United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

U.S. Standards June 1987

Distribution: FGIS, OSP, Industry Originating Office: FMD PPMAB

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Subpart E -- United States Standards for Flaxseed

Contents

Subpart E -- United States Standards for Flaxseed 1

Terms Defined 2

Principles Governing the Application of Standards 2

Grades and Grade Requirements 3
Official US Standards for Grain

Flaxseed

June 1987

Page 2

Terms Defined

810.601 Definition of flaxseed.

Grain that, before the removal of dockage, consists of 50 percent or more of common

flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and not more than 20 percent of other grains for 

which standards have been established under the United States Grain Standards Act 

and which, after the removal of dockage, contains 50 percent or more of whole flaxseed.

§ 810.602 Definition of other terms.

(a) Damaged kernels. Kernels and pieces of flaxseed kernels that are badly 

grounddamaged, badly weather-damaged, diseased, frost-damaged, germ-damaged, 

heatdamaged, insect-bored, mold-damaged, sprout-damaged, or otherwise materially

damaged.

(b) Dockage. All matter other than flaxseed that can be removed from the original 

sample by use of an approved device according to procedures prescribed in FGIS 

instructions. Also, underdeveloped, shriveled, and small pieces of flaxseed kernels 

removed in properly separating the material other than flaxseed and that cannot be 

recovered by properly rescreening or recleaning.

(c) Heat-damaged kernels. Kernels and pieces of flaxseed kernels that are materially

discolored and damaged by heat.

(d) Other grains. Barley, corn, cultivated buckwheat, einkorn, emmer, guar, hull-less

barley, nongrain sorghum, oats, Polish wheat, popcorn, poulard wheat, rice, rye,

safflower, sorghum, soybeans, spelt, sunflower seed, sweet corn, triticale, wheat, and

wild oats.

Principles Governing the Application of Standards

§ 810.603 Basis of determination.

Other determinations not specifically provided for under the general provisions are 

made on the basis of the grain when free from dockage, except the determination of 

odor is made on either the basis of the grain as a whole or the grain when free from 

dockage.
Official US Standards for Grain

Flaxseed

June 1987

Page 3

Grades and Grade Requirements

§ 810.604 Grades and grade requirements for flaxseed.

Grade

Minimum test

weight per bushel

(pounds)

Maximum limits of damaged kernels

Heat damaged

kernels (percent)

Total

(percent)

U.S. No. 1

U.S. No. 2

49.0

47.0

0.2

0.5

10.0

15.0

U.S. Sample grade--

U.S. Sample grade is flaxseed that:

(a) Does not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. Nos. 1 or 2; or

(b) Contains 8 or more stones which have an aggregate weight in excess of 0.2 percent of the 

sample weight, 2 or more pieces of glass, 3 or more crotalaria seeds (Crotalaria spp.), 2 or more 

castor beans (Ricinus communis L.), 4 or more particles of an unknown foreign substance(s) or a 

commonly recognized harmful or toxic substance(s), 10 or more rodent pellets, bird dropping, or 

equivalent quantity of other animal filth per 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 quarts of flaxseed; or

(c) Has a musty, sour, or commercially objectionable foreign odor (except smut or garlic odor), or

(d) Is heating or otherwise of distinctly low quality.