Standards as a grain grading tool
Standards are tools used to assess visual grading factors in grain. Experts at the Canadian Grain Commission create standards as needed and distribute them to the grain industry for use by grain company employees and grain inspectors. These standards help ensure accurate and consistent visual grading.
Standards can be made for a number of grains, but are most often used when grading wheat, peas and beans. Standards visually represent, as nearly as possible, the minimum quality of each grade when considering the predominant visual grading factors for a class of grain. Grading factors are specific physical properties that affect the quality of grain and are influenced by growing conditions, handling procedures or storage practices.
Degree of soundness
The overall visual quality of a sample of grain is called the degree of soundness. The Official Grain Grading Guide defines the degree of soundness for different grades of grain. Standards are made as a visual representation of the degree of soundness needed to meet a specific grade of grain. Grain inspectors use them as grading tools when assessing the visual grading factors that determine degree of soundness. These grading factors include mildew, frost or heat stress, and green or immature.
Grain inspectors may interpret the definition of soundness differently. When inspectors aren’t sure about the degree of soundness of a sample of grain, they can compare the sample to a standard.
Example of degree of soundness
This table from the Official Grain Grading Guide shows the definition of degree of soundness for different grades of Canada Western Red Spring wheat.
| Grade name | Degree of soundness |
|---|---|
| No. 1 CWRS | Reasonably well matured, reasonably free from damaged kernels |
| No. 2 CWRS | Fairly well matured, may be moderately bleached or frost-damaged, reasonably free from severely damaged kernels |
| No. 3 CWRS | May be frost-damaged, immature or weather-damaged, moderately free from other severely damaged kernels |
How standards are made
Experts from the Canadian Grain Commission make standards as needed. New standards are made to support the consistent assessment of visual grading factors or when scientific research has recommended a change would better reflect the overall quality of a particular grade of grain. Once adopted, standards will continue to be recommended for use each year unless a change is recommended.
The following process is used to make standards.
Inspection of grain samples
Grain companies and producers send grain samples to the Canadian Grain Commission throughout the crop year. Experts at the Canadian Grain Commission examine these samples to understand what the main visual grading factors are and to determine the overall quality of the crop. They also conduct end-use quality studies to understand the processing quality of the grain samples.
Selection of material for standards
Based on their findings, material is selected from the grain samples to create a standard. The Canadian Grain Commission creates standards for each grade of grain necessary.
Review of standards
Western and Eastern standards committees review the standards. The committees make sure the standards are relevant to all sectors of Canada’s grain industry.
Recommendation and distribution of standards
The committees recommend the standards for use. The recommended standards are distributed to the grain industry for grain company employees and inspectors to use as grading tools.