PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDAR D 
  DUS DARS  1216 
First  Edition  
2022 -mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DARS 1216 : 2022  
 
© UNBS 2022  
   
Chicken essence — Specification  
 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  1216 : 2022  
ii                © UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsib le for its correct application  
© UNBS 2022  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
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  PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  1216: 2022  
© UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of t he Laws of Uganda, as amended. UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisati on for Standardisation (ISO);   
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards; and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council. 
This Draft Uganda Standard , DUS DARS 1216 :2022, Chicken  essence — Specification,  is identical with and is 
being reproduced from an African Standard, DARS 1216 :2022, Chicken essenc e — Specification,  and is 
proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard. 
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/  TC 214, Poultry and poultry 
products.  
Wherever the words, “African  Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard". 
  
 
   AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
1216  
First Edition 2022 
 
 Reference No. DARS 1216:202 2(E) 
ICS 67.120.30  
 
 
© ARSO 202 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chicken essence — Specification 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 1216:2022  
ii © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  
Table of Contents 
1 Scope .............................................................................................................................................  1 
2 Normative references .....................................................................................................................  1 
3 Terms and definitions .....................................................................................................................  2 
4 Ingredients ...................................................................................................................................... 2 
4.1 Essential ingredients ..............................................................................................................  2 
4.2 Optional Ingredients ...............................................................................................................  2 
5 Quality Requirements .....................................................................................................................  2 
5.1 General Requirements ...........................................................................................................  2 
5.2 Specific Requirements ...........................................................................................................  3 
5.3 Contaminants .........................................................................................................................  3 
6 Hygienic requirements ....................................................................................................................  4 
7 Packaging .......................................................................................................................................  4 
7.1 Packing .................................................................................................................................. 4 
8 Labelling .........................................................................................................................................  4 
9 Sampling .........................................................................................................................................  4 
 
 
  DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved iii Foreword 
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) is an African intergovernmental organization 
established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of 
African Unity (AU) in 1977 . One of the fundamental mandates of ARSO is to develop and harmonize 
African Standards (ARS) for the purpose of enhancing Africa’s internal trading capacity, increase 
Africa’s product and service competitiveness globally and uplift the welfare of African communities. The 
work of preparing African Standards is normally carried out through ARSO technical committees. Each 
Member State interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the 
right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, Regional Economic Communities 
(RECs), governmental and non-governmental organizations, in liaison with ARSO, also take part in the 
work.  
 
ARSO Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.  
 
The main task of technical committees is to prepare ARSO Standards. Draft ARSO Standards adopted 
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an ARSO 
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote. 
 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of 
patent rights. ARSO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. 
 
This African Standard was prepared by ARSO/TC 07, Meat, poultry, eggs and related products.  
 
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2022 — All rights reserved* 
 
ARSO Central Secretariat 
International House 3rd Floor 
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square 
NAIROBI, KENYA 
 
Tel. +254- 20-2224561, +254- 20-3311641, +254- 20-3311608 
 
E-mail: arso@arso-oran.org  
Web: www.arso-oran.org  
  
                                                 
* © 2022 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs.  DARS 1216:2022  
iv © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  
Copyright notice  
 
This ARSO document is copyright -protected by ARSO. While the reproduction of this document 
by participants in the ARSO standards development process is permitted without prior permission 
from ARSO, neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or 
transmitted in any form for any other purpose without prior writt en permission from ARSO.  
 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be 
addressed as shown below or to ARSO’s member body in the country of the requester:  
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 20 22 — All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
 
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be p rosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved v Introduction 
 
Chicken essence is prepared from whole dressed chickens by partial hydrolysis along with the boiled 
water extract and concentrated under vacuum. The concentrated extract is further sterilized and the fat, 
if any, is removed. The concentrate is further processed and clarified to meet the prescribed 
requirements of nitrogen, total solids, etc. The required sweetening and flavouring agents are added 
and the product is packed in hermetically sealed ampoules. 
 
The demand for chicken essence is increasing considerably both from the civilian population and from 
the defence personnel. This standard is being formulated in order to ensure that the production of 
chicken essence is up to a quality level that is acceptable to the consumers and feasible for the 
manufacturers. 
 
In the preparation of this African Standard, references made to national experts and international 
Standards are hereby acknowledged: 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  1  
Chicken essence — Specification 
 
1 Scope 
 
This African Standard specifies the quality and safety requirements , referenced test methods and 
sampling for chicken essence. 
 
2 Normative references 
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application 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. 
 
 
CAC/RCP 1, Recommended international code of practice — General principles of food hygiene 
 
ISO 936, Meat and meat products — Determination of total ash 
ISO 937, Determination of Nitrogen 
ISO 2917, Meat and meat products –measurement of pH 
AOAC 934.07 Processed meat and poultry products Lead Colorimetry (dithizone) II 
AOAC 952.13, Arsenic in food — Silver diethyldithiocarbamate method.   
AOAC Official Method 990.20Solids (Total) in Milk 
ISO 1841-2 Meat and meat products — Determination of chloride content — Part 2: Potentiometric 
method 
AOAC 974.07 Official Method of Analysis of Lead in Foods- Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometry 
AOAC 973.34, Official Method of Analysis of Cadmium in Foods 
 
AOAC 971.21, Official Method of Analysis of Mercury in Foods 
 
CAC/MRL 2,  Maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs in food. 
 
ARS 56, Labelling of pre-packaged foods  — General requirements 
 
CAC/RCP 1, Recommended international code of practice — General principles of food hygiene 
 
ISO 4833- 1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 1: Colony count at 30 ˚C by the pour plate technique  
 
ISO 6888- 1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique 
using Baird-Parker agar medium 
 
ISO 16654, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Escherichia coli 0157 
 
ISO 16649- 2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of beta-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli — Part 2: Colony- count technique at 44 ˚C using 5 -
bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-glucuronide 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 1216:2022  
2 © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
Clostridium perfringens — Colony-count technique  
ISO 11290- 1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration 
of Listeria monocytogenes and of Listeria spp. — Part 1: Detection method 
ISO 10272-1:2017 , Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of Campylobacter spp. — Part 1: Detection method 
ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp. 
CXS 234 Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling 
 
 
3 Terms and definitions 
 
For the purpose of this standard, in addition to the terms and definitions stated in ARS 1219-2021 the 
following shall apply: 
 
3.1 chicken essence 
liquid extract containing the hydrosoluble extractives of chicken flesh and free from any preservative, 
added gelatin and micro-organisms 
 
 
4 Ingredients 
 
4.1 Essential ingredients  
 
 
4.1.1 Dressed Poultry that complies with the requirement of CD-ARS 1213. 
 
4.1.2  Chicken Meat –Carcasses and parts that complies with the requirement of CD-ARS 1224. 
 
4.1.3. Water that complies with the requirement of Codex 227/2001. 
 
4.2 Optional Ingredients 
 
4.2.1  Food additives, if used in chicken essence shall comply with Codex Stan 192  
 
4.3 Processing requirements 
 
Healthy chickens shall be dressed, extracted with hot distilled water, concentrated to desired volume, 
clarified properly after rendering it fat-free, adjusted to proper solid and nitrogen content, filtered, filled 
in clean ampoules, sealed and sterilized. 
 
 
 
5 Quality Requirements 
 
5.1 General Requirements 
 
5.1.1  The product shall be clear and without any sediment. 
 
5.1.2  It shall have a characteristic taste and odour of chicken meat. 
 
5.1.3  The chicken essence shall not show evidence of deterioration, discoloration or slimy 
appearance on storage. 
 
 DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  3 5.2 Specific Requirements  
The product shall comply with the requirements in Table 1; 
 
 
Table 1 — Requirements for Chicken Essence 
 
S/N. Parameter  Requirement  Reference test 
Method   
i) Total solids, percent by weight  10 - 12  AOAC 990:20   
ii) Protein content, percent by weight  8 - 10  ISO 937 Titrimetry    
iii) Chloride content, percent by weight  0.15 - 0.20  ISO 1841 -2  
iv) pH  5.8 to 6.2  ISO 2917   
v) Sterility test  To pass the test  Annex C 
vi) Setting time at -10 °C  not more than 1½ 
hours  Annex A  
 
5.3 Contaminants 
 
5.3.1  Heavy metals 
 
Chicken essence shall comply with maximum limits for heavy metals as specified in Table 2, when 
tested in accordance with the methods given therein. 
 
Table 2— Maximum limits of heavy metals contaminants 
S/N. Parameter  Requirement  Reference Test 
method  
i Arsenic (As)  0.1 AOAC 952.13  
ii Lead (Pb)  0.1 AOAC 974.07  
iii Cadmium (Cd)  0.03 AOAC 973.34  
iv Mercury (Hg)  0.01 AOAC 971.21  
 
 
5.3.2  Microbial contaminants  
 
Chicken essence shall comply with maximum limits for microbial level as specified in Table 3, when 
tested in accordance with the methods given therein. 
 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits for Chicken essence 
 
 
 
 S/N. Parameter  Requirement  Reference test 
Method   
I Total plate count, cfu/g  105 ISO 4833 -1  
ii Staphylococcus aureu s, cfu/g  102 ISO 6888 -1  
iii Escherichia Coli , cfu/g  102 ISO 16649 -2 
iv Escherichia Coli  0157:H7 per 25 g  Absent  ISO 16654  
v Salmonella spp, per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579  
vi Clostridium perfringes  Absent  ISO 7937  
vii Listeria monocytogens , per 25 g,  Absent  ISO 11290 -1 
viii Campylobacter  per 25 g  Absent  ISO 10272 -1 DARS 1216:2022  
4 © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved 5.3.3 Veterinary drug residues 
 
Chicken essence shall comply with the maximum drug residue limits specified in CAC/MRL 2, 
 
5.3.4  Pesticide residues  
 
Chicken essence shall comply with the maximum pesticide residue limits as specified by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission. 
 
6 Hygienic requirements 
 
6.1 The product shall be prepared and handled under strict hygienic conditions only in premises 
maintained in a thoroughly clean and hygienic condition (see ARS 53 or CXS 227/2001).  
 
6.2  All equipment coming in contact with raw materials or products in the course of manufacture 
shall be kept clean. An ample supply of steam and water, hose, brushes and other equipment, 
necessary for proper cleaning of machinery and equipment shall be available. The equipment may be 
sterilized by immersion in or swabbing with hypochlorite or other chlorine solution. 
 
7 Packaging 
 
7.1 Packing 
 The material shall be packed in hermetically sealed ampoules. 
 
7.2 The product shall be packed in suitable cartons. 
7.3 The number of packed products in each carton shall be subject to agreement between the 
 purchasers and the vendors. 
 
8 Labelling 
 
In addition to the requirement in ARS 56, Labelling of pre-packaged foods  — General requirements, 
the ampoules shall be marked by labelling on the containers themselves or as agreed to between the 
purchaser and the vendor. The marking or the label shall give the following information: 
 
a) Name of the material along with brand name, if any; 
 
b) Name and address of the manufacturer; 
 
c) Net weight of the contents; 
 
d) Batch number in code; 
 
e) Names of the ingredients; and 
 
f) Licence number given by the competent authority. 
 
g)  Date of production 
 
h) Date of expiry 
 
9 Sampling 
 
Sampling of chicken essence shall be done in accordance with CXS 234. 
 
 
  DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  5 Annex A 
(normative) 
 
Determination setting 
 
A.1 Apparatus 
 
A.1.1 Bath  — made of suitable material for holding ice-salt freezing mixture. 
 
A.1.2 Thermometer  — calibrated 10 °C to 110 °C. 
 
A.1.3 Watch 
 
A.2 Procedure 
 
A.2.1 Break the ice into pieces and mix common salt with it, and place it in the tub. Maintain the 
temperature of ice-salt mixture at below -10 °C. Place 5 ampoules in the bath and note the time. Also 
note the time separately when the contents of each of 5 ampoules form a jelly. 
 
The ampoules should form a transparent solid jelly without any separation of solids or appearance of 
turbidity. 
  DARS 1216:2022  
6 © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved Annex B 
(informative) 
 
Determination of total solids 
 
 
B.1 Apparatus 
 
B.1.1 Flat-bottom dishes  — of nickel or other suitable material and with cover. Dishes should not 
be affected by boiling water. They may be 7 to 8 cm in diameter and not more than 2.5 cm deep. They 
should be provided with short glass stirring rods having a widening flat end. 
 
B.1.2 Well-ventilated oven  — maintained at 100° ± 2°C. 
 
B.2 Procedure 
 
Weigh accurately about 5 g of the sample into a flat-bottom glass or china or aluminium dish (with a 
cover) previously dried and weighed. Heat the dish containing the material after uncovering in an oven 
maintained at 100° ± 2°C for about 5 hours. Cool in a desiccators and weigh with the cover on. Repeat 
the process of drying, cooling and weighing at half-hourly intervals, until the difference between two 
consecutive weighings is less than 2 mg. Record the lowest weight. 
 
B.3 Calculation 
 
Total solids, percent by weight = 

WWWW

12 100  
 
where 
W2 = weight in g of dried sample with the dish, 
W = weight in g of empty dish, and 
W1 = weight in g of sample with the dish. 
  DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  7 Annex C 
(normative) 
 
Test for sterility 
 
 
F.1 Principle 
 
F.1.1 Tests for sterility are based upon the principle that if bacteria are placed in a medium which 
provides nutritive material and water, and kept at a favourable temperature, the organisms will grow, 
and their presence will be indicated by a turbidity in the originally clear medium. 
 
F.1.2 General 
 
The test for sterility comprises: (a) detection of aerobic and anaerobic organisms; and (b) detection of 
fungi. 
 
F.2 Detection of aerobic and anaerobic organisms 
 
F.2.1 Reagents 
 
F.2.1.1 Medium for aerobic organisms  — The medium either consists of meat extract containing a 
suitable concentration of peptone or is prepared by the enzymic digestion of protein material. After the 
final sterilization, the alkalinity of the medium lies between the limits represented by pH 7.2 and pH 7.8, 
except where otherwise stated. 
 
F.2.1.2 Medium for Anaerobic Organisms  — The medium is similar to that for aerobic organisms, 
with the addition of either (a) sufficient heat-coagulated muscle to occupy a depth of at least 1 cm at 
the bottom of the container, or (b) about 0.05 percent of agar together with other suitable substance 
which may decrease the oxidation-reduction potential of the final medium sufficiently to permit the 
growth of obligate anaerobic organisms, an oxidation-reduction potential indicator such as resazurin 
sodium may be added. After final sterilization, the alkalinity of the medium lies between the limits 
represented by pH 7.2 and pH 7.8. Before the sample to be tested is added, the medium is heated at 
100°C for sufficient time to free it from dissolved oxygen, and cooled. 
 
F.2.2 Procedure  — Inoculate 100 mg of media for aerobic organisms and for anaerobic organisms 
with 2 ml of the contents of each sealed container to be tested. Incubate the inoculated media between 
30 °C and 32 °C for seven days. The product shall pass the test if a growth of micro-organisms does 
not occur in any tube before the end of seven days. If growth occurs, fresh material may be taken and 
the test repeated, and, if necessary, this may be done a third time. The product shall fail to pass tests 
if growth occurs in each of the three tests, or if a growth of the same organisms occurs in more than 
one test. 
 
F.3 Detection of fungi 
 
F.3.1 Reagents 
 
F.3.1.1 Fluid sabouraud medium 
 
Dextrose  20 g 
Pancreatic digest of casein  5 g 
Peptic digest of animal tissue  5 g 
Water  1 000 ml 
 
Dissolve the dextrose, the pancreatic digest of casein, and the peptic digest of animal tissue in the 
water with the aid of gentle heat. Adjust the medium with 1 N sodium hydroxide solution so that, after 
sterilization, it will have a pH of 5.7 + 0.1. Filter, if necessary; place in culture tubes, and sterilize at 121 
°C for 20 minutes. The autoclave temperature should be reached within ten minutes. 
 DARS 1216:2022  
8 © ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved F.3.2 Procedure  — Inoculate 15 ml of sabouraud medium with 1 ml of the contents of each sealed 
container to be tested. Incubate the inoculated medium between 22° to 25 °C for not less than ten days. 
When the material to be tested renders the medium turbid so that it is not possible to determine the 
presence or absence of growth readily by visual examination, transfer suitable portions of this turbid 
medium between the third and seventh days after the test is started. Incubate both the original and 
transfer tubes for seven to eleven days. Examine all tubes during and at, the end of the incubation 
period. When evidence of growth is observed within two days, check the tubes showing such evidence 
by microscopic examination of stained smears or by transferring to a suitable medium. If on the first test 
no growth is found the material under examination meets the requirements of the absence of 
contamination with fungi. If growth is found, the test may be repeated to rule out laboratory 
contamination which may be introduced during the test, using twice the number of samples. If repeated 
tests confirm the presence of contamination due to fungi, the sample shall fail to pass the test. 
  DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved  9 Bibliography 
 
IS 5558:1970(R2000), Specification for Chicken Essence 
 
Codex Alimentarius website: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/mrls/vetdrugs/jsp/vetd_q-e.jsp 
 
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service website: http://www.mrldatabase.com 
 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/Standards 
 
European Union: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/pharmaceuticals/veterinary-use/maximum-
residue-limits/index_en.htm  
 
 
. 
 
 
 DARS 1216:2022  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved