FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS EAS 44
First Edition
2011-mm-dd
 
 Reference number
FDUS EAS 44: 2011
© UNBS 201 1
  
Milled maize (corn) products — Specification 
 FDUS EAS 44: 2011 
i i                 ©  U N B S  2011 - All rights reserved 
 Comp
liance 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 2011 
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, in cluding 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 41 505 995 
Fax: 256 41 286 123 
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 FDUS EAS 44: 2011 
© UNBS  2011 - All rights rese rved                iii National foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry  of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327, of the Laws of U ganda. 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 A limentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agr eements 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 gi ven field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academician s, manufacturers, governme nt and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committ ee 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 Final Draft Uganda Standard, FDUS EAS 44: 2011 , Milled maize (corn) products — Specification, i s 
identical with  and has been reproduced from an East African Standard, EAS 44: 2011 , Milled maize (corn) 
products — Specification,  and is being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
This standard was developed by the F ood and agriculture Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2).  
Whe
rever the words, “East African Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
        EAS 44:2011
ICS 67.060
 
© EAC 2011 Second Edition 2011  
 
       
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Milled maize (corn) products — Specification 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
              
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 EAS 44:2011  
 
Foreword 
 
Development of the East African Standards ha s been necessitated by the need for harmonizing 
requirements governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are 
exchanged within the Comm unity will be removed.  
 In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner States have enacted an East African 
Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology an d Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make 
provisions for ensuring standardization, quality as surance, metrology and testing of products 
produced or originating in a third country and traded in the Community in order to facilitate industrial 
development and trade as well as helping to protect the health and safety of society and the 
environment in the Community. 
 
East African Standards are formulat ed in accordance with the proc edures established by the East 
African Standards Committee. The East Afri can Standards Committee is established under the 
provisions of Article 4 of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, t ogether with the representatives from the private 
sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circ ulated to stakeholders 
through the National Standards Bodies in the Pa rtner States. The comments received are discussed 
and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the 
Community.  
 
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides t hat “Within six months of the declaration of an 
East African Standard, the Partner States shall adopt, without deviation from the approved text of the 
standard, the East African Standard as a nationa l standard and withdraw any existing national 
standard with similar scope and purpose”. 
 
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.  
 
© East African Community 2011 — 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.each.int 
                                                 
* © 2011 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by an y means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs.  
 
ii © EAC 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 44:2011  
 
 
Table of contents 
 
1 Scope  .................................................................................................................................. 1  
2 Normative references  ......................................................................................................... 1  
3 Terms and definitions  ........................................................................................................ 1  
4 Quality requirements  .......................................................................................................... 2  
5 Food additives  .................................................................................................................... 3  
6 Hygiene  .............................................................................................................................. 3  
7 Contaminants  ..................................................................................................................... 4  
8 Packaging  ........................................................................................................................... 4  
9 Labelling  ............................................................................................................................ 4  
9 Methods of sampling.......................................................................................................... 5  
 
© EAC 2011 — All rights reserved iii EAS 44:2011  
iv © EAC 2011 — All rights reserved  
Introduction 
 
The standard stipulates the grading and quality requirements for milled maize products destined for 
human consumption. During the preparation of this standard, some amendments have been made on the definitions of different maize meal products. The microbiological requirements for dry milled maize 
products have been incorporated in an endeavour to sa feguard the health and safety of consumers of 
these products.  
 
 
 
 
 EAS 44:2011  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Milled maize (corn) products — Specification 
 
 
1 Scope 
 
This East African Standard specifies the require ments and methods of sampling and testing for milled 
maize (corn) products intended for human consumption.  2 Normative references 
 
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text constitute 
provisions of this East African Standard  
EAS 38, Labelling of prepackaged foods — Specification  
 
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
 
EAS 2, Maize (grains) — Specification  
 
EAS 41, Fruits, vegetables and derived products  
 EAS 74, Methods of test for animal feedstuffs 
 
EAS 82, Milled cereal products — Methods of test 
 
EAS 217, Methods for the microbiological examination of foods 
 
ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 
and G2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic method 
 CODEX Stan 193, Codex general Standards for contaminants and toxins in Food and Feed 
 
ISO 13690, Cereals, pulses and milled products — Sampling of static batches 
 
3 Terms and definitions 
 
For the purposes of this standard t he following definitions shall apply: 
 
3.1 
whole maize meal  
 product obtained by grinding clean whole maize kern el by the use of mill or other grinding methods 
excluding roller milling  
 
3.2 granulated maize meal   
the product obtained by roller milling and sifting of shelled clean maize and complying with 
requirements indicated in Table 1 
 
3.3 
sifted maize meal   
the product obtained by roller milling and sifting shelled clear maize and complying with the requirements Indicated in Table 1 
 
3.4 
sifting  
the particle size separation by sieving and aspiration of roll-milled products 
 
 
© EAC 2011 — All rights reserved  1 EAS 44:2011  
 
3.5 
cleaned maize   
the shelled maize that shall have been subjected to a cleaning process for the removal of foreign and 
objectionable matter originally present  
3.6  
maize flour 
product obtained by removing the germ and bran followed by grinding, clean maize kernels using 
roller mills or other methods and sifting the resulting product to suitable degree of fineness.  4 Quality requirements 
 
4.1 Raw materials 
Maize meal shall be made from shelled maize conforming to the require ments given in EAS 2. 
 
4.2 General requirements 
 
4.2.1  Maize meal shall be of natural colour conforming to the colour of maize from which it was 
prepared. 
 
4.2.2  Maize meal shall not contain any foreign matter such as insects, fungi, dirt or other 
contaminants above the level permitted in EAS 2.  
4.2.2  Maize meal shall be free from fermented musty or other objectionable colours. 
 
4.2.3  Maize meal shall be free from rancidity and foreign odours. 
 
4.2.4  Maize meal shall be wholesome and fit for human consumption in all aspects. 
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
Milled Maize products shall conform to the requirements given in Table 1. 
 
2 © EAC 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 44:2011  
Table 1 — Specific requirements 
 Sl No. Characteristic Type 
Sifted 
maize 
meal Granulated maize 
meal Whole 
maize meal Maize flour Test 
method  
i) Fibre content, % by m/m, max. 0.7 1.0 3.0 0.7 
 
EAS 82 ii) Crude fat a moisture free basis, 
% by m/m, max. 2.25 2.25 3.1  
iii) Moisture content, % by m/m, 
max. 13 13 13 13 
iv) Total ash, % by m/m, max. 1.0 1. 3.0 1.0 
v) Acid insoluble ash, % by m/m, max. 0.15 0.35 0.40  
0.15 
 
vi) Crude protein (N x 6.25) % min 7.0 7.0 8.0 7.0 
vii) Iron  mg/kg 7 7 8  
8 
 
viii) Fat acidity, mg KOH per 100g of product, on dry mass basis 50 50 50 50 
ix) Total Aflatoxin (AFB1+AFB2+AFG1 
+AFG2)), ppb max 10 
ISO 16050 x) Aflatoxin B1 only, ppb max 5 
xi) Fumonisin ppm max 2 
5 Food additives 
 The product shall contai n only permitted additives complying with EAS 103. 
 
6 Hygiene 
 
6.1 Milled maize products shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the 
provisions of appropriate sections of EAS 39.  
6.2 When tested by appropriate methods of sampling and examination, the product: 
 
⎯ shall be free from microorganisms in amounts which may represent a hazard to health; 
 
⎯ shall be free from parasites which may represent a hazard to health; and 
 
⎯ shall not contain any substance originating from  microorganisms in amounts which may represent 
a hazard to health. 
 
 
6.3 The product shall be free from pathogenic micro-organism and shall comply with 
microbiological limits in Table 2. 
 
  
 
 
 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits 
 
© EAC 2011 — All rights reserved  3 EAS 44:2011  
Sl. No. Micro-organism Maximum limit Methods of test 
 
(1)  Total aerobic count per g  10
5  EAS 217 
 (11)  E. Coli  per 1 g  Not detectable  EAS 217 
 (III)  Salmonella  per 25 g  Not detectable  EAS 217 
(iv) Yeast and Moulds cfu/g 104 EAS 217 
(V) S.aureus  per 25 g Not detectable EAS 217 
 7 Contaminants 
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
Milled maize products shall comply with those ma ximum limits for heavy metals established by the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
7.2 Pesticide residues 
 Milled maize products shall comply with those ma ximum residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. 
 
Note: where the use of certain pesticides is prohibited by some  Partner States, then it shal l be notified to all Partner 
States accordingly. 
 
7.3  Mycotoxins 
 
Milled maize products shall comply with those maximum mycotoxin limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. The milled maize products shall not exceed total 
aflatoxin of 10 ppb and 5 ppb for aflatoxin B1 when tested in accordance with ISO 16050. 
 
 8 Packaging 
 
8.1 Maize meal shall be packed suitable packages whic h shall be clean, sound, free from insects, 
fungal infestation and the packing material shall be of food grade quality. 
 
8.2 Maize meal shall be packed in containers wh ich will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological and organoleptic qualities of the products. 
 
8.3 The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances which are safe 
and suitable for their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or 
flavour to the product.  8.4 Each package shall be securely closed and sealed. 
 
9 Labelling  
 
In addition to the requirements in EAS 38, each pack age shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the 
following: 
 
i) name of product as "Whole Maize Meal, Sifted Maize meal , Maize flour or Granulated Maize 
meal";  
  
iii) name and address of the manufacturer/packer/importer; 
 
4 © EAC 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 44:2011  
© EAC 2011 — All rights reserved  5 iv) brand name/registered trade mark; 
 
v) batch or code number; 
 vi) net weight in metric units; 
 
vii) the statement “Store in a Cool Dry Place”;  
viii) the statement "Human Food"; 
 x) country of origin; 
 
xi) date of manufacture; 
 
xii) expiry date; 
 
xiii) instructions for disposal of used package. 
 
 
9 Methods of sampling   
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the ISO 13690. 
 
  EAS 44:2011  
© EAC 2011 — All rights reserved