Overview
ISO 11051:1994 - "Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) - Specification" defines minimum quality and safety specifications for durum wheat intended for human consumption and international trade. The standard establishes required physical and chemical characteristics, methods for measuring impurities and the proportion of non-wholly-vitreous grains, and provides lists of typical stored‑grain insect pests and harmful/toxic seeds. It is aimed at ensuring consistent grain quality for trade, inspection and processing.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope: Minimum specifications for durum wheat (Triticum durum) used for human food and international commerce.
- Sampling & test methods: Sampling per ISO 950; impurity separation (Annex A); non‑wholly‑vitreous determination (Annex B); other referenced test methods per ISO 712, ISO 3093, ISO 5223 and ISO 7971.
- Moisture content: ≤ 14.5% (determined in accordance with ISO 712). Lower limits may be required for specific destinations.
- Bulk density (mass per hectolitre): ≥ 75 kg/hl (ISO 7971 reference method).
- Alpha‑amylase activity (falling number): ≥ 160 (measured per ISO 3093).
- Non‑wholly‑vitreous grains: ≤ 40% (determination procedure in Annex B).
- Impurities - maximum permissible levels (dry mass basis, determined via Annex A):
- Broken grains: 7%
- Shrivelled grains: 5%
- Unsound grains: 1%
- Grains attacked by pests: 2%
- Other cereals: 3%
- Extraneous organic matter: 2%
- Non‑organic material (stones, sand): 0.5%
- Harmful/toxic seeds, bunted grains and ergot: 0.5% (ergot specifically 0.05%)
- Note: combined total of broken + shrivelled + unsound + attacked + other cereals must not exceed 15%
- Sanitary & organoleptic: Grains shall be sound, clean, free of foreign odours, additives and living insects listed in Annex C. Pesticide residues must comply with destination country legislation or Codex limits.
- Normative & informative annexes: Annexes A–C are normative; D–E provide informative lists (harmful seeds, etc.).
Applications and Users
Who uses ISO 11051:
- Exporters and importers of durum wheat to define contractual quality criteria.
- Grain traders and brokers for specification, grading and acceptance testing.
- Quality control and analytical laboratories performing moisture, falling number, impurity and vitreousness testing.
- Food processors (e.g., pasta manufacturers) that require consistent semolina quality.
- Regulatory and inspection bodies, storage and transport operators monitoring grain condition and pest presence.
Practical uses:
- Drafting commercial contracts and inspection clauses for international shipments.
- Guiding laboratory test protocols and acceptance/rejection decisions.
- Supporting storage, fumigation and pest‑management plans by identifying listed insect pests.
- Ensuring compliance with food‑safety and trading requirements.
Related Standards
ISO 11051 references and works alongside:
- ISO 712 - moisture determination (routine)
- ISO 950 - sampling (as grain)
- ISO 3093 - determination of falling number (alpha‑amylase)
- ISO 5223 - test sieves for cereals
- ISO 7971 - bulk density (mass per hectolitre)
Keywords: ISO 11051, durum wheat specification, Triticum durum, grain quality, moisture content, falling number, impurities, bulk density, international trade, sampling methods.