DEAS 1050 :2021 
ICS 85.080.20  
 
© EA C 2021                                                                                                                              First Edition 2021  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Kitchen p aper  towel — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 DEAS 1050: 2021 
ii © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
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 DEAS 1050: 2021 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
4.2 Fibre composition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
4.3 Cleanliness  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  3 
4.4 Chemical s ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
4.5 Material of the core  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
4.6 Paper  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  3 
5 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5.1 Microbiological limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
5.2 Heavy metal content ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
5.3  Physical and chemical requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 4 
5.4 Dimension  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  4 
5.5  Freedom from holes  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  5 
5.6 Constructions of rolls for paper kitchen towel in roll form ................................ ...............................  5 
6 Packaging and Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  5 
6.1  Wrapping  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
6.2 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
6.2.1  Kitchen paper towel in roll form  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  5 
6.2.2  Kitchen paper towel in sheet form  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6 
6.2.3  Kitchen paper towel packed together  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 6 
6.3 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  6 
6.3.1  Labelling on a unit package  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  6 
6.3.2  Labelling on bulk package  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  7 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of perforation ratio  ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
F.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
F.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
F.3 Results  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  8 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  9 
 DEAS 1050: 2021 
iv © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality  of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established  an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft  East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for develop ment of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the sta ndards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible  for this document is Technical Committee EASC /TC 065, Paper and Paper 
Products.  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC s hall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1050: 2021 
 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  1 
 Kitchen paper towel — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard spec ifies the requirements , sampling  and test methods  for kitchen paper 
towel s supplied in rolls an d sheets used for hygiene and cleaning purposes in the kitchen.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, onl y the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 880, Waxed paper for packaging of confectionery —Specification (1st Edition)  
EAS 933, Paper and board intended to com e into contact with foodstuffs — Determination of formaldehyde in 
an aqueous extract (1st Edition)   
ISO 186,  Paper and board — Sampling to determine average quality   
ISO 287, Paper and board — Determination of moisture content of a lot — Oven -drying method  
ISO 2470 -1, Paper, board and pulps — Measurement of diffuse blue reflectance factor — Part 1: Indoor 
daylight conditions (ISO brightness  
ISO 6588 -2, Paper, board and pulps — Determination of pH of aqueous extracts — Part 2: Hot extraction  
ISO 8784 -1, Pulp, paper and board — Microbiological examination — Part 1: Enumeration of bacteria and 
bacterial spores based on disintegration  
ISO 11093 -4, Paper and board — Testing of cores — Part 4: Measurement of dimensions  
ISO 12625 -4, Tissue paper and tissue products  — Part 4: Determination of tensile strength, stretch at break 
and tensile energy absorption  
ISO 12625 -5, Tissue paper and tissue products — Part 5: Determination of wet tensile strength  
ISO 12625 -6, Tissue paper and tissue products — Part 6: Determination  of grammage  
ISO 12625 -8, Tissue paper and tissue products — Part 8: Water -absorption time and water -absorption 
capacity, basket -immersion test method  
ISO 13914 , Soil quality — Determination of dioxins and furans and dioxin -like polychlorinated biphenyls b y 
gas chromatography with high -resolution mass selective detection (GC/HRMS)   
ISO 29681 , Paper, board and pulps — Determination of pH of salted water extracts   
2 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions a pply.  
3.1  
cross -direction (CD)  
direction in the plane of a paper perpendicular to the machine direction   
3.2  
machine direction (MD)  
the direction of a paper corresponding to the direction of flow of the stuff on the paper machine  
3.3  
sheet  
The portion of paper kitchen towel between consecutive rows of perforations on a roll irrespective of whether 
the paper kitchen towel is single -ply so ft or strong or double -ply soft  
3.4  
hole 
an area in a sheet void of fibres and havi ng a diameter that exceeds 4 mm  
3.5  
lot 
rolls of paper kitchen towel of the same grade an d color which have been manufactured from the same base 
material and under e ssentially the same conditions  
3.6  
ply 
layer of single sheet  
3.7  
Virgin  paper  
paper  made from bleached chemical virgin pulp  
3.8  
recycled  paper  
paper made from recycled pulp  
3.9  
blended paper  
paper made from a mixture of pure and recycled pulp  
3.10  
kitchen paper towel  
kitchen towels  are made from dry creped and  non-creped paper. These products are made of one or several 
plies, each ply of one or several layers, prepared as sheets or rolls, folded or unfolded, embossed or un 
embossed, with or without lamination, printed or unprinted.  
4 General requirements  
4.1 General  
4.1.1  The kitchen pape r towel roll shall comprise a long, single or multi  ply tissue paper evenly and firmly 
wound on a stiff cylindrical tubular core.  
4.1.2  The width of the wound paper shall be equal to the length of the core.   
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  3 
 4.1.3  During winding, the paper shall be kept stretched to prevent formation of creases.  
4.1.4  The kitchen paper  towel shall be perfora ted across the full width along the length of the roll. The 
perforation shall be such that they are in line for both plies and each sheet could be readily torn off along the 
perforations without causing damage to itself or to the neighboring sheet.  
4.1.5  The paper shall be white or colored.  
4.2 Fibre composition  
Kitchen p aper towel shall be manufactured from virgin, blended and recycled pulp.  
4.3 Cleanliness  
Kitchen p aper towel s hall not at any time during manufacture and packaging be exposed to conditi ons that do 
not conform to good hygienic practice.  
4.4 Chemicals  
All chemicals including dyes used in manufacture of paper Kitchen towel should not cause irritation of the skin.  
4.5 Material of the core  
The material of the core shall be such that the core is rigid enough not to collapse under normal conditions of 
transportation and usage.  
4.6 Paper  
The paper shall be free from deleterious defects (e.g. fibre bundles, wood splinters) and from defects that may 
impair its serviceability.  
5 Specific requirement s  
5.1 Microbiological limits  
Kitchen p aper towel shall comply with microbiological limits given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with 
the test method  specified therein.  
Table 1 — Microbiological limits for kitchen paper  towel  
S/N Characteristic  Limit  Test method  
i) Total plate count , cfu/g,  max.  300  
 
ISO 8784 -1 ii) Pseudomonas aeruginosa , cfu/g  Not detected in 1 g of the 
product  iii) Staphylococcus aureus , cfu/g  
iv) Candida albicans , cfu/g  
v) Escherichia coli , cfu/g  
 
5.2 Heavy metal cont ent 
Kitchen p aper towel shall comply with the heavy metals limits stipulated in  Table 2.   
4 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Table 2 — Limits of heavy metals and organic pollutants for kitchen paper towel  
S/N Contaminant  Limits  
 (mg/kg of paper),  Max.  Test method  
i) Cadmium (Cd2+), 0.5  
EAS 880  ii) Chromium (Cr6+) 0.05 
iii) Lead (Pb2+) 3.0 
iv) Mercury(Hg2+) 0.3 
v) Polychlorophenol 
(PCP)  0.05 
vi) Polychlorinated 
biphenyl (PCBs)  2.0 
vii) Formaldehyde  <1 EAS 933  
viii) Dioxins  <1 x 10-6 ISO 13914  
 
5.3  Physical and chemical re quirements  
When tested in accordance with the methods given, the kitchen paper  towel shall comply with the physical 
and chemical requirements as given  in Table 3.  
Table 3  — Physical and chemical requirements  for kitchen paper  towel  
S/N Property  Requirement  Test method  
i) Grammage  per ply  
g/m2,min 2 ply  19 ISO 12625 -6 
1 ply  38 
ii) Dry Tensile strength 
N/m of width, min.  M D  Single ply  600 ISO 12625 -4 
C D Single ply  350 
iii) Wet tensile strength 
N/m of width, min.  MD Single ply  33 ISO 12625 -5 
iv) Water absorption  rate, mm/min, min.  20 ISO 12625 -8 
v) pH value  4.4- 10.0 ISO 29681  
ISO 6588 -2 
vi) Moisture content, m/m, %.  4.0 - 7.0 ISO 287  
vii) Brightness of white paper, %, min.  73 ISO 2470 -1 
viii) Perforation ratio, min.  0.85 Annex A  
 
5.4 Dimens ion 
The kitchen paper towel dimensional requireme nts shall be as given in Tables 4 and 5  when tested in 
accordance with ISO 11093 -4  
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  5 
 Table 4  — Dimensional requirements for kitchen paper towel in roll form  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  
 Tolerance o n 
declare d value  
i) Internal diameter of the core, mm , 
min. 45  3 
ii) Length of the core, mm , min.  200   2 
iii) Width of each sheet, mm , min.  200   2 
iv) Length of each sheet, mm, min.  250  3 
v) Number of sheets, min.  80 in multiples  of 20  Declared number  
of sheets shall be 
 2 
Table 5  — Dimen sional requirements for k itchen paper towel in sheet form  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Tolerance o n 
declared value  
i) Width of each sheet, mm, min.  200  2 
ii) Length of each sheet, mm, min.  200  2 
iii) Number of sheets, min.  100 in multiples of 50  2 
iv) Length of roll, m, min.  19.27   
 
5.5  Freedom from holes  
The average number of holes in the sheets of a roll shall not exceed 5 per hundred sheets.  
5.6 Constructions of rolls for kitchen  paper  towel in roll form  
5.6.1  The paper shall be evenly and firmly wound on a cylindrical core. The number of malformed sheets at 
the core end of a roll shall not exceed three.  
5.6.2  The sides of each roll shall be neatly cut.  
6 Packaging and Labelling  
6.1  Wrapping  
Kitchen p aper towel shall be wrapped to cover the roll(s) or sheets completely. If meant to be sold as single 
rolls, kitchen paper  towels shall be wrapped to cover the rolls completely. When in multipacks, the unit packs 
shall be completely covered.  
6.2 Packaging  
Roll(s) or sheets shall be packed in suitable ma terial that does not negatively  affect the quality of the paper 
during handling, transportation and storage.  
6.2.1 Kitchen p aper  towel in roll form  
When packed in groups of individual rolls, the number in each g roup shall be in accordance with good 
commercial practice.   
6 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 6.2.2 Kitchen p aper  towel in sheet form  
Kitchen p aper towels shall be packed in units of 100 shee ts and increasing multiples of 5 0. 
6.2.3  Kitchen p aper towel packed together  
They shall be of same size, length and color . 
6.3 Labelling  
6.3.1  Labelling on a unit package  
Each package shall be legibly and indelib ly marked in either  English, Kiswahili or French or a combination with 
the following information : 
a) name and physical address of the manufacturer/ importer/distributor and/or  trade mark ;  
b) name of the product shall appear as " paper kitchen towel ";  
c) colour (s) of the paper kitchen towel;  
d) description of fibre composition shall appear as “virgin, blended or recycled”;  
e) indicate number of ply;  
f) dimension of the roll/sheet;  
g) number of sheets of each roll or pack;  
h) instructions for correct use and disposal ; and  
i) country of origin/manufacture.  
6.3.2  Labelling on bulk package  
Each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked either in English, Kiswahili or Frenc h or a combination with 
the following information  
a) name  and address of the manufacturer and/or trade mark;  
b) name of the product  " Kitchen paper towel";  
c) number of unit packages;  
d) batch number/identification code;  
e) gross weight  
f) colour of the Kitchen paper towel  
g) the words” ,virgin, blended or recycled fibre”;  
h) the word “perforated” or “non -perforated” and  
i) country of origin or manufacture  .  
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  7 
 7 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 186   
8 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of perforation ratio  
F.1 Apparatus  
Appropriate measuring device, such as a metre rule graduated with 0.5 mm interval  
F.2 Procedure  
Using an appropriate device, measure the perforations of one perforation line. The sum of the perforations  
divided by the width of the paper gives the ratio of perforations to the width. Measure the perforation of five 
lines and take the mean of the ratio.   
F.3 Results  
The mean ratio shall not be less than that specified in T able 3.  
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  9 
 Bibliography  
KS 2663:20 17, Paper kitchen towel — Specification  
 DEAS 1050: 2021   
 
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved