Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. aSB189 I States Inspecting Grain .8 tment of .U55 Iture Practical Procedures for 1 Grain ion Service Grain Handlers 91 V ad-38 Bookplate (i-«a) NATIONAL library U S DfcPT OF AGPlCULrUHfc , 1 Preface NATiO-NAL AGRICULTURAL LlBRAHV; I FEB 2 4 1992 i * 1 ! j ki CATALOGING PRER ? This guide is for producers, warehousFmahagers7eIevafor operators, and all others who market or store grain at country points and who want to learn more about inspecting grain. It was developed to: Identify and encourage the use of practical, cost-effective procedures for conducting commercial grain inspections. Section 2009, paragraphs (b) and (c), of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Act) directs the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to develop practical grain inspection procedures and foster the use of such procedures by country elevators and others making first-point-of-delivery inspections. Provide Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) with approved procedures for inspecting grain it acquires from producers. Section 2012, paragraph (b), of the Act requires CCC to utilize procedures developed by FGIS to inspect and evaluate the condition of grain it acquires from producers at country and terminal elevators and other facilities operating under the Uniform Grain Storage Agreement contract. Establish uniform procedures for testing grain for aflatoxin. Section 2009, paragraph (d), of the Act requires FGIS to establish uniform testing procedures and sampling techniques to accurately detect the level of aflatoxin contamination of corn in the United States that may be used by processors, refiners, grain elevator and terminal operators, and others. To further promote uniformity in commercial grain inspection results, FGIS is working with the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a national program for evaluating and approving commercial grain inspection equipment. This guide was not designed for the official inspection system. Consequently, many of the procedures contained herein are not appropriate for use by official inspection personnel. ':/ ■ '-A'S -7 ' -V _ ,, ) ! SG€1 S 83-1 ’ 1 ! I 1 L ^ .y .,’ r- vV. l O^NV tn^ LJ'- - ' <,- ff'UV; 10 IJa bfi» ^ : ' 'i? f Oj ' ib t I »,f2ii7:>.;^4T3 U*rr<^^ aTR>m I! iSaJ Ol mM ?^*7 ’*^''' U> ? jfis iifut .9l ,IOt:>5< ; *.>U 4U ;fik^ lo) 4a •«?: t>ooT »#fi tV» (d).. •7/ r Lvf y-,Tr^i:'R\^.‘>i'.asp hlohol ^ "^0 ■i'' '• 'pbr* )b ciJ,( ^U^^v / 'T'tiii;3h^de<j M'>am<;<J;' <t V ♦*» ^ti. T<, Ii«»m iA 4 h(> . . » . •« • “ > »4-' * ' '•Jj * ■ ‘ ^ M '■ : . %' .. ^ ' AM ’ J' ** ■’ -^ < ' fvwii*';*; \jb'i I A*?^' / . w I . ..™ VJ ^x;lji> -‘■-X'^.‘ W'tv^-*^^ ai-fsi- * Vt-j f'^^7SS^\ o> ■■ *-..->• . *. i» ?4- *^:H 'o* * k• \ :* i*yr^ii:. '■'mtrf^ »1«>:.4» ••‘^v- ■* ' ' i ’*J ^ > ' P..J '"■ .%4'> ' ««''' ':*''' ‘f/-. /i^’i ».' .'.*1'0{ •’‘u'*’’ *f/'.... ,i1l:: 44 U'^''i'\ A>p '::si)ifim^^'i '**’ . ’..• ,’Sd?,^v bv:;j UjJ M V"-yi «•' i"ialf- ', / ! t*.- ' T . rd’li'w ^ ^ v^d '^-ftrA,) 'id^ f' ./., , f-r*^ ' :^.^fi!-<«i /^f ^tUJ fc>T (5 7 j»* N' . . ^).*^ - *' o ,£^iw (iYih>'40. J'n^T hjin kir U’ "io TiSdt Hcu <t/^WDV^) . Vijn^lif. Pfik. r . w/: 'I ‘>fv,r^ Ian' 'Y(ia*4/J> oJ ^ / ii?14;^ n6<^*^:^t£r p »e i;g .. »*. ’ ' ' ■• ' ■■' S 5«J ' -Ml, itti <ji.;^:f?ab ,^en »jp»y -i*» . arijto; t - f'M ,Yi»*<i ^ Ms Jtii lUiU iOCf^f - cmfi i»G ItbTr.il ^ > 4**^^^' •'. sT '-wj •Imno^TX} hil>1iU^ yw -Ki' .45 : • * .3L -9 Table of Contents Introduction Inspecting Grain in the United States 1 OfTicial United States Standards for Grain 2 Federal Grain Inspection Service 3 Official Grain Inspections 4 Section I. Sampling Grain The Importance of Proper Sampling 5 Sampling Grain At Rest 6 Sampling Moving Grain 11 Section li. Inspecting Grain The Inspection Process 16 Portion Sizes 17 Harmful Substances 18 Objectionable Odors 20 Heating 21 Insect Infestation 21 Moisture 22 Test Weight per Bushel 22 Dockage 23 Foreign Material 26 Damaged Kernels 31 I Protein, Oil, and Other Intrinsic Characteristics 35 Aflatoxin 36 Other Factors 38 Section III. Grading Grain Grades and Grade Designations 42 Special Grades and Special Grade Designations 43 Barley 48 Corn 50 Flaxseed 51 Canola, Mustard Seed, and Rapeseed 52 Mixed Grain 54 Oats 55 Rye 56 Safflower Seed 57 Sorghum 58 Soybeans 59 Sunflower Seed (Confection-T>pe) 60 Sunflower Seed (Oil-Type) 61 Triticale 62 Wheat 63 Appendix I. Selected References 65 Appendix II. Grades and Grade Requirements 66 a Introduction INSPECTING GRAIN IN THE UNITED STATES Nationally accepted grain standards and inspection procedures provide producers, elevator operators, and others who trade grain with common terms for describing grain; a means for determining storability and end-product yield; and a framework for improving grain quality. Grain traders in the United States have not always had the benefit of established standards and procedures. In 1856, the Chicago Board of Trade enacted the first grain grading rules for U.S. grain. In the following years, grain trading organizations in Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, Toledo, and New Orleans followed Chicago's lead and developed their own grading standards. By 1871, 73 different grain inspection systems were being used in the United States, each with its own grades and grading rules. This led to chaotic market conditions. Traders buying grain under the standards in one area couldn't depend on the grain being designated an equivalent grade in any other area. Around the turn of the century, the Grain Dealers National Association (now known as the National Grain and Feed Association) and several other trade groups vigorously campaigned for the adoption of voluntary, national grade standards. In response. Congress authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to organize the Division of Grain Standardization to establish uniform grades. Finally, in 1916, the 64th Congress passed the United States Grain Standards Act".. .to provide for the establishment of Official United States Standards for Grain, to promote the uniform application thereof by official inspection personnel.. .with the objectives that grain may be marketed in an orderly and timely manner and that trading in grain may be facilitated." 1 Over the years, a number of minor amendments made the Act and standards more meaningful. In 1968, Congress significantly broadened the scope of the Act and eliminated the mandatory interstate inspection requirement. Then, in 1976, the Act was strengthened by an amendment which established a new USDA agency-the Federal Grain Inspection Service—to oversee the national grain inspection and weighing system. OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN The Official United States Standards for Grain provide the criteria for determining the kind, class, and condition of grain. The standards also define quality and condition factors and set grade limits based on factor determinations. Quality factors, which vary by grain, include test weight per bushel, damaged kernels, and foreign material. Condition factors include heating, objectionable odor, and insect infestation. It is important to note that the Official United States Standards for Grain are not seasonally adjusted, regardless of average new crop quality. Presently, there are Official U.S. Standards for Grain for: BARLEY OATS SUNFLOWER SEED CORN RYE TRITICALE FLAXSEED SORGHUM WHEAT MIXED GRAIN SOYBEANS Refer to Appendix II, Grades and Grade Requirements, for a complete listing of the grades, factor requirements, and other related information for each grain. 2