DRAFT  UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 889 
Second  Edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 889: 2021 
© UNBS 2021   
  
Dried vegetables and herbs for use  — Specification  
 DUS 889: 2021  
ii © UNBS 2021  – 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 
responsible for i ts correct application  
© UNBS 2021   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior writte n 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 889:2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Produc t description  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
5 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
5.1 Ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  3 
5.2 General require ments  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
6 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
7 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
7.1 Heavy metal contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  4 
7.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
8 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  4 
9 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
10 Weights and measures  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  4 
11 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
11.1  General labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 
11.2  Nutritional and health claims  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
12 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
Annex A (informative)  Scientific and common names of common edible vegetables and herbs 
used for food  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  1 
Annex B (normative)  Sampling of dri ed vegetables and herbs  ................................ ................................ .... 1 
B.1 Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  1 
B.2 Sampling method  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2 
B.2.1 Identification of lots and/or getting a general impression of the consignment  ..............................  2 
B.2.2  Presentation of product  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  2 
B.2.3  Control of p roduct  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
Annex C (normative)  Determination of the moisture content for dried vegetables and herbs  .................  5 
C.1 Definition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
C.2 Principle  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
C.3 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
C.4 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
C.5 Calculation and expression of results  ................................ ................................ ................................  6 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  7 
 DUS 889: 2021  
iv © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the  Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contac t 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 key stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Co mmittee 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.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS /TC 2, Food and Agriculture , 
Subcommittee SC 4, Fruits , vegetables, spices and related products and processes . 
This second  edition cancels and replaces the first  edition ( US 889:2011 ), which has been  technically revised.  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 889: 2021  
 
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  1 
 Dried vegetables and herbs for use — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Uganda standard specifies requirements , sampling  and test methods  for dried vegetables and herbs  
offered for direct consumption  or further processing, including for  catering purposes or for repackaging if 
required.   
This standard does not apply to dried vegetables and herbs for which specific standards have been declared.  
2 Normative references   
The following referenced documents referred to in the text in such a way th at 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 amendment s) applies.  
US 45, General standa rd for food additives   
US 640, Code of practice for the production, handling and processing of solar dried fruits  
US 738, General  standard for contaminants and toxins in foods   
AOAC 934.06, Determination of the moisture content for dried fruits  
US EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
US EAS 39 , Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry   
US ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 1: C olony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique  
US ISO 4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony -count technique  
US EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
US EAS 804, Claims on food — Requirements  
US EAS 8 05, Use of nutrition and health claims — Requirements  
US ISO  763, Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid  
US ISO 6561 -1, Fruits, vegetables and derived products - Determination o f cadmium  content - Part 1: Method 
using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry  
US ISO 6561 -2, Fruits, vegetables and derived products - Determination of  cadmium  content - Part 2: Method 
using flame atomic absorption spectrometry   
2 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 US ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique   
US ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the en umeration of 
yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0.95  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminolo gical databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
vegetable  
parts of edible plants including roots, corns and tubers (car rots, garlic and potatoes), stems and shoots (e.g., 
spinach, cauliflower) and legumes for example, peas. Pumpkins, pumpkin leaves and rhubarb are also 
considered as being vegetables for the purpose of this standard.  
3.2  
dried vegetable  
product prepared f rom fresh vegetables of varieties characteristic of the named vegetable; and  processed by 
drying either by the sun or by other recognized methods of dehydration with or without  added food additives, 
into a form of marketable dried product  
3.3  
dried herb s  
product prepared from herbs of varieties characteristic of the named  species; and  processed by drying either 
by the sun or by other recognized methods of dehydration with or without added food additives, into a form of 
marketable dried product.  
4 Produ ct description  
Dried vegetables and herbs  are products:  
a) prepared from edible portion of clean, fresh, sound, mature vegetables  or herbs  and dried under 
natural or artificially  induced conditions and they can undergo operations such as washing, peeling, 
grading, cutting, blanching or  dipping etc., depending on the type of product.  
b) obtained by drying pieces of one or more of named vegetables  
4.1 presentation  
Dried vegetables and herbs may be presented in one the following presentations  
a) Crumbs  
b) Granules  
c) Powder  
4.2 Other presentations  
Any other presentation of the product may be used provided the product is   DUS 889: 2021  
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 a) is sufficiently distinctive from other forms of presentation laid down in the standard and;  
b) is adequately described on the label to avoid confusing or misle ading the consumer  
5 Requirements  
5.1 Ingredients  
5.1.1 Essential  ingredients  
Vegetables and herbs as defined in Section  4, (part (a and b))  
Examples of the edible v egetables and herbs suitable for drying are but not limited to those listed in Annex A  
5.1.2 Optional ingredients  
Spices and condiments as desired  may be used to stuff the product, provided it is suitable for consumption  
5.2 General  requirements  
Dried vegetables and herbs shall:  
a) have their characteristics taste, colour,  flavour and odour  corresponding to the  vegetable or herb 
involved, the type of treatment and added optional ingredients.  
b) possess texture characteristic of the product  
c) be clean  and free from foreign odour and traces of odour coming from abnormal fermented vegetable 
or herb  
d) be free from  mouldy f ilaments  visible to the naked eye  
e) be practically free from extraneous matter.  
f) be free from living and dead insects, insect fragments, rodents, mites or other parasites and moulds 
contamination  
5.3 Specific  requirements  
Dried vegetables a nd herbs shall  comply with the specific requirements in Table 1 when tested in accordance 
with the methods specified therein  
Table 1 — Specific r equirement for dried vegetables and herbs  
Characteristic  
 Requirement  
  Test method   
 
Moisture, % (m/m), max   8  AOAC 934.06   
Acid insoluble ash, % (m/m), (on dry basis), max.  0.1  US ISO 76 3  
 
6 Food additives  
Dried vegetables and herbs may contain food additives in accordance with US 45.   
4 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 7 Contaminants  
7.1 Heavy metal contaminants  
Dried vegetables and her bs shall comply with those maximum levels for contaminants and toxins given in US 
738 and shall comply with the limits for heavy metals given in Table 2  when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein  
Table 2 — Heavy metal contaminants li mits for dried vegetables and herbs   
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum limits,  
mg/kg  Test method  
i.  Lead  0.2 US ISO 6633  
ii.  Cadmium  0.3 US ISO 6561 -1 
US ISO 6561 -2 
 
7.2 Pesticide residues  
Dried vegetables and herbs shall comply with those maximum residue limits fo r pesticides established by the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission   
8 Hygiene  
Dried vegetables and herbs shall be produced and handled in accordance with US 640 and US EAS 39 . The 
products shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 3 when tes ted in accordance with the 
methods specified therein  
Table 3 — microbiological limits for dried vegetables and herbs  
Micro organism  limit Test method  
Total plate count, cfu/g, max.  5 x 104  US ISO 4833 -1  
 
Escherichia coli , cfu/g, max.  Absent    ISO 1664 9-2  
Yeast and moulds, cfu/g, max  2000  US ISO 21527 -2  
9 Packaging  
Dried vegetables and herbs shall be packaged in a food grade  packaging  material that will safeguard the 
hygienic, safety, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the p roduct which comply with US 
1659 .  
10 Weights and measures  
Dried v egetables and herbs shall be packaged in accordance with the Weights and Measures regulations  of 
Uganda.  DUS 889: 2021  
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
 11 Labelling  
11.1 General labelling  
In addition to the requirements of US EAS 38 th e following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall 
be legibly and indelibly marked  
a) name of the product as  Dried “X” vegetables or Dried “X” where X is the name of the dried vegetable 
or herbs  
b)  There shall appear on the label as part of the name or in close proximity to the name, the form of 
presentation as indicated  in section  4.1 and 4.2  
11.2 Nutritional and health claims  
Any n utritional labelling, nutrition and health claims with these products shall be in accordance with US EAS 
803, US E AS 804 and US EAS 805  
12 Sampling  
Representative samples of the material shall be drawn and tested for conformity to this specification as 
prescribed in Annex B.  
  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  1 
 Annex  A 
(informative)  
 
Scientific and common names of common edible vegetables and herbs us ed for food  
Scientific name  Common English name  (Part eaten)  Traditional names in Uganda  
Amaranthus dubius  Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Doodo (Lug/Bar/Ank/Kg/Tr/Yr); Eboga 
(Ts); Sokoo/Sokusaku (A&J); Bedegbele 
(Kk).  
A. gracecizane  Amaranthus spinac h  Leaves  Embooge (Lug); lmbog(k)a (Gis); Ekiliton 
(Ts); Onvuga (A&J); Enje (Md); Obuga 
(Ach); Obug (Lag); Nyabutongo (Ank).  
A. hybridus  Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Goyi/goi (A&J).  
A. hybridus subsp. hybridus†  Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Goyi/goi (A &J); Omuriri (Ank).  
A. hybridus subsp. incurvatus†  Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Ebbuga ezuungu (Lug); Namutonto 
(Gis).  
A. lividus  Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Ebbuga enjanamusayi (Lug); 
Chesicheyet (Seb); Liwoola (Gis); 
Omuriri (Ank, Kg).  
A. spinosus   Amaranthus spinach  Leaves  Doodo ow'maggwa (Lug); Losigiria 
(Kmj); Obuga -okuta (Ach).  
Basella alba†  Vine spinach  Young shoot  
Leaves  Enderema (Lug, Ank. Yr, Kg, Tr); 
Inderema (Gis); Kurakura/Ndera (A&J).  
Bidens pilosa†  Black jack (L)  Leaves  Sere (Lug, Bk); Anyengomon (A&J); 
Bilodra (Md/RI); Abulesega (Kk); 
Nyabarashana (Ank).  
Brassica oleracea  kale  leaves  Sukumawiki (Swah), ekabit (Ts)  
Cajanus cajan  Pigeon peas (S)  Seed s  Lapena (Ach, Lag); Ekilimite (Ts); Apena 
(Lag): Enkuuku (Ank, Yr , Tr).   
2 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Lagenovia siceraria  Calabash gourd  Leaves  Amugit (Ts)  
Capsicum annuum  Chillies  Leaves  Kamulali (Lug, Gis); Kamalra (A&J); 
Pirpiri (Kk), Hamulali (Sam).  
C. frutescens  Chillies  Leaves  Kamulali (Lug); Rura (Ach); Eshenda 
(Ank).  
Colocas ia esculenta†  Cocoyam  Leaves  Ttimba (Lug); Mattu midolodolo (Gis); 
Opela (A&J); Ebitekyere (Ank); Oburagoi 
(Kg).  
Commelina benghalensis†  Day flower  Leaves  Nnanda ennene (Lug); Orandi (Bk); 
Ekoropot (Ts); Lolo (Md); Androko 
(A&J).  
Chocorus olitori s/ Corchoris trilocularis  Leaves   Otigo (Ach), etigo (Ts), Omutere (Sam)  
Colocasia schimperi  Cocoyam   Leaves  
Crotalaria Spp   leaves   
Cucurbita maxima†  
 Pumpkin  Leaves , seeds  Ensujju (Lug, Ts); Essunsa (Lug); 
Buziriziri/Kimisebebe (Gis); Kasogo  (Kg); 
Imunyuru (Ts); Okondo (A&J); 
Ebishusha/Obututu (Ank, Kg); Kedi (Kk); 
Enjubi/Ejubi (Md); Kicwika/konokono 
(Ach); Emyongo (Tr, Yr).  
Gynandropsis gynandra†  African spider herb (L)  Leaves  Ejjobyo (Lug); Isaga (Gis); Ekiau (Kmj); 
Ekaboi/Ecaboi (Rs);  Ekeyo (A&J); Tegeri 
(Kk); Jirri (Md); Ekeyo (Lag); Eshoje 
(Ank), Esaka (Sam)  
Hibiscus cannabinus†  Kenaf, Deccan Help   Lubeera (Lug); Etoke (Kmj); Ebirai (Ts); 
Nyarogena (Ach).  
H. esculentus  Okra  Leaves  Bamia (Kk, Bar, Yr); Loka/Obori (Md); 
Otigo -Iwoka (Bar, Ach).  
H. sabdariffa †  -  Leaves  
Shoot  (E) malakwang (Kmj)/Ts/Bar); Kuluba 
(Kk); Ekiganga (Yr); Emalakwany (Ts); 
Malakwang (A&J); Kalabi (Md).  
Ipomoea batatas  Sweet potatoes  Leaves  Lumonde (Lug), Amasafu ka mabwoni 
(Sam)   
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 I. eriocarpa †  -  Leaves  Ecadokoko (Ts); Nyamaradundu (A&J); 
Ecejofo (Md); Padowiakuri (Ach); 
Acatolao/Acatominoula (Lag).  
Luffa cylindricata  Loofah gourd  Leaves  Kyangwe (Lug); Ekyangwe (Yr, Tr).  
Manihot esculenta†  Cassava  Leaves  Mattu gamwogo (Gis). Chombe (A&J); 
Soutigbanda (Kk); Gbandabi (Md); 
Potmogo (Lag); Muhogo (Ank, Kg, Yr).  
Moringa  Moringa   Leaves/flowers  
Oxytenanthera abyssinica  Bamboo shoots  Stem  Maleewa (Gis)  
Phaseolus lunatus†  Lima beans (S)  shoot  Ebigaaga (Lug); Korokoco (Kk); 
Ongu k/Orusa (A&J); Ckuku (Lag); 
Abongband (Ach  
Obuhindihindi (Ank)..  
 
P. vulgaris†  French beans (L, S, F)  Leaves  
Shoot  
fruit  Ebijanjaalo: L,S, Ebisobooza: L, 
Ebisobyo/Ebikanga: L, (Lug); Mattu 
wanyambi (Gis); Teiko/Ngaingai (Kk); 
Ebihimba (Ank, Tr, Yr) .  
Sechium edule  Cho-cho  Leaves  Ebisusuuti (Lug).  
Sesamum indicum  Sim-sim (S)  Shoot  Bukenyimu (Buk).  
Solarium aethiopicum†  Scarlet eggplant  Leaves  Nakati/Nakasuga (Lug).  
Solanum scambrum  African egg plant  Leaves  Entula enganda (Lug), Jag i (Ach); 
Entura (Ank, Kg); Enjagi (Tr, Yr).  
Solanum aethiopicum  African egg plant  Fruit  Entula enganda (Lug) Jagi (Ach); Entura 
(Ank, Kg); Enjagi (Tr, Yr).  
S. gilo  Bitter berries  Leaves/Fruit  Entula enganda (Lug); Jagi (Ach); 
Entura (Ank, Kg); En jagi (Tr, Yr).  
S. indicum subsp. distichum†  Bitter berries  fruit  Katunkuma (Lug); Uli (A&J); Namatala 
(Gis).  
S. macrocarpon  Vergans  Leaves  Nakati nume y'akyalo (Lug).  
S. nigrum (dark stem)†  Night shade  Leaves  Ensugga enzirugavu (Lug); Ocokoc ok  
4 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 (Lag.).  
S. nigrum (green stem)†  Night shade  Leaves  Ensugga (Lug); Esufa (Gis); Enyoro 
(Kmj); Ociga (A&J); Lere (Kk); 
Ocugocuga (Ach); Ocuga (Lag); Esiiiga 
(Ank).  
Vigna unguiculata†  Cowpea  Leaves  
shoot  Eggobe/Ekiyindiru/Mpindi (Lag); Likote 
(Gis); Eboo/lmere (Ts); Boo/Ngor (Ach); 
Amuli/Obo (A&J); Nyele (Kk); Omugobe 
(Ank, Tr, Yr); Bojo (Lug); Maruet "wild" 
(Kmj); Namuri "wild" (Kk); Laputu (Kk); 
Enkoole (Ank).  
 
A  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  1 
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Sampling of dried vegetables and herbs  
B.1 Definitions  
B.1.1  
package  
individually packaged part of a lot, including contents so as to facilitate handling and transport of a number of 
sales units or of products loose or arranged, in order to prevent damage by physical handling and transport. 
Road, rail, ship an d air containers are not considered as packages.  
B.1.2  
sales package  
individually packaged part of a lot, including contents, which is so as to constitute a sales unit to the final user 
or consumer at the point of purchase  
B.1.3  
pre-packages  
sales pa ckages such as the packaging encloses the foodstuff completely or only partially, but in such a way 
that the contents cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging. Protective films covering 
single product are not considered as a pre -package . 
B.1.4  
consignment  
quantity of product to be sold by a given trader found at the time of inspection and defined by a document. A 
consignment may consist of one or several types of product; it may contain one or several lots of dried fruit.  
B.1.5  
lot  
quantity of product which, at the time of inspection at one place, has similar characteristics with regard to :  
a) packer and/or dispatcher;  
b) country of origin;  
c) nature of product;  
d) class of product;  
e) size (if the product is graded according to size);  
f) variety  or commercial type (according to the relevant provisions of the standard); and  
g) type of packaging and presentation.  
If it is difficult to distinguish between different lots and/or presentation of individual lots all lots of a specific 
consignment may be treated as one lot if they are similar in regard to type of product, dispatcher, country of 
origin, class and variety or commercial type, if this is provided for in the relevant marketing standard.  
B.1.6  
sampling  
collective samples taken temporarily fro m a lot during conformity check   
2 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 B.1.6.1  
primary sample  
package taken at random from the lot, in case of packed product or, in case of bulk product (direct loading into 
a transport vehicle or compartment thereof), a quantity taken at random from a point i n the lot.  
B.1.6.2  
bulk sample  
several primary samples supposed to be representative for the lot so that the total quantity is sufficient to 
allow the assessment of the lot with regard to all criteria  
B.1.6.3  
secondary sample  
equal quantity of produc t taken at random from the primary sample  
The secondary sample shall comprise 30 units, in case the net weight of the package is 25 kg or less and the 
package does not contain any sales packages. In certain cases this means that the whole content of the 
package has to be checked, if the primary sample contains not more than 30 units.  
B.1.6.4  
composite sample  
mix, weighing at least 3 kg, of all the secondary samples taken from the bulk sample. Product in the 
composite sample shall be evenly mixed .  
B.1.6 .5 
reduced sample  
quantity of product taken at random from the bulk or composite sample whose size is restricted to the 
minimum quantity necessary but sufficient to allow the assessment of certain individual criteria.  
If the inspection method would destr oy the product, the size of the reduced sample shall not exceed 10 % of 
the bulk sample. In the case of small dry or dried products (that is, 100 g include more than 100 units) the 
reduced sample shall not exceed 300 g.  
Several reduced samples may be taken  from a bulk or composite sample in order to check the conformity of 
the lot against different criteria.  
B.2 Sampling method  
B.2.1  Identification of lots and/or getting a general impression of the consignment  
The identification of lots shall be carried out on the basis of their marking or other criteria. In the case of 
consignments which are made up of several lots it is necessary for the inspector to get a general impression 
of the consignment with the aid of accompanying documents or declarations conce rning the consignments. 
The inspector shall then determine how far the lots presented comply with the information in these documents.  
If the product is to be or has been loaded onto a means of transport, the registration number of the latter shall 
be used  for identification of the consignment.  
B.2.2  Presentation of product  
The inspector shall decide which packages are to be checked. The presentation shall be made by the 
operator and shall include the presentation of the bulk sample as well as the supply of all information 
necessary for the identification of the consignment or lot.  
If reduced or secondary samples are required, these shall be identified by the inspector from the bulk sample.   
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 The inspector shall determine the size of the bulk sample in such  way as to be able to assess the lot. The 
inspector selects at random the packages to be inspected or in the case of bulk product the points of the lot 
from which individual samples shall be taken.  
Care shall be taken to ensure that the removal of samples does not adversely affect the quality of the product.  
Damaged packages shall not be used as part of the bulk sample. They shall be set aside and may, if 
necessary, be subject to a separate examination and report.  
The bulk sample shall comprise the followin g minimum quantities whenever a lot is declared unsatisfactory or 
the risk of a product not conforming to the standard has to be examined:  
Number of packages in the lot  Number of packages to be taken 
(primary samples)  
Packaged products  
Up to 100  5  
From 101 to 300  7  
From 301 to 500  9  
From 501 to 1 000  10  
More than 1 000  15 (minimum)  
Product in bulk  
Quantity of lot in kg or number of bundles in the lot  Quantity of primary samples in kg or 
number of bundles  
Up to 200  10  
From 201 to 500  20  
From 501 to 1 000  30  
From 1 001 to 5 000  60  
More than 5 000  100 (minimum)  
 
In the case of bulky dried fruit and vegetables (over 2 kg per unit), the primary samples shall be made up of at 
least five units. In the case of lots comprising fewer than five packages or weighing less than 10 kg, the check 
shall cover the entire lot.  
If the inspector discovers, after an inspection, that a decision cannot be reached, another physical check shall 
be undertaken and the overall result reported as a n average of the two checks.  
B.2.3  Control of product  
In case of packed product, the primary samples shall be used to check the general appearance of the product, 
the presentation, the cleanliness of the packages and the labelling. In all other cases, the se checks shall be 
done on basis of the lot or transport vehicle.  
The product shall be removed entirely from its packaging for the conformity check. The inspector may only 
dispense with this where the sampling is based on composite samples.  
The inspectio n of uniformity, minimum requirements, quality classes and size shall be carried out on the basis 
of the bulk sample, or on the basis of the composite sample.  
When defects are detected, the inspector shall ascertain the respective percentage of the produc t not in 
conformity with the standard by number or weight.   
4 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 External defects shall be checked on the basis of the bulk or composite sample. Certain criteria on the degree 
of development and/or ripeness or on the presence or absence of internal defects may b e checked on the 
basis of reduced samples. The check based on the reduced sample applies in particular to checks which 
destroy the trade value of the product.   
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of the moisture content for dried vegetables and herbs  
NOTE: T his method is the same as that prescribed by the AOAC: Official Methods of Analysis, XIIIth edition, 1980, 22.013 
- Moisture in Dried fruits and vegetables , Official Final Action.  
C.1 Definition  
The moisture content of dried vegetables and herbs is define d as being the loss of mass determined under the 
experimental conditions described in this annex.  
C.2 Principle  
The principle of the method is the heating and drying of a sample of dried vegetables and herbs at a 
temperature of 70 ºC + 1 ºC at a pressure  not exceeding 100 mm Hg.  
C.3 Apparatus  
Usual laboratory apparatus is used together with the following items:  
Electrically heated constant -temperature oven , capable of being controlled at 70 ºC + 1 ºC at a pressure of 
100 mm Hg  
b) Dishes with lids , of c orrosion -resistant metal of about 8.5 cm in diameter  
c) Mincer , either hand or mechanically operated  
d) Desiccator , containing an effective desiccant  
e) Precision balance  
C.4 Procedure  
C.4.1 Preparation of the sample  
Take approximately 50 g of dried fruit from the laboratory sample, and mince it twice with the mincer.  
C.4.2 Test portion  
Place 2 g of finely divided asbestos into the dish, tare the dish with its lid and the asbestos, dried beforehand. 
Weigh, to the nearest 0.01 g about 5 g of prepared  sample.  
NOTE Dried sand which has previously been washed in hydrochloric acid and then rinsed thoroughly with water may be 
used in the place of the asbestos. Analysts using this technique should note that it is a deviation from the AOAC 
procedure, and sho uld mention this in their report.  
C.4.3 Determination   
6 © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Moisten the sample and the asbestos thoroughly with a few millilitres of hot water. Mix the sample and the 
asbestos together with a spatula. Wash the spatula with hot water to remove the sample residue s from it, 
letting the residues and the water fall into the dish.  
Heat the open dish on a boiling -water bath (Bain -marie) to evaporate the water to dryness. Then place the 
dish, with the lid alongside it, in the oven and continue drying for six hours at 7 0 ºC under a pressure not 
exceeding 100 mm Hg, during which time the oven should not be opened. During drying admit a slow current 
of air (about two bubbles per second) to the oven, the air having been dried by passing through H 2SO4. The 
metal dish must be  placed in direct contact with the metal shelf of the oven. After drying, remove the dish, 
cover it immediately with its lid and place it in the desiccator. After cooling to ambient temperature, weigh the 
covered dish to the nearest 0.01 g  
C.5 Calculation and expression of results  
The moisture content of the sample, as percentage by mass is calculated as follows:  
Moisture content = 100 x (M1 -M2)/(M1-Mo)) 
where  
M0 is the mass, in grams, of the empty dish with its lid and containing the asbestos,  
Ml is the mass, in grams, of the dish with its lid, asbestos and test portion before drying, and  
M2 is the mass, in grams, of the dish with its lid after drying.  
The results are expressed to one decimal place.  
Duplicate determinations should agree to 0.2 % mois ture.  
©    UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  7 
 Bibliography  
[1] US 889:2011, Dried vegetables and herbs for use — Specification  
[2] DKS 435:2018,  Dehydrated vegetables  — Specification  
 DUS 889: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  9 
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 DUS 889: 2021    
 
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