ICS 67.060         DMS 90:2017  
Second  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
High protein cereal based foods for 
infants and young children  – 
Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft standard and it shall neither be used nor  regarded as a Ma lawi standard   
 
 ICS 67.060                DMS 90:2017 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
High protein cereal based foods for 
infants and young children  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Malawi Bureau of Standards  
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P O Box 946  
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Tel: +265 1 870 488  
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E-mail: mbs@mbsmw.org  
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                                                                                                                                                      Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  i 
Technical Committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  i 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... i 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  2 
Product descriptions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  2 
Essential  composition and quality factors ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  3 
Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
Packaging and labeling ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
Method of s ampling and of tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  4 
 
 
FOREWORD  
 
This draft standard is the first revision of MS 90:1988. The revision of this standard is being done after 
consideration of technological advances in complementary foods for infants and young children that have 
resulted in development of new products. It h as been prepared by the MBS/TC 10, Processed foods  to 
provide requirements for high protein cereal based foods for infants and young children.  
 
In preparing this standard reference was made to the following standards  and documents : 
 
CODEXSTAN 074:1981, Rev  1-2006, Codex standard for processed cereal based foods for infants and 
young children ; 
 
CAC/GL8:1991, Codex guidelines on formulated complementary foods for older infants and young children ;  
 
World Food Programme  Technical Specifications for the manufacture of super cereal Corn Soya Blend with 
sugar, version 15.1; and  
 
USDA Commodity requirements; Corn soy blend plus for use in international food aid programs.  
 
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the informat ion. 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft standard was prepared by the Technical Committee MBS/TC 10, Processed food, and the 
following companies, organizations and institutions were represented:  
 
Catholic Relief Services;  
Chancellor College (University of Malawi);  
Ekwendeni Hospital;  
Export Trading Company;  
Feed the Children;  
Jossam Foods;  
Project Concern International;  
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) ; 
Malawi Bureau of Standards;  
Malawi Investment Trade Centre;   
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 Mary’s Meal ; 
Ministry of Health ; 
Department of Nutrition, HIV and Aids ( Ministry of Health);  
Mulanje Mission Hospital – Small scale Likuni Phala;  
ND Madalitso Vitameal Plant;  
Rab Proce sors Limited;  
The Polytechnic (University of Malawi) ; 
The United Nations Children's Fund  (UNICEF);  
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID);  and 
World Food Program (WFP)  
 
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This standard shall be reviewed every five years, or earlier when it is necessary, in order to keep abreast of 
progress. Comments are wel come and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .  
1 
               DMS 90: 2017 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
High protein cereal based foods for infants and young 
children  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for high protein cereal 
based foods for infants and young children.  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standard s contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute pro visions 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, partie s 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 international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau  of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19:  Labelling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21:  Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic conditions;  
  
MS 144:  Agricultural food products – Determination of crude fibre content – General method ; 
 
MS 145: Cereals and  pulses – Method of sampling as milled products;  
 
MS 148: Cereals and pulses – Determination of fat content;  
 
MS 149: Cereals and pulses – Determination of ash content;  
 
MS 237: Food additives – General standard;  
 
MS 302: Contaminants and toxins in foods – General standard;  
 
MS 610:  Cereal and cereal products – Determination of moisture content (Basic reference method);  
 
MS 625: Nutritional labeling – Guidelines;  
 
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 ºC by the pour plate technique ; 
 
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 7251: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Es cherichia coli – Most probable number technique;  
  
2 
 ISO 11085: Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs -- Determination of crude fat and total 
fat content by the Randall extraction method ; 
  
ISO 16050: Foodstuffs – Determination of Aflatoxi n B1, and the total content of Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products – High-performance liquid chromatographic method;  
 
ISO 20483: Cereals and pulses – Determination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude protein  
content – Kjeldahl method;  
 
ISO 21527 -2: Methods for the microbiological examination of foods – Part 2: Enumeration of yeast and  
moulds in foods ; 
 
Cap 48.02: The Metrology Act of Malawi.  
 
 
3 DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft proposal, the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
infants  
persons from the age of 6 months and not more than 12 months of age  
 
3.2 
young children  
persons from the age of 12 months up to the age of three years (36 months)  
 
 
4 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION  
 
4.1 High protein cereal based food  for infant and young children is  primarily prepared from one or more 
milled cereals , legumes  in such proportions as to conform to the requirements in Table 1.  
 
4.2 The product can be categorised as follows : 
 
4.2.1 Products consisting of cereals which are or have to be prepared for consumption with milk or other 
appropriate nutritious liquids;  
 
4.2.2 Cereals  with and added high protein food which  are or have to be prepared for consumption with 
water or other appropriate prote in free liquids;  
 
4.2.3 Pasta which are to be used after cooking in boiling water or other appropriate liquids;  
 
4.1.4 Rusks and biscuits which are to be used either directly or, after pulverized, with addition of water, 
milk or other suitable liquids.  
 
4.1.5 Flours which are prepared from heat tre ated cereal and legumes,  vitamins and minerals . 
 
 
5 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
5.1 Raw materials  
 
5.1.1 Products covered in  clauses  4.2.1 to 4.2.4 are prepared primarily from one or more cereal products 
such as wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, maize, millet, sorghum and buckwheat. They may also contain 
legumes (pulses) like soya beans, beans, groundnuts, pigeon peas, cowpeas etc., and starchy fo ods such 
as cassava, potatoes , yam or their products in smaller proportions . 
 
5.1.2 Products covered in clause 4.1.5, shall be prepared from cereals and legumes  complying with 
relevant Malawi Standards.  
 
5.1.3  The product shall be free from rancid taste or musty odour.   
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5.2 Compositional requirements  
 
Table 1: Compositional r equirements for high protein cereal based foods for infants and young 
children  
 
S/N Parameter  Requirement  Method of test  
1 Moisture content, %  by mass, max.  11 MS 610  
2 Protein content, %  by mass, min 14 ISO 20483  
3 Fat, % by mass, max.  8 ISO 11085  
4 Crude fibre (on dry basis), % by mass, max.  4 MS 144  
6 Ash content, % by mass, max.  5 MS 149  
7 Vitamin A, IU/100g max.  3460 IU  AOAC  
8 Folic Acid, µg/100 g  110 AOAC  
9 Iron, mg/100 g  4 AOAC  
10 Zinc, mg/100 g  5 AOAC  
 
 
6 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Food additives may be used in the preparation of high protein cereal based foods  for infants and young 
children and shall be in accordance with MS 237 . 
 
 
7 CONTAMINANTS  
 
7.1 Pesticide residues  
 
Products covered by this draft standard  shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides as 
established by the Codex  Alimentarius Commission . 
 
7.2 Other contaminants  
 
7.2.1 Products covered by this draft standard  shall comply with the maximum levels of  contaminants and 
toxins in accordance with  MS 302 . 
 
7.2.2 The product shall be free from objectionable extraneous matter.  
 
7.2.3 High protein cereal based foods  for infants and young children shall contain not more than 0.1 µg/Kg  
aflatoxin when tested in accordance with ISO 16050  and deoxynivalenol  (DON)  levels shall be 0.2 ppm 
when analysed using HPLC.  
 
 
8 HYGIENE  
 
8.1 High protein cereal based foods for infants and young children  shall be prepared and handled in 
accordance with MS 21 and shall conform to  microbiological limits in Table 2.  
 
Table 2: Microbiological requirements for high protein cereal based foods  
 
S/N Microorganism  Requirement  Test method  
1 Total plate count, cfu/g , max  105 ISO 4833  
2 Coliforms  , cfu/g , max  100 ISO 4832  
3 Escherichia coli, cfu/g  ˂10 ISO 7251  
4 Salmonella , 25 g Absent  ISO 6579  
5 Yeasts and moulds, cfu/g, max.  102 ISO 21527 -2 
6 Staphylococcus aureus,   cfu/g, max  ˂10 ISO 6888   
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8.2 During handling, storage and transportation, effective measures must be taken to prevent cross 
contamination with chemicals, microbial or physical contaminants.  
 
9 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
9.1 Packaging  
 
9.1.1 High protein cereal based foods shall be packaged in food grade material which will safeguard the 
hygienic,  nutritional, technological and organo leptic qualities of the product;  
 
9.1.2 The net weight of the packag ed high protein cereal based foods  for infants and young children shall 
be in accordance with the Weights and measures Act of Malawi.  
 
9.2 Labelling  
 
9.2.1 In addition to the requirements of MS 19 , the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and 
shall be legibly and indelibly marked:  
 
9.2.1.1   Name of the product  
 
9.2.1.2  Name, location and address of the manufacturer shall be declared and/or brand name / trade name.  
 
9.2.1.3 Declaration of preservative s by common name or international number if any;  
 
9.2.1.4  Preparation instruction s; 
 
9.2.1.5 Date of manufacture;  
 
9.2.1.6 Lot / batch identification in code or clear;  
 
9.2.1.7 Expiry date;  
 
9.2.1.8 Country of origin;  
 
9.2.1.9 The net weight in metric units;  
 
9.2.1.10  Storage instructions ; 
 
9.2.2 Labelling of nutritional shall be done in accordance with MS 625; and  
 
9.2.3 When labelling non -retail packages, information for non -retail packages shall either be given on  the 
packages or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the product, lot identification  and the 
name and address of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the packages.  
 
 
10 METHODS OF SAMPLING  AND TESTS  
 
10.1 The method of sampling shall be done in accordance with MS 145.  
 
10.2 Testing shall be done in accordance with the methods indicated against each requirement in Table 1 
and 2 or other equivalent methods.    
 
 
 
ICS 6 7.060                DMS 90:2017 
  Second  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 (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal 
body whose activit ies aim at formulating and 
promoting the general adoption of standards 
relating to structures, commodities, materials, 
practices, operations and from time to time 
revise, alter and amend the same to 
incorporate advanced technology.  To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national 
standards are grante d permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability