MAIZE, grain, 50kg, bag
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OC subscriptions: included in supply or field order tools (e.g. UniField)
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MAIZE
Definition
Maize (corn in many English-speaking countries, mealies in southern Africa) is an annual plant of the grass family Poaceae, grown for its starchy grains.
Maize is the most cultivated cereal in the world.
Specifications
- Maize grain: whole grain shelled dent maize (Zea mays indentata L.), and/or shelled flint maize (Zea mays indurata L) or their hybrids, for direct human consumption. Maize grains are usually yellow or white, but they can also be red, brown or black.
- Maize flour (meal): food prepared from fully mature and sound grains of maize by a grinding process. Maize flour is always white.
- Degermed maize flour is prepared from grains that are cleaned from impurities, mould, seeds of weeds and other cereals by a grinding process in which the grain is finely comminuted and from which bran and germ are removed
- Whole maize flour is prepared from entire and ungerminated grains
- Degermed maize grits: food prepared from fully mature, sound, degermed, grains of maize, cleaned from impurities, mould, seeds of weeds and other cereals by a grinding process in which the grain is finely comminuted and from which bran and germ are almost completely removed
Technical specifications
| Quality factors | Grain | Flour | Grits |
| Moisture content | < 14% | < 13% | < 13% |
| Crude fibers | N/A | < 0.8% | < 0.8% |
| Proteins (on dry matter) | N/A | > 7% (Nx6.5) | > 7% (Nx6.5) |
| Crude fat (dry weight basis) | N/A | < 2.25% | < 2.25% |
Granularity:
| N/A | > 95% | > 95% < 20% |
| Foreign matter | < 0.5% | < 0.5% | < 0.5% |
| Impurities of animal origin (including dead insects) | < 0.1% | < 0.1% | < 0.1% |
| Living insects | none | none | none |
Defect grains
| < 6% < 4% < 0.5% < 3% | N/A | N/A |
| Other colour grains | Yellow < 5% White < 2% | N/A | N/A |
| Microbiology and contaminants | Grain | Flour/Grits |
| Salmonella | neg. in 25g | neg. in 25g |
| Total aflatoxins | < 4 ppb | < 4 ppb |
| Zearalenone | < 350 ppb | < 300 ppb |
| Fumonisin B1,B2 | < 4000 ppb | < 2000 ppb |
| Deoxynivalenol (vomitoxine) | < 1750 ppb | < 1250 ppb |
Maize grains should be from the most recent harvest, and their origin should be clearly indicated (supported by original certificate of origin).
They should be "sound and market quality" and "fit for human consumption".
A fumigation certificate dated within last 15 days must be presented upon receipt.
Packaging & Labelling
Net weight: 25 kg /50 kg (only 25 kg for flour and grits)
All bags must be clean, dry and firmly sewn.
Recycled bags are not allowed.
- Either highest quality (minimum 85g/m2) polypropylene (PP) new bag with double stitching at the top and bottom
- Or burlap bag
The bag may be lined with a polypropylene bag with the top edges of the bags sewn together.
Printing with ink approved for food contact (size of the letters: 20 mm minimum). The marking must remain readable after minimum 10 handlings.
- Batch number composed of: supplier's initials/year/field dispatch code/order n° (ex: MAVI/08/NG01MFR/015)
- MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES
- Type of product
- Net weight of the bag
- Crop year
- For milled grains: milling date + best-before date (BBD)
- In accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, food producers/importers must label food items they know contain GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Instructions for use
Preparation
It is better to distribute milled maize (flour or grits).
Milling should be processed only when the distribution date is known to avoid long storage times (milled products are more sensitive).
Milling can be performed on whole grains or degermed grains. Whole maize flour is nutritionally preferable since it has a higher fat and mineral content than degermed maize flour.
Maize flour extraction rate varies from approximately 60% to 98%. The higher the extraction rate, the higher the nutritional value, but the shorter the storage life. When a fast use (a few weeks after milling) can not be guaranteed, it is better to have 75% extraction.
Storage
Maize grains can be stored for a long period of time in good storage conditions (frequent controls and fumigation).
Flours and grits become quickly rancid and acidic and they are very sensitive to biological contamination; storage time must not exceed few weeks.
STORAGE
Follow the procedure QA-NFOS-SOP2 "Storage and stock management of food".
Preparing for storage
- Staple foods should be stored separately from therapeutic foods to prevent any risk of crosscontamination.
- Warehouses (walls, floor, etc.) should be given preventive treatment against insects and rodents before warehousing.
- It is essential to check that the roof is watertight before the rainy season.
Storage organization
- On pallets arranged in 6 to 8 pallet islands
- Islands at least 1 m apart
- At least 0.5 m from the walls
- No more than 2 m high
Inventory monitoring
- PREVENTION
- Given storage conditions in the field, it is recommended not storing for more than 6 months
- Spraying of insecticide (CWATIIRSSC-) should be repeated every 8 to 12 weeks, when stocks are empty
- Warehouse ventilation should be controlled to minimize ambient humidity
- Inventory should be regularly organized (every 2 weeks), randomly testing bags to check for infestation and inspecting warehouse to monitor anti-insect and anti-rodent prevention measures
- TREATMENT
In case of infestation, maize may be fumigated by a certified company (often with phosphine or "phostoxin"). Require a fumigation certificate.
Procedures for Quality Control
- Control upon receipt (quantity/quality): Use and fill the "check list for the control upon receipt": NSFOCRECOOE (English) / NSFOCRECOOF (French).
- In case of purchase of big quantity, make an inspection company (SGS, Cotecna, Véritas, FAIDEX, etc.) perform an inspection before loading. Use and fill the "Inspection contract" ref. NSFOINSPMAF (French) / NSFOINSPMAE (English).
- Control in case of suspicion (sending to a laboratory): use the analysis request form NSFOANALMAF (French) / NSFOANALMAE (English).