ICS 67.080.01  
 
Reference number
DRS 304 -2: 2020
© RSB 2020
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS
304-2
Second  edition
2020 -mm-dd
(Reaffirmed yyyy-mm-dd)
Chillies  — Specification  
Part 2: Dried and ground  
   
DRS 304 -2: 2020  
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2020  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without  
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.go v.rw 
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 304 -2: 2020  
iii                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 
3 Terms and defi nitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1 
4 Descriptions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....2 
5 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
5.1 Odour and flavour  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 2 
5.2 Freedom from  moulds, insects  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 2 
5.3 Colour  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 3 
5.4 Extraneous matter  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 3 
5.5 Unripe, marked and broken fruits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....3 
5.6 Fineness  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 
5.7 Chemical requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 3 
5.8 Scoville index  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...3 
5.9 Free from added colour  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 4 
5.10  Hygiene conditions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 4 
5.10.1  Pesticides residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 4 
5.10.2  Mycotoxin  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 4 
6 Packaging and labell ing ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 4 
6.1 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 4 
6.2 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 4 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 5 
 DRS 304 -2: 2020  
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratifie d by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 304 -2 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 019, Spices, condiments and food additives . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard  (s): 
1) IS 2322: 2010: Chillies, whole and ground — Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (RS  304-2:2016), which has been te chnically 
revised.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Spices, condiments and food 
additives  (RSB/TC 019) in the preparation of this standard.  
Paragraph of p articipants  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 304 -2: 2020  
1                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 Chillies  — Specification  — Part 2: Dried and ground  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda standard specifies requirements and methods of test for dried chillies, whole or in ground 
powdered form produced from varieties of Capsicum spp.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their conte nt constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ISO 5498 , Agricultural food products — Determin ation of crude fibre content — General method  
RS CAC/RCP 1 , General principle for food hygiene — Code of practice  
RS EAS 38,  Labelling of pre -packaged foods  
RS ISO 16050 , Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1,B2, G1,and 
G2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High performance liquid chromatographic method  
RS ISO 15141,  Foodstuffs — Determination of ochratoxin A in cereals a nd cereal products — Part 1: High 
performance liquid chromatographic method with silica gel clean up  
ISO 930 , Spices and condiments — Determination of acid insoluble ash  
ISO 928 , Spices and condiments — Determination of total ash  
ISO 939 , Spices and con diments — Determination of moisture content — Entrainment method  
ISO 1108 , Spices and condiments — Determination of non -volatile ether extract.  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply . 
3.1  
unripe  fruits  
fruits not yet mature the colour of which is considerably different from that of the batch under con sideration. 
Generally the fruits are green or pale yellow in colour .   
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  2 
 3.2  
discoloured fruits  
stained fruits and/or fruits with spots  different fr om original colour.   
3.3  
broken fruits  
Fruits which have missed their structure 3.4  
fragments  
small pieces from broken fruits  
3.5 
Extraneous matter  
any matter other than chillies including but not limited to the following:  
a) All matters present in the sample which is not from chillies of the variety under consideration; and  
b) All other foreign matter and in particular stalk, leaves, soil and sand.  
4 Descriptions  
4.1 Dried whole Chilli is product obtained by drying ripe fruit or pods of Capsicum spp. The chillies may be 
with or without stalk.  
4.2 Ground chilli is the product obtained by grinding the whole chillies without any added ingredient . 
5 Requirements  
5.1 Odour and flavour  
Dried chillies shall have the characteristic odour and flavour of the variety  . It shall be free from foreign taste 
and flavour including rancidity and mustiness.  
5.2 Freedom from moulds, insects  
Chillies, whole or ground (powdered), shall be free from living insects and shall be practically fre e from Mould 
growth, dead insects, insect fr agments and rodents contamination, visible to naked eye (corrected, if 
necessary, for abnormal version), or using the required magnifying instrument. The proportion of ins ect 
damaged fruit shall not exceed 1 % ( m/m). DRS 304 -2: 2020  
3                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 5.3 Colour  
The whole and ground chillies m ay vary in colour from dark blackish red to orange yellow according to the 
variety.  
5.4 Extraneous matter  
5.4.1  Ground chillies shall be free from extraneous matter.  
5.4.2  For whole chillies extraneous matter shall not exceed 1 %.  
5.5 Unripe, marked and broken fruits  
In whole chillies, the proportion of unripe or discoloured fruits shall not exceed 2 % (m/m ) and the proportion 
of broken fruits and fragments shall not exceed 5 % ( m/m), when tested in accordance with method given in 
the Annex A.  
5.6 Fineness  
The chillies, ground (powdered), shall be ground to such fineness that all of it passes through 500 -µm sieve 
and nothing that remains on the sieve.  
5.7 Chemical requirements  
The chillies, whole and ground (powdered) shall also comply with requirements given in Ta ble 1  
Table 2 — Chemical requirements  
S/n Characteristics  Requirements  Methods of test  
i. Moisture % age max  
 8 
 ISO 939  
ii. Total ash %age on dry basis, max  
 8.5 
 ISO 928  
iii. Ash insoluble in HCl acid % age on dry basis, max  1.3 
 ISO 930  
iv. Non-volatile ether extract %age on dry basis, min  12 
 ISO 1108  
v. Crude fibre % age on dry basis, max  28 
 ISO 5498  
5.8 Scoville index  
When tested in accordance with the method given in ISO 3513, the Scoville index in chillies, whole a nd 
ground (powdered) shall not be less than 24 00. The chilli of lower scoville index than those specific may be 
supplied as agreed between the purchaser and the supplier.   
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  4 
 5.9 Free from added colour  
The pods shall be free from extraneous colouring matter, coating of mineral oil and other harmful su bstan ces. 
The ground chillies shall be free from extraneous colouring matter and flavouring matter. However, i t may 
contain any edible oil up to maximum of 2 % by mass. The amount and name of the oil used shall be de clared 
on the label.  
5.10 Hygiene conditions  
The c hillies, whole and ground shall be processed and packed under hygiene conditions in accordance with 
RS CAC/RCP 1.  
5.10.1  Pesticides residues  
Dried chillies (whole or ground shall comply with those maximum pesticides residues as specified by codex 
alimentarius for this commodity.  
Dried chillies (whole or ground shall comply with those maximum pesticides residues as specified by codex 
alimentari us for chillies.  
5.10.2  Mycotoxin  
Dried chillies (whole and ground) shall comply with limits for mycotoxin in Table 2.  
Table 2 — Mycotoxin limits for dried whole and ground chillies  
Mycotoxin  Limits  Test method  
Total aflatoxin, max, µg/kg  10 RS ISO 16050  
AFB1,  max, µg/kg  5 
Ochlatoxin A, max, µg/kg  30 RS ISO 15141 -1 
6 Packaging and labelling  
6.1 Packaging  
Chillies, whole or ground shall be packaged in the clean, sound and dry container made of metal glas s, food 
grade polymers, wood or jute bags. The wooden boxes or  jute bags shall be suitable lined with moisture - proof 
lining which does not impart any foreign smell in the product. Packaging material shall be free from  any fungal 
or insect infestation and should not impart any foreign smell. Each container shall be s ecurely closed and 
sealed.  
6.2 Labelling  
In addition to the requirement in RS EAS 38, the following particulars information shall be marked o r labelled 
on each container/bag:  
a) name and address of the manufacturer or packer;  DRS 304 -2: 2020  
5                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 b) name of the product as dried whole ch illies or Ground chillies;  
c) variety;  
d) scoville index;  
e) county of origin  
f) batch or code number;  
g) net weight;  
h) best before.(month/year);  
i) year of the harvest (in case of whole);  
j) manufacturing date (in case of ground).  
7 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 948.  
 
 
 
  
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  6 
 Bibliography  
[1] RS 304 -2: 201 6, Chillies — Specification — Part 1: Dried and ground  
 
 DRS 304 -2: 2020  
 
Price based on  nnn pages  
©RSB 2020  - All right s reserved