Grading of Lentils

Successful marketing of lentil depends on having a consistently high quality product. The salability of lentil is dependent on eye appeal, and preference is given to "big and bright" seed.

Factors that will down-grade lentil include:
*Foreign material - everything from mineral matter to sclerotia of sclerotinia and ergot downgrades a sample.

*Damage to seeds that results in downgrading of lentil includes:
peeled seeds
split seeds
broken seeds
sprouted seeds
very immature seeds
distinctly deteriorated seeds
seeds discolored by weather or disease
seeds damaged by insects
seeds damaged by heating

*Color is important and top grades of lentil should have good natural color, be well-matured, and sound. A normal discoloration of lentil occurs due to tannins in the seed coat. This discoloration occurs in storage. Tannins cause seed coats to go from green to orange to brown depending on the storage duration.