Mixed grain: Grading factors
Full list of grading factors
B
Broken (BKN)
Broken kernels are pieces of grain that are less than three-quarters of a whole kernel.
C
Contaminated grain (CONTAM GRN)
Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any sample that is suspected of containing contaminated grain.
Grain is contaminated for the purposes of the Canada Grain Act if the grain contains any substance in sufficient quantity that the grain is either
- adulterated for the purposes of the Food and Drugs Act; or
- contaminated within the meaning of the regulations made under section 51 of the Safe Foods for Canadians Act.
Treated seed
Treated seed is grain that has been adulterated with an agricultural chemical for agronomic purposes. The types of agricultural chemicals used to treat seed include pesticides, fungicides and inoculants. These seed dressings contain a dye to render the treated seed visually conspicuous. The colour of the dye varies depending upon the type of treatment and the type of grain. The current Canadian colour standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for cereal (including corn) is red or pink. The colour standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for canola is blue; however, green has also been used. Pulse crop (including soybeans) pesticide and fungicide seed treatments are typically blue or green. The coatings or stains may appear greasy or powdery and the surface area covered may range from tiny flecks to complete coverage.
Other chemical substances
Other chemical substances refers to any chemical residues either adhering to the kernel or remaining in the sample and to samples having a chemical odour of any kind.
Extraneous material
Can be defined as glass, metal, wood (including wood pellets), plastic or any other material not already defined in the Official Grain Grading Guide.
Procedure
If a sample is suspected of being coated with a pesticide, desiccant, inoculant or if the sample contains evidence of extraneous material, including any foreign chemical substance other than fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS), the sample shall be graded ‘Mixed grain, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain’ and submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission. Determination as to whether grain is contaminated will be made by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada.
Samples deemed to be contaminated are graded: ‘Mixed grain, Sample Condemned’.
E
Earth pellets
- Hard earth pellets are pellets that do not crumble under light pressure. See Stones (STNS).
- Soft earth pellets are pellets that crumble under light pressure. See Soft earth pellets (SEP).
Ergot (ERG)
Ergot is a plant disease producing elongated fungal bodies having a purplish-black exterior, a purplish-white to off-white interior, and a relatively smooth surface texture.
Procedure
- Determine the weight of ergot as a percentage of the net weight of the sample.
Excreta (EXCR)
Excrement from any animal including mammals, birds and insects.
Important : Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain excreta.
Extraneous material
F
Fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS)
Fertilizer pellets are a manufactured plant nutrient product used by producers in the production of grain. They are typically small, round or irregular shaped and usually white, grey, brown, pink or reddish in colour.
Procedure
- Handpick any fertilizer pellets and determine the concentration in the net working sample.
- Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones (STNS) when the concentration does not exceed 1.0% of the net sample weight.
- Samples containing fertilizer pellets in excess of 1.0% of the net sample weight are graded ‘Mixed Grain, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain’. The sample should be submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission. Determination as to whether grain is contaminated will be made by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada. Samples deemed to be contaminated are graded: ‘Mixed Grain, Sample Condemned’.
Fireburnt (FBNT)
Fireburnt kernels are kernels charred or scorched by fire. A cross-section of a fireburnt kernel resembles charcoal with numerous air holes. The air holes result in a low weight kernel which crumbles easily under pressure.
H
Heated (HTD)
Heated kernels have the colour and odour typical of grain that has heated in storage or has been damaged by artificial drying, but not charred kernels. Heated includes all heated seeds in the sample.
L
Large seeds (LSDS)
Large seeds are seeds that do not pass through the number 4.5 round-hole sieve and grains other than cereal grains, such as peas, beans, corn, flaxseed and domestic buckwheat. Large seeds remaining in the sample are included in total foreign material (TFM).
O
Odour (ODOR)
There is no numeric tolerance for odour. Consider
- The basic quality of the sample
- The type and degree of the odour
- The presence of visible residue causing the odour
| If odour is the grade determinant and there is: | Then the grade is: |
|---|---|
| A distinct objectionable odour not associated with the quality of the grain, but not heated or fireburnt | Mixed grain, Sample CW/CE, Account Odour |
| A distinct heated odour | Mixed grain, Sample CW/CE, Account Heated |
| A distinct fireburnt odour | Mixed grain, Sample CW/CE, Account Fireburnt |
S
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (SCL)
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungus producing hard masses of fungal tissue, called sclerotia. The sclerotia vary in size and shape, have a coarse surface texture, vary in exterior color from dark black to gray to white and have a pure white interior.
Soft earth pellets (SEP)
Soft earth pellets are
- Earth pellets that crumble into fine dust under light pressure using a finger only—if they do not crumble, they are considered stones (STNS).
- Any non-toxic material of similar consistency
Procedure
- Handpick soft earth pellets from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
- Soft earth pellets constituting 10.0% or less of the sample are assessed as dockage.
- Where soft earth pellets represent more than 10% of the net weight, the sample is graded 'Mixed Grain, Sample CW/CE Account Admixture'.
Stones (STNS)
Stones are hard shale, coal, hard earth pellets, and any other non toxic materials of similar consistency. Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones when constituting 1.0% or less of the net sample weight. See Fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS) for the specific procedure to be followed when samples contain fertilizer pellets.
Procedure
- Handpick stones from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
- Determine stone concentration in the net sample.
Note: Stones may be removed and included in dockage if the material removed is 5.0% or less of the gross weight of the sample. See Cleaning for grade improvement.
- Samples of grain grown in western Canada containing stones in excess of basic grade tolerances, up to 2.5%, are graded ‘Mixed Grain, Rejected (basic grade) Account Stones’. The ‘basic grade’ refers to a grade established in the Canada Grain Regulations (grades listed in the first column in grade determination tables) that would have been assigned to the sample if it contained no stones.
- Samples of grain grown in eastern Canada containing stones in excess of grade tolerances are degraded to lower grades. Samples containing stones in excess of the tolerance of the lowest grade established by regulation, up to 2.5%, are graded ‘Mixed Grain, Sample CE Account Stones’.
- Samples of western and eastern Canadian grain containing more than 2.5% stones are graded ‘Mixed Grain, Sample Salvage’.
Examples: Western Canada
| Grade name | Stone % |
|---|---|
| Mixed Grain CW Wheat | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CW Rye | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CW Barley | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CW Oats | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CW Triticale | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CW | 0.1 |
Basic grade: Mixed Grain, CW Wheat
| If the above sample contained | Grade in western Canada |
|---|---|
| 0.2% stones | Mixed Grain, Rejected CW Wheat Account Stones |
| 1.0% stones | Mixed Grain, Rejected CW Wheat Account Stones |
| 3.0% stones | Mixed Grain, Sample Salvage |
Examples: Eastern Canada
| Grade name | Stone % |
|---|---|
| Mixed Grain CE Wheat | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CE Rye | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CE Barley | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CE Oats | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CE Triticale | 0.1 |
| Mixed Grain CE | 0.1 |
Basic grade: Mixed Grain, CE Wheat
| If the above sample contained | Grade in eastern Canada |
|---|---|
| 0.2% stones | Mixed Grain, Sample CE Account Stones |
| 1.0% stones | Mixed Grain, Sample CE Account Stones |
| 3.0% stones | Mixed Grain, Sample Salvage |