BS EN ISO 520-2010 PDF

Full title and description

STB BS EN ISO 520-2010 — Cereals and pulses — Determination of the mass of 1 000 grains. This document is the 2010 (second) edition of ISO 520, published by the International Organization for Standardization and made available through national and regional adopters (identified here with STB and BS EN ISO labels). It specifies a laboratory method to determine the mass of one thousand grains (thousand-grain mass, TGM) for cereals and pulses, used for quality assessment, trade and processing calculations.

Abstract

This standard defines a repeatable procedure for determining the mass of 1 000 grains of cereal and pulse samples. The method covers sample preparation, selection and separation of whole grains, counting and weighing procedures, calculation of the mass of 1 000 grains and reporting of results. The procedure is applicable to most cereal and pulse species but excludes seed lots intended for sowing.

General information

• Status: Published (confirmed on periodic review).
• Publication date: November 2010 (Edition 2, 2010).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO); adopted and distributed via regional/national bodies (BS EN ISO designation and STB national adoption indicated in the title).
• ICS / categories: 67.060 (Cereals, pulses and derived products).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2010).
• Number of pages: 10 pages (typical official publication length).

Scope

Specifies a test method to determine the mass of 1 000 grains for cereals and pulses. The standard applies to commercial and research samples of cereals and pulses for quality assessment and processing purposes, but it excludes seed lots intended for sowing. The method produces the thousand-grain mass as an indicator of varietal characteristics and effects of growing/harvesting conditions; it is used for grading, trade, processing yield calculations and laboratory record-keeping.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and purpose of the thousand-grain mass (TGM / TGW).
• Sampling and sample preparation principles for representative measurement.
• Separation of whole grains from broken grains and foreign matter prior to weighing.
• Counting procedure (manual or mechanical) to obtain the number of whole grains measured.
• Weighing requirements: balance accuracy, repeatability and environmental conditions (temperature, humidity considerations where relevant).
• Calculation method to express result as mass per 1 000 grains and rounding/reporting rules.
• Statement of applicability limits and the explicit exclusion of seed lots for sowing purposes.
• Reporting requirements including units, sample identification and any deviations from the standard method.

Typical use and users

Used by agricultural testing laboratories, grain merchants and traders, millers, quality control departments in processing facilities, plant breeders and research institutions. Typical applications include incoming quality assessment, contract compliance checks, varietal characterisation, calculation of seeding rates (for non-sowing contexts) and miller yield estimates.

Related standards

Supersedes ISO 520:1977 (withdrawn). Frequently referenced alongside other cereals and pulses standards dealing with sampling, moisture determination and compositional testing — for example standards on moisture determination (EN ISO / ISO moisture-reference methods) and other ISO/EN test methods developed by ISO/TC 34/SC 4 for cereals and pulses.

Keywords

mass of 1000 grains, thousand-grain mass, TGM, TGW, cereals, pulses, grain quality, laboratory method, ISO 520, BS EN ISO, STB, grain testing

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: It is the ISO test method (published in 2010) for determining the mass of 1 000 grains of cereals and pulses, presented here under the STB BS EN ISO 520-2010 designation indicating national/regional adoption.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the procedure for preparing a sample, separating whole grains, counting and accurately weighing them, and calculating and reporting the mass of 1 000 grains. It excludes seed lots intended for sowing.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Agricultural and food testing laboratories, grain traders and processors, millers, breeders and research organisations that need a standardised, repeatable measure of grain size/mass for quality, trading or processing purposes.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 1977 edition was superseded by the 2010 edition. The 2010 edition remains the current published version (published November 2010) and has been maintained by periodic ISO review.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a single test method within the body of ISO standards for cereals and pulses under ISO/TC 34/SC 4. It is not a multipart standard itself, but is commonly used together with other standards for sampling and moisture determination in cereals and pulses.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Thousand-grain mass (TGM), mass of 1000 grains, cereals, pulses, grain quality, laboratory test method, ISO 520, TGW.