The Canadian Grain Commission is updating grading procedures for durum, wheat and lentils for the 2026-27 crop year, with changes aimed at better aligning Canada’s grain quality assurance system with end-use quality and buyer expectations.
The changes, which take effect Aug. 1, follow consultations with grain sector stakeholders and recommendations from the Western and Eastern standards committees, said a CGC release on Wednesday.
For wheat and durum, the wheat chapter of the Official Grain Grading Guide will be revised to include updated procedures, definitions and photo reference material for several grading factors. These include darkened and severely darkened kernels in Canada Western Amber Durum, severe midge and penetrated smudge in amber durum, and smudge and penetrated smudge across all wheat classes.
The commission said its research showed darkened kernels have far less impact on durum semolina quality than kernels affected by severe midge damage. Grading changes were first introduced in November 2025 to better reflect true end-use quality, and those changes are now being added to the grading guide.
Click here to see more...