Non-Tariff Barriers

Non-Tariff Measure

NTM classification

A84: Inspection requirement 

Date when the measure came into force

16 May 1998 

Publication where the measure is specified

4 No.31042 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16 MAY2008 

Regulation where the measure is specified

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT STANDARDS ACT, 1990 (ACT No. 119 OF 1990) 

Country/Region applying the measure

South Africa 

Coded list of objectives

A: Protection of human life and health 

Description of the measure

9.(1) A sample of a consignment of sorghum shall;
(a) in the case of sorghum delivered in bags and subject to regulation 10,be obtained by sampling at least ten per cent of the bags chosen from that consignment at random, with a bag probe: Provided that at least 25 bags in a consignmentshallbesampledandwhereaconsignmentconsistsoflessthan25 bags, all the bags in that consignment shall be sampled; and

(b) in the case of sorghum delivered in bulk and subject tor egulation10,be obtained by sampling that consignment throughout the whole depth of the layer,in atleast six different places,chosen at randomin that bulk quantity,withabulk sampling apparatus.

(2) The collective sample obtained in sub regulation (1)(a) or (b)shall;

(a) have a total mass of at least 10 kg; and

(b) be thoroughly mixed before further examination.

(3) If it is suspected that the sample referred to in sub regulation(1)(a)is not representative of that consignment, an additional five per cent of the remaining bags, chosen from that consignment at random, shall be emptied into a suitable bulk container and sampled in the manner contemplated in sub regulation(1)(b).

(4) Asampletakenintermsoftheseregulationsshallbedeemedtoberepresentativeofthe consignment from which it was taken.

Sampling if contents differ

10. (1) If, after an examination of the sorghum taken from different bags in a consignment in terms of regulation 9(1)(a), it appears that the contents of those bags differ substantially;

(a) the bags concerned shall be placed separately;

(b) all the bags in the consignment concerned shall be sampled with a bag probe in order to do such separation ;and

(c) Each group of bags with a similar content in that consignment shall for the purposes of these regulations be deemed to be a separate consignment.

(2) If, after the discharge of a consignment of sorghum in bulk has commenced, it is suspected that the consignment could be of a class or grade other than that determined by means of the initial sampling,the discharge shall immediately be stopped and the part of the consignment remaining in the bulk container as well as the sorghum already in the hopper shall be sampled anew with a bulk samplingapparatusorbycatching,bymeansofasuitablecontainer,atregularintervalsquantities from the stream of sorghum flowing in bulk.

Working sample

11. (1) A working sample shall be obtained by dividing the representative sample of the representative or deviating sample of the consignment according to the ICC(International Association for Cereal Chemistry) 101/1 (Approved 1982)method.
INSPECTION METHODS
Determination of class and presence of smut, undesirable smells, harmful substances, poisonous seeds and insects
12. A consignment or a sample of a consignment of sorghum shall be sensorial assessed or chemically analyzed in order to determine;
(a) the class thereof;
(b) whether it is smeared black by smut;
(c) whether it contains smut balls;
(d) whether it has a musty, sour or other undesirable smell;
(e) whether it contains any substance that renders it unsuitable for human consumption or for processing in to or utilization as food or feed;
(f) whether it contains any poisonous seeds ;and
(g) Whether it contains any insects.
Determination of percentage foreign matter
13. The percentage of foreign matter in a consignment of sorghum shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 100 g of material from the sample of the consignment.
(b) Remove all foreign matter by hand from the working sample and determine the mass thereof.
(c) Express the mass thus determined, as percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(d) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of foreign matter in the consignment concerned.
Determination of percentage un threshed sorghum
14. The percentage of un threshed sorghum in a consignment of sorghum shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 50 g of material from the sample from which all foreign matter has been removed.
(b) Remove all un threshed sorghum by hand from the working sample and determine the mass thereof.
(c) Express the mass thus determined, as a percentage of the mass of the workings ample.
(d) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of unthreshed sorghum in the consignment concerned.
Determination of percentage defective sorghum content and percentage small kernel sorghum
15. The percentages of defective sorghum and small kernel sorghum in a consignment of sorghum shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 50g of material from as ample from which all foreign matter and unthreshed sorghum have been removed.
(b) Place the working sample on a standard sieve.
(c) Screen the working sample for 25 to 30 seconds by performing 30 movements of the standard sieve and collectingtrayonanevenhorizontalsurfaceandalongthelongitudinal axis of the slots of the sieve: Provided that each such movement shall consist of a to­and-for movement of between 200 mm and 300 mm each.
(d) Remove all defective grain sorghum kernels from those portions of the working sample
That respectively remained in or on the standard sieve and were collected in the collecting tray and determine the joint mass hereof.
(e) Express the mass thus determined, as a percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(f) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of defective grain sorghum in the consignment concerned.
(g) Determine the mass of the material that remained in the collecting tray after the removal of the defective sorghum kernels in terms of paragraph (d).
(h) Express the mass thus determined as a percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(i) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of small kernel sorghum in the consignment concerned.
Determination of percentage sorghum of another group
16. The percentage of sorghum of another group In a consignment of sorghum shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 25 g of material from the sample from which all foreign matter,unthreshed sorghum, defective grain sorghum and small kernel sorghum have been removed.
(b) Remove all sorghum of another group by hand from the working sample and determine the mass thereof.
(c) Express the mass thus determined, as a percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(d) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of sorghum of another group in the consignment concerned.
Determination of percentage white sorghum
17. The percentage of white sorghum in a consignment of sorghum shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 25 g of material from the sample from which all foreign matter,unthreshed sorghum,defective sorghum and small kernel sorghum have been removed.
(b) Remove all the white sorghum by hand from the working sample and determine the mass thereof.
(c) Express the mass thus determined, as a percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(d) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of white sorghum in the consignment concerned.
Determination of percentage weather-stained sorghum
18. The percentage of weather-stained sorghum in a consignment shall be determined as follows:
(a) Obtain a working sample of at least 10 g of material from the sample from which all foreign matter,unthreshed sorghum,defective sorghum and small kernel sorghum have been removed.
(b) Remove all the weather-stained sorghum by hand from the working sample and determine the mass thereof.
(c) Express the mass thus determined, as a percentage of the mass of the working sample.
(d) Such percentage shall represent the percentage of weather-stained sorghum in the consignment concerned.
Determination of moisture content
19. The moisture content of a consignment of sorghum may be determined according to any suitable method: Provided that the results thus obtained complies with the maximum permitted errors for aclass1 moisture meter as detailed in ISO 7700/1-1984(E), based upon result of the 72 hour, 103°C oven dried method[AACC("American Association of Cereal Chemists")44-15A]
PART V OFFENCES AND PENALTIES
20.Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of these regulations shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction be liable to a fine or imprisonment in terms of section 11 of the Act. 

Reference of the measure

Part III section 9-11, Part IV section 12-19 & part VI section20 

Measure also domestic

Yes 

Products affected by the measure.

Description

Sorghum 

Countries/Regions affected by the measure.

Description

All countries