United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

U.S. Standards September 2007

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

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Official United States Standards for Grain

Subpart A -- General Provisions

Contents

Official United States Standards for Grain 1

Terms Defined 2

Principles Governing the Application of Standards 3

Grades, Grade Requirements, and Grade Designations 4

Special Grades, Special Grade Requirements, and Special Grade Designations 5
Official US Standards for Grain

General Provisions

September 2007

Page 2

Note: Compliance with the provisions of these standards does not excuse failure to

comply with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or other

Federal laws.

Terms Defined

§ 810.101 Grains for which standards are established.

Grain refers to barley, canola, corn, flaxseed, mixed grain, oats, rye, sorghum, 

soybeans, sunflower seed, triticale, and wheat. Standards for these food grains, feed 

grains, and oilseeds are established under the United States Grain Standards Act.

§ 810.102 Definition of other terms.

Unless otherwise stated, the definitions in this section apply to all grains. All other

definitions unique to a particular grain are contained in the appropriate subpart for that

grain.

(a) Distinctly low quality. Grain that is obviously of inferior quality because it is in an

unusual state or condition, and that cannot be graded properly by use of other grading

factors provided in the standards. Distinctly low quality includes the presence of any

objects too large to enter the sampling device; i.e., large stones, wreckage, or similar

objects.

(b) Moisture. Water content in grain as determined by an approved device according to

procedures prescribed in FGIS instructions.

(c) Stones. Concreted earthy or mineral matter and other substances of similar 

hardness that do not disintegrate in water.

(d) Test weight per bushel. The weight per Winchester bushel (2,150.42 cubic inches) as

determined using an approved device according to procedures prescribed in FGIS

instructions. Test weight per bushel in the standards for corn, mixed grain, oats, 

sorghum, and soybeans is determined on the original sample. Test weight per bushel 

in the standards for barley, flaxseed, rye, sunflower seed, triticale, and wheat is 

determined after mechanically cleaning the original sample. Test weight per bushel is 

recorded to the nearest tenth pound for corn, rye, soybeans, triticale, and wheat. Test 

weight per bushel for all other grains, if applicable, is recorded in whole and half pounds 

with a fraction of a half pound disregarded. Test weight per bushel is not an official 

factor for canola.

(e) Whole kernels. Grain with one-fourth or less of the kernel removed.
Official US Standards for Grain

General Provisions

September 2007

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Principles Governing the Application of Standards

§ 810.103 Basis of determination.

(a) Distinctly low quality. The determination of distinctly low quality is made on the basis

of the lot as a whole at the time of sampling when a condition exists that may or may not

appear in the representative sample and/or the sample as a whole.

(b) Certain quality determinations. Each determination of rodent pellets, bird droppings,

other animal filth, broken glass, castor beans, cockleburs, crotalaria seeds, dockage,

garlic, live insect infestation, large stones, moisture, temperature, an unknown foreign

substance(s), and a commonly recognized harmful or toxic substance(s) is made on the

basis of the sample as a whole. When a condition exists that may not appear in the

representative sample, the determination may be made on the basis of the lot as a 

whole at the time of sampling according to procedures prescribed in FGIS instructions.

(c) All other determinations. The basis of determination for all other factors is contained

in the individual standards.

§ 810.104 Percentages.

(a) Rounding. Percentages are determined on the basis of weight and are rounded as

follows:

(1) When the figure to be rounded is followed by a figure greater than or equal to 5,

round to the next higher figure; e.g., report 6.36 as 6.4, 0.35 as 0.4, and 2.45 as 2.5.

(2) When the figure to be rounded is followed by a figure less than 5, retain the figure;

e.g., report 8.34 as 8.3, and 1.22 as 1.2.

(b) Recording. The percentage of dockage in flaxseed and sorghum is reported in whole

percent with fractions of a percent being disregarded. Dockage in barley and triticale is 

reported in whole and half percent with a fraction less than one-half percent being

disregarded. Dockage in wheat and rye is reported in whole and tenth percents to the

nearest tenth percent. Foreign material in sunflower seed is reported to the nearest 

onehalf percent. Ranges of sunflower seed foreign material are reported as follows: 

0.0 to 0.24 is reported as 0.0 percent, 0.25 to 0.74 as 0.5 percent, 0.75 to 1.24 as 1.0 

percent, and the like. Foreign material and fines in mixed grain is reported in whole 

percent. The percentage of smut in barley, sclerotinia and stones in canola, and 

ergot in all grains is reported to the nearest hundredth percent. The percentage when 

determining the identity of all grains is reported to the nearest whole percent. Also 

reported to the nearest whole percent are the classes and subclasses in wheat; flint 

corn; flint and dent corn; waxy corn; classes in barley; and the percentage of each kind 

of grain in mixed grain. Plump barley shall be expressed in terms of the range in which 

it falls. Ranges shall be: Below 50 percent, 50 to 55 percent, 56 to 60 percent, 61 to 65 

percent, and the like. All other percentages are reported in tenths percent.
Official US Standards for Grain

General Provisions

September 2007

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Grades, Grade Requirements, and Grade Designations

§ 810.105 Grades and grade requirements.

The grades and grade requirements for each grain (except mixed grain) are shown in 

the grade table(s) of the respective standards. Mixed grain grade requirements are not

presented in tabular form.

§ 810.106 Grade designations.

(a) Grade designations for grain. The grade designations include in the following order:

(1) The letters “U.S.”;

(2) The abbreviation “No.” and the number of the grade or the words “Sample grade”;

(3) When applicable, the subclass;

(4) The class or kind of grain;

(5) When applicable, the special grade(s) except in the case of bright, extra heavy,

and heavy oats or plump rye, the special grades “bright”, “extra heavy”, “heavy”, and

“plump” will precede the word “oats” or “rye” as applicable; and

(6) When applicable, the word “dockage” together with the percentage thereof.

When applicable, the remarks section of the certificate will include in the order of

predominance; in the case of a mixed class, the name and approximate percentage of

the classes; in the case of sunflower seed, the percentage of admixture; in the case of

mixed grain, the grains present in excess of 10.0 percent of the mixture and when

applicable, the words Other grains followed by a statement of the percentage of the

combined quantity of those kinds of grains, each of which is present in a quantity less

than 10.0 percent; in the case of barley, if requested, the word “plump” with the

percentage range thereof; and in the case of wheat, if requested, the percentage of

protein content.

(b) Optional grade designations. In addition to paragraph (a) of this Section, grain may

be certificated under certain conditions as described in FGIS instructions when 

supported by official analysis as “U.S. No. 2 or better (type of grain)”, “U.S. No. 3 or 

better (type of grain)”, and the like.
Official US Standards for Grain

General Provisions

September 2007

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Special Grades, Special Grade Requirements, and Special Grade Designations

§ 810.107 Special grades and special grade requirements.

A special grade serves to draw attention to a special factor or condition present in the

grain and, when applicable, is supplemental to the grade assigned under § 810.106.

Except for the special grade “infested,” the special grades are identified and 

requirements are established in each respective grain standards.

(a) Infested wheat, rye, and triticale. Tolerances for live insects responsible for infested

wheat, rye, and triticale are defined according to sampling designations as follows:

(1) Representative sample. The representative sample consists of the work portion

and the file sample if needed and when available. These grains will be considered

infested if the representative sample (other than shiplots) contains two or more live

weevils, or one live weevil and one or more other live insects injurious to stored

grain, or two or more live insects injurious to stored grain.

(2) Lot as a whole (stationary). The lot as a whole is considered infested when two or

more live weevils, or one live weevil and one or more other live insects injurious to

stored grain, or two or more other live insects injurious to stored grain are found in, on, 

or about the lot (excluding submitted samples and shiplots).

(3) Sample as a whole (continuous loading/unloading of shiplots and bargelots). The

minimum sample size for bargelots and shiplots is 500 grams per each 2,000 bushels

of grain. The sample as a whole is considered infested when a component (as defined

in FGIS instructions) contains two or more live weevils, or one live weevil and one or

more other live insects injurious to stored grain, or two or more other live insects

injurious to stored grain.

(b) Infested barley, canola, corn, oats, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, and mixed

grain. Tolerances for live insects responsible for infested barley, canola, corn, oats,

sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, and mixed grain are defined according to sampling

designations as follows:

(1) Representative sample. The representative sample consists of the work portion,

and the file sample if needed and when available. These grains will be considered

infested if the representative sample (other than shiplots) contains two or more live

weevils, or one live weevil and five or more other live insects injurious to stored

grain, or ten or more other live insects injurious to stored grain.

(2) Lot as a whole (stationary). The lot as a whole is considered infested when two or

more live weevils, or one live weevil and five or more other live insects injurious to

stored grain, or ten or more other live insects injurious to stored grain are found in,

on, or about the lot (excluding submitted samples and shiplots).
Official US Standards for Grain

General Provisions

September 2007

Page 6

(3) Sample as a whole (continuous loading/unloading of shiplots and bargelots). The

minimum sample for shiplots and bargelots is 500 grams per each 2,000 bushels of

grain. The sample as a whole is considered infested when a component (as defined in

FGIS instructions) contains two or more live weevils, or one live weevil and five or

more other live insects injurious to stored grain, or ten or more other live insects

injurious to stored grain.

§ 810.108 Special grade designations.

Special grade designations are shown as prescribed in § 810.106. Multiple special 

grade designations will be listed in alphabetical order. In the case of treated wheat, 

the official certificate shall show whether the wheat has been scoured, limed, washed, 

sulfured, or otherwise treated.