1, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of cadmium content — Part 1 — Method using 
graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry   PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  2 
 ISO 6561-2 , Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of cadmium content -- Part 2: Method using flame 
atomic absorption spectrometry 
ISO 6579-1, Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and serotyping of 
Salmonella -- Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp . 
ISO 6633, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of lead content — Flameless atomic absorption 
spectrometric method  
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 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta-
glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli -- Part 2: Colony-count technique at 44 degrees C using 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-
indolyl beta-D-glucuronide 
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 
3 Terms and definitions 
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply. 
3.1 
wheat flour 
product prepared from common wheat grain, Triticum aestivum  L. or club wheat, Triticum compactum Host , or 
mixtures thereof by grinding or milling process  
3.2 
white wheat flour 
wheat flour obtained by milling wheat grains at extraction rates that leaves negligible amounts of bran 
3.3  
patent flour  
White wheat flour obtained by milling wheat grains at a lower extraction rate.  
3.4 
baker’s flour  
white wheat flour made from semi hard/hard wheat which has a medium to high protein content intended 
for bread making  
3.5 
home baking/all-purpose flour 
white wheat flour obtained by milling either soft wheat grains or blends of hard and soft wheat grains used 
for making wide range of baked products 
3.6 
biscuit flour 
white wheat flour obtained by milling soft wheat or a blend of hard and soft wheat with a high percentage of 
soft wheat for biscuit manufacture 
3.7 
cracker flour 
white wheat flour obtained by milling medium protein wheat with no improvers PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  3 
 3.8 
self-raising flour 
white wheat flour obtained by milling soft or a blend of soft and hard wheat to which raising agents are 
added 
3.9 
standard flour 
wheat flour obtained by milling wheat grains at a higher extraction than home baking flour 
3.10 
wholemeal flour 
wheat flour obtained by milling the entire wheat grain to fine particle size without any separation 
3.11 
atta flour 
wheat flour of high extraction rate or white wheat flour to which pollard and or bran are blended 
3.12 
food grade packaging material 
material which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological, and organoleptic qualities of the 
product 
3.13 
foreign matter  
organic or inorganic material other than wheat flour 
4 Quality requirements 
4.1 General requirements 
4.1.1  The wheat grain from which the flour is obtained shall comply with EAS 51.  
4.1.2  Edible salt, if used, shall comply with EAS 35. 
4.1.3  Wheat flour shall:  
a) be characteristic of the colour of wheat from which it was prepared; 
b) be free from any objectionable flavour and odour; 
c) be free from insects, worms, fungal infestation, rodent contaminations and foreign matter; and 
d) not contain flour from other cereals. However, the addition of malted barley flour not exceeding 1 % 
is permissible in the case of baker’s flour.  
4.2 Specific requirements 
4.2.1  Wheat flour shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the 
test methods specified therein. 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  4 
 Table 1 — Specific requirements for wheat flour 
 
4.2.2  In addition to the requirements in Table 1, self-raising flour shall contain: 
a) sodium bicarbonate in sufficient amounts to provide not less than 0.4 % of available carbon dioxide; 
and 
b) acid ingredients singly or in combination including sodium acid pyrophosphate, mono acid calcium 
phosphate and sodium aluminium phosphate. 
5 Food additives 
Wheat flour may contain only the permitted food additives in the CODEX STAN 192. The use of 
azordicarbonamide (ADA) and potassium bromate is not allowed.   
S/No   
Characteri
stic   Type of flour   
Test 
method  Patent 
wheat 
flour  Baker’s 
flour  Home 
bakin
g flour  Bisc
uit 
flou
r Crac
ker 
flou
r Self-
raisi
ng 
flour  Standar
d flour  Atta 
flour  Whol
emeal 
flour  
i.  Moisture 
content, 
max, % 
m/m  14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 EAS 901, 
Clause  5 
ii.  Crude 
fibre 
content, 
max., % 
m/m  1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.0 ISO 5498  
iii.  Total ash 
content, 
max.,% 
m/m  0.7  0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 3.0 1.10 2.0 2.0 ISO 2171  
iv.  Residue 
on sieving 
through 
180-
micron 
sieve, 
max., %  0.5 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.80 30.0 55.0 30.0 EAS 901, 
Clause 4  
v.  Crude 
protein  
content, 
min, % 
m/m  8.0 9.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 9.0 8.0 8.0 EAS 901, 
Clause 6 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  5 
 6 Hygiene 
6.1 Wheat flour shall be prepared and handled in accordance with EAS 39. 
6.2 The product shall comply with microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein. 
    
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for wheat flour 
S/No
. Micro -organism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Total aerobic count per g  105 ISO 4833 -1 
ii.  Escherichia coli  per 1 g  <1x102 ISO 16649 -2 
iii.  Salmonella  per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iv.  Yeast and moulds cfu/g  104 ISO 21527 -2 
 
v.  Staphylococcus aureus  per 25 g  102 ISO 6888 -1 
7 Contaminants 
7.1 Heavy metals 
Wheat flour shall comply with limits for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as 
given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 3 — Heavy metals limits for wheat flour 
S/N Heavy metal  Limit  
mg/kg  Test method  
i.  Arsenic (As)  0.1 AOAC 952.13  
ii.  Lead (Pb)  0.2 ISO 6633  
iii.  Cadmium (Cd)  0.1 ISO 6561 -1/2 
 
7.2 Pesticide residues 
Wheat flour shall comply with pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for 
this commodity.  
 
7.3 Mycotoxins 
Wheat flour shall comply with the mycotoxin limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as 
given in Table 4 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein .  PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  6 
 Table 4 — Mycotoxins limits for wheat flour 
S/N Mycotoxin  Maximum limit  
µg/kg  Test method  
EAS 901  
i.  Total aflatoxins  10 Clause 9  
Clause 10  
 ii.  Aflatoxin B 1 5 
iii.  Fumonisins  2000   
 
Clause 11  
Clause 12  
8 Weights and measures 
Wheat flour shall be packaged in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of the destination 
country. 
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. 
9 Packaging 
Wheat flour shall be packaged in food grade packaging materials. When the product is packaged in sacks, 
these shall be clean, sturdy and strongly sewn or sealed. 
10 Labelling 
Labelling shall be done in accordance with EAS 38. At the minimum, the following information shall be 
displayed: 
a) product name as “Wheat flour”;  
b) type of wheat flour 
c) name, address and physical location of the manufacturer/ packer/importer; 
d) lot/batch/code number; 
e) net weight, in kilograms;  
f) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’;  
g) storage instruction as 
h)  “Store in a cool dry place away from any contaminants’’;  
i) date of manufacture; 
j) expiry date; 
k) instructions on disposal of used package; and 
l) Country of origin. PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  7 
 11 Sampling 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with EAS 900. 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 2018 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved  8 
 Bibliography 
CODEX STAN 152-1985 (Rev. 1 - 1995), Codex standard for wheat flour  PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDEAS 1: 201 8   
 
© EAC 2018 – All rights reserved