KENYA STANDARD       DKS 1517:20 21 
ICS 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dairy based desserts  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Fourth  Edition 20 21 
 
 DKS 1517:20 21 
 
ii   KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRES ENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Agriterra  
Amesi K Ltd.  
Brilliant Dairy F armers Association  
Brookside Dairy Limited  
Bio foods Ltd  
Coca -Cola Company  
Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries  
Egerton University  
Glacier Products Ltd.  
Government Chemist's Department  
Jomo Kenyatta Universi ty of Agriculture and Technology  
Kenya Accreditation Service  
Kenya Dairy Board  
Kevian Kenya Ltd.  
Ministry of Health  
National Public Health Laboratory  
Nestle  Kenya limited  
New KCC Ltd.  
Promaco Limited  
Razco Ltd.  
Smile Africa Organization  
State Department fo r Industrialization  
University of Nairobi  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions 
for improvements to publis hed standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2018 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130  of 2001  of the Laws of Ken ya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provide d under Section 25  of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of KENYA STANDARD         DKS 151 7:2021 
ICS  
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     iii Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior  permission in writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 DKS 1517:20 21 
 
iv   KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dairy based desserts — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
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Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  
 KENYA STANDARD         DKS 151 7:2021 
ICS  
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     v Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was developed by the Technical Committee on Milk and Milk Products under the 
guidance of the Standards Projects Committee , and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya 
Bureau  of Standards . 
 
Dairy based desserts/confections are  product s obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared from milk 
and /or other products derived from milk with or without the addition of  nutritive sweetening agents, fruit and 
fruit products, eggs and egg products, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, condiments, spices, ginger and nuts and it 
may also contain bakery products such as cake or cookies as a separate layer and/or coating. The said 
produc t may be frozen hard or frozen to a soft consistency . The product may contain permitted food 
additives  
 
The standard covers the quality, safety, packaging  and labelling requirements  of dairy based desserts.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, refere nce was made to the following document s: 
 
Euroglaces – code for edible ices, version 2013 . 
Agricultural Product Standards ACT, 1990 (ACT No. 119 OF 1990) ; Regulations regarding the classification, 
packing and marking of  edibl e ices intended for sale in the  Republic of South Africa  
 
Acknowledgement is hereby made for assistance derived from these  source s. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
KENYA STANDARD             DKS 1517:20 21 
  
 
  
 
Dairy based desserts— Specification  
 
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This Kenya Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for dairy based Desserts  intended  
for direct consumption or further processing as de scribed  in Section 3 of this Standard.  
 
This standard does not cover dairy ice cream which is covered in KS EAS  70. 
 
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, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
AOAC 999.10 , Official method for lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, and iron in foods Atomic Absorption 
Spectrophotometry after microwave Digestion  
KS EAS 1 2, potable water - specification  
 
KS CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in foods  
 
KS C ODEX STAN 19 2, Codex general standard for food additives   
  
KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre - packaged foods — General requirements  
KS EAS 39, General principles for food hygiene  
KS EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
KS 1552, Code of hygienic practice for milk and milk products  
KS ISO 707, Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
KS ISO 750 ; Fruit and vegetable products - Determination of titratable acidity  
 
KS ISO 2446, Milk — Determination of fat content  
 
KS ISO 3594, Milk fat — Detection of vege table fat by gas -liquid chromatography of sterols (Reference 
method)  
 
KS ISO 3595, Milk fat — Detection of vegetable fat by the phytosteryl acetate test  
 
KS ISO 3728, Ice -cream and milk ice — Determination of total solids content (Reference method)  
 
KS ISO  4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony count technique  
KS ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 1: Colony cou nt at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique   DKS 1 517:2021  
 
2   KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved  KS ISO 5764, Milk — determination of freezing point — Thermistor cryoscope method (Reference method)  
KS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
seroty ping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp  
KS ISO 6611, Milk and milk products - Enumeration of colony forming units of yeasts and/or moulds - 
Colony -count technique at 25 degrees C  
KS ISO 6731, Milk, cream and evaporated milk — Determination  of total solids content (Reference method)  
KS ISO/TS 6733; Milk and milk products -- Determination of lead content -- Graphite furnace atomic 
absorption spectrometric method  
 
KS ISO 6888 -3, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal metho d for the enumeration of 
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 3: Detection and MPN 
technique for low numbers  
KS ISO 8262 -3; Milk products and milk -based foods -- Determination of fat content by the Weibull -Bernt rop 
gravimetric method (Reference method) -- Part 3: Special cases  
KS ISO 8968 -4, Milk and milk products — Determination of nitrogen content — Part 4: Determination of 
protein and non -protein nitrogen content and true protein content calculation (Reference  method)  
KS ISO 14501, Milk and milk powder — Determination of aflatoxin M1 content — Clean -up by immunoaffinity 
chromatography and determination by high -performance liquid chromatography  
KS ISO 22662, Milk and milk products — Determination of lactose cont ent by high -performance liquid 
chromatography (Reference method)  
 
 
 
3 Product description  
 
3.1  
Dairy desserts  
 A food product prepared by freezing, with or without agitation, composed of a pasteurized mix which may 
contain milk fat and/or edible vegetable  fats or oils, protein, carbohydrates, flavoring, stabilizers, emulsifiers, 
vitamins and minerals  
 
3.2 
Ice cream  
A product complying with the basic definition of a dairy dessert  being an emulsion typically composed of 
water and/or milk, edible fats, protei ns and sugars, with or without incorporation of air.  
 
3.3 
Soft Serve  
Ice cream or related product that is obtained from a soft serve machine without hardening.  
 
3.4 
Gelato  
Italian style ice cream that is typically lower in fat and overrun but higher in s ugar.  
 
3. 5 
Sherbet  
Shall be a pasteurized mix consisting of one or more of the optional dairy ingredients specified in sub clause 
(4.1), one or more of the optional caseinates specified in sub - clause ( 4.2.3), and non -milk derived 
ingredients, one or mor e of the characterizing fruit ingredients specified in sub cause ( 4.2.2 ) or one or more 
of the non -fruit characterizing ingredients specified in sub clause ( 4.2.4 ). 
 DKS 1517: 2021  
 
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     3 Nonfruit sherbet - shall have a characteristic fruit flavor, but shall not contain any frui t or fruit juice and shall 
comply with all requirements of sherbet in table 1   
 
In order to prevent the curdling of casein in the milk products used in sherbets acid fruit juices and citric acid 
are not added until the rest of the mixture has been frozen a lmost to the proper consistency. A sherbet made 
with the use of sour milk is known as “Lacto”. A sherbet containing egg yolk or whole eggs is known as 
“Souffle”.  
 
3. 6 
Frozen yogurts  a product resulting from the fermentation by specific lactic acid produci ng bacteria of a 
pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized  mixture of milk and other optional ingredients specified  in clause (4) 
 
3. 7 
Milk shakes  
Shall be a  pure, clean, wholesome semi -viscous drink prepared by stirring while freezing a pasteurized mix 
consisting  of sweetener s and the ingredients prescribed in cause (4)  
 
3. 8 
Frozen custa rd  
Also known as French ice cream or French custard ice cream, shall be a  pasteurized mix consisting of one 
or more of the optional dairy ingredients specified in clause ( 4.1), o ne or more of the optional caseinates 
specified in sub -clause (4.2.3 ), non -milk-derived ingredients, nutritive sweetener and additional egg yolk 
solids  
 
3. 9 
Milk lollies  
Shall  be a frozen pasteutrized mix obtained from the ingredients prescribed in claus e (4), with or without 
addition of sweeteners,  edible flavours and permitted colours  
 
3. 10 
Milk ice  or ice milk  
An ice cream like product with a lower fat content, it’s usually sweetened, flavoured and frozen like ice 
cream.  
 
3.11 
Light ice cream  
Product  made from pasteurized mix consisting of one or more of the optional dairy ingredients specified in 
clause ( 4.1), one or more of the optional caseinates specified in sub -clause ( 4.2.3), fruits in sub clause 
(4.2.2), nuts  or confections, nutritive sweetener and additional egg yolk solids  
 
3.12 
Milk lollies or milk ice   
Shall  be a frozen pasteurized mix obtained from the ingredients prescribed in clause ( 4), with or without 
addition of sweeteners, edible flavours and permitted colours  
 
3.11 
Novelties   
These co nstitute quiescently frozen dairy confections and frozen confections. Novelty items have different 
shapes, sizes, and colours. Some novelty items are Eskimo pies and candy or chocolate coated ice cream 
bars with or without sticks; ice cream sandwiches, sla bs of ice cream pressed between biscuits or cookies 
and wrapped in wax paper and hardened; fudge and other ice -like mixture frozen on sticks  
 
3.13 
Frozen dairy confection   
Shall be a clean and wholesome frozen product made from water, milk products and sug ar, with added 
harmless natural or artificial flavoring, with or without added coloring, with or without added stabilizer and 
with or without added emulsifier; and in the manufacture of which freezing has not been accompanied by 
stirring or agitation (gene rally known as quiescent freezing).  
 DKS 1 517:2021  
 
4   KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved  3.14 
Frozen pudding shall  be a Product made from a pasteurized mix of Milk and milk products,  intended to be 
eaten in the frozen state.  
 
3.15 
Whipped cream confections  
shall be a food made with milk products, sweetenin g agents and flavoring agents, with or without harmless 
coloring or any other safe and suitable ingredients . 
 
 
4 Requirements  
4.1 Essential Ingredients  
 
This may include:  
 
(i) 
a) Cream  
b) Dried Cream  
c) Plastic Cream (sometimes known as concentrated milk -fat) 
d) Sweet  cream buttermilk  
e) Butter  
f) Butter oil  
g)  Whole Milk  
h) Concentrated milk  
i) Evaporated milk  
j) Sweetened condensed milk  
k) Dried milk  
l) Skim milk  
m) Concentrated skim milk  
n) Evaporated skim milk  
o)  Sweetened Condensed skim milk  
p) Nonfat dry milk  
q) Buttermilk  
r) Cheese whey  
s) Whey powders  
 
ii) Sugar complying with KS EAS 16  
III) Water complying with KS EAS 12  
 
4.2 Optional ingredients  
4.2.1   
 
a) Egg yolks  
b) Egg whites  
 
 
4.2.2 Optional fruit characterizing ingredients  
 
 The fruit or the juice of any mature fruit shall mature  
The fruit or fr uit juice used shall be clean, fresh, frozen, canned, concentrated, or partially or wholly dried.  
The fruit shall be thickened with pectin or other optional ingredients  
 The fruit shall have no pits, seeds, skins, and cores  
 
Fruits or fruit juices shall ha ve moisture contents, which is not less than 2.0% in the case of citrus sherbets, 
6.0% in the case of berry sherbets, and 10% in the case of sherbets prepared with other fruits  DKS 1517: 2021  
 
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     5  
4.2.3 Optional caseinates  
 
Casein prepared by precipitation with gums  
Ammonium  caseinate  
Calcium caseinate  
Potassium caseinate  
Sodium caseinate  
 
The optional caseinates shall contain not less than 20% total milk solids and they may be added in liquid or 
dry form, but shall be free of excess alkali.  
 
4.2.4 Optional non -fruit characte rizing ingredients  
 
These include:  
 
— Ground spice or infusion of coffee or tea.  
— Chocolate or cocoa, including syrup.  
— Confectionery, honey, sugars, nuts, liqueur, salt  
 
4.2.5 Edible fats and oils   
 
Other than those derived from milk, complying with the relev ant Kenya  standards for edible fats and oils  
 
4.2.6 Edible protein   
 
Other than that derived from milk  
 
 
4.3 Permitted ingredients  
 
All ingredients used shall comply with the relevant Kenya S tandard.  
4.4 Specific requirements  
Dairy Desserts  shall comply w ith the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with 
tests methods specified therein.  
 
 
 
 
 DKS 1517: 2021  
 
4      KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  
 Table 1 — Compositional requirements for dairy based desserts and ice mixes  
 
SL 
No. Characteristic  Ice 
Cream  Soft 
Serve 
Mix 
 Gelato  
 
 
milk 
ice/ Ice 
milk Frozen 
yoghurt  
 
 Frozen 
custard  Sherbets  Frozen 
dairy 
dessert/  
confection/ 
Novelties  Milk 
shake  Milk 
lollies  Test method  
i) 
 Milk fat, % by mass, (min.)  
 3 % 1.5 %  2 % 2.5 %  3 
 10% 1.0- 2.0 7.0  3 % 2 % KS ISO 7328/  
KS ISO 8262  
ii) 
 Total f at, milk fat, % by mass, 
(min.)  8 %, min  3 % 4 – 9 % - -  – 4 - - KS ISO 3594/  
KS ISO 3595  
 
iii) 
 Milk solids, not fat, % by mass, 
(min.)  10 %  - - 6 % 8.25 13.0%  1 –3 –  10 %  10 %  KS ISO 3728  
iv) Protein, % by mass, (min.)  3.5 %  - - - -  – 3.5  - 3.5 % KS ISO 8968 -
4 
 
v) 
 Egg yolk solids if declared % by 
mass  1.4%, 
Min 1.4%, 
Min 1.4%, Min  - 1.12, 
Max.  
 1.4%  – 1.4%, Min  - - AOAC 991.20 -
23 
 
vi) Total Solids, % by mass, (min.)  36 %, 
Min 30%   11% 28 20 %  2-5 36.0  25 %  20.0 %  KS ISO 3728  
vii) 
 Acidity as %, citric acid, (min.)  - - - - – 
– - 0.35 % – - 0.3 % KS ISO 750  
viii) Acidity, expressed as lactic 
acid, (min).  - - - - 0.3 -  – - - KS ISO/TS 
11869  
ix) 
 (Overrun) Weight by volume 
g/L,  475, min. - (25 - 65%) 
606g/l to 
800g/L  - 475,  
min. - 475, min 475, min.  - - - DKS 1517: 2021  
 
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     5  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Low fat dairy desserts  shall have a composition complying with the products above, but with a fat content below the minimum in Table 1.  
 
Non-fruit sherbe t Shall have a characteristic fruit flavor, but shall not contain any fruit or fruit jui ce and shall comply with all requirements of sherbet in Table 1.  
 
Low-fat milk -shake Shall comply with all the requirements for milk shakes in table 1, except that it shall contain at least 0.5 % and not more t han 2 % milk fat  
 
Frozen low fat yogurt or low -fat frozen yogurt Shall contain at least 0.5 % but not more than 3 % milk fat and at least 8.25 % milk solids not fat, and has a titratable aci dity of at least 
0.3 % expressed as lactic acid.  
 
Frozen nonfat  yogurt or nonfat frozen yogurt Shall comply with  all the requirements of frozen low fat yogurt or low fat frozen yogurt, except that, it shall contain less than 0.5 % milk fa t. 
 
Medium fat frozen dessert/confection shall contain more than 2.5% but less than 10% milk fat, and not less than 30% total sol ids 
 
Low fat frozen dessert shall contain not more than 2.5% milk fat, and not less than 26% total solids  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DKS 1517: 2021  
 
KEBS 201 8 — All rights re served     5  
 
6 Food additives  
 
Food additives us ed shall comply  with CODEX STAN 192,  established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (CA C).  
 
7 Hygiene  
7.1 The product shall be produced and handled in accordance with KS 1552 and KS EAS 39.  
7.2       The product shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance 
with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Microbiological requirements for  dairy based desserts  
S/N Micro -organism  Limit  Test method  
i.  Total viable count, CFU/ g 3 x 104  KS ISO 4833 -1 
ii.  Total Coliform s, CFU/ g 10 KS ISO 4832  
iii.  Escherichia  coli, CFU/g  
 absent  ISO 11866 -1 
iv.  Staphylococcus a ureus  (coagulase 
positive), CFU/ ml  Absent  KS ISO 6888 -3 
v.  Listeria monocytogenes, per 25g  Absent  ISO 11290 -1 
vi.  Salmonella spp, CFU/25 g  Absent  KS ISO 6579 -1 
vii.  Enterobacteriaceae, per g Absent  KS ISO 21528  
viii.  Bacillus Cereus, per g  Absent  KS ISO 21871  
 
7.3 Pasteurization requirements  
 
7.3.1  Milk ingredients used in dairy desserts  shall have undergone pasteurization or equivalent heat 
treatment as indicated by the absence of phosphatase.  
 
7.3.2     Regarding mixes, with the exception of water ices, the whole mix except for acids, colours and/or 
flavours and flavouring substances including ingredients in clause 5 , shall have undergone pasteurization or 
equivalent heat treatment as indicated by the absence of phosphatase.  
 
8 Contaminants  
8.1 Pesticide residues  
The product s shall comply with maximum limits residues set by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
8.2 veterinary drug residues  
The products shall comply with the maximum residue limits set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
8.3 Heavy Metal  
When tested in acco rdance with AOAC 999.10, the level of Lead (Pb) shall not exceed 0.02 mg/kg  DKS 1517:2018  
 
6   KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved  8.4 Mycotoxins  
When tested in accordance with KS ISO 14501, the level of aflatoxin M1 shall not exceed 0.50 µg/kg.  
8 Packaging  
Dairy based desserts  shall be packed in food grade pa ckaging material that safeguards the integrity and 
safety of the product.  
9 Labelling  
The containers shall be labelled in compliance with the requirements of KS EAS 38 and KS EAS 803. In 
addition, the following particulars shall be legibly and indelibly la belled on the container:  
a) The name of the product shall be as defined in Clauses 3; In case of products containing fruits, 
"name of the fruit"  followed by the name of the product.  
The words "name of fruit or flavoured" may be added to the product  
b) Milk fat  content  declaration   
c) net content in SI units;  
d) name and physical address of manufacturer;  
e) batch or code number;  
f) Lot identification  
g) nutritional information;  
h) the date of manufacture and expiry date;  
i) instruction for storage and use; and  
j) Country of origi n. 
k) List of ingredients used in the descending order  
l) When any dairy  desserts are provided to consumers from soft -serve machines, the name of the type 
of  frozen dessert in conjunction with the serving selections offered shall be conspicuously provided 
to the consumer;  
m) Bulk containers of edible ices or frozen dairy desserts shall show the manufacturer’s name and 
address or assigned code, type of product and flavor statement;  
10 Sampling  
Sampling for dairy based desserts  shall be done in accordance with KS ISO  707.