Domestic mustard seed: Grading

Important definitions

Net weight of sample

The sample after cleaning and removal of dockage is referred to as the cleaned sample. Its weight is the net weight of the sample. For grading, percentages by weight refer to percentages of the net weight.

Kernel counts (K)

A kernel count is the number of kernel-sized pieces in a 500 g sample.

Hazardous substances in samples

Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain hazardous substances. Hazardous substances are defined in section 1 of the Canada Grain Regulations as “any pesticide, desiccant or inoculant.”

Rounding rules

Rounding rules are outlined in schedule 3 of the Canada Grain Regulations. When official inspection results are expressed numerically, they should be expressed to the same decimal precision as the applicable tolerance in the primary and export grade determinants table.

Crush

A crush is one pass of the roller under firm pressure over a seed stick on masking tape.

Non-registered varieties

Where grain of any kind is not a registered variety under the Seeds Act, no person shall, except with the permission of the Canadian Grain Commission, assign a statutory grade to that grain which is higher than the lowest grade established by regulation for that kind of grain.

Representative portion for grading

All grading is done on representative portions divided down from the clean sample, using a Boerner-type divider.

The optimum representative portion is the representative sample size within the minimum and maximum range used to obtain the most accurate result when assessing an objective factor. It is determined by taking into consideration the tolerance and concentration of the objective factor being assessed.