DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDDUS DARS  1123  
First Edition 
2023-m m-dd
Reference number  
DUS DARS  1123 : 2023 
© UNBS 2023  Canned shrimps or prawns — Specification   
ii                © UNBS  2023  - 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 its correct application  
© UNBS 2023 
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 written 
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 7 333 250/1/2  
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© UNBS  2023  - 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 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 contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enqui ry 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 ke y stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
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  1123 :2023 , Canned shrimps or prawns — Specification , is identical 
with and has been reproduced from a  Draft  African  Standard,  DARS 1123 :2023 , Canned shrimps or prawns 
— Specification , and is being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
The committee responsible for this document is Te chnical Committee UNBS/ TC 211, Fish and fishery 
products . 
Wherever the words, “ African  Standard " appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standa rd." AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
1123  
First Edition 2023 
 
 Reference No. DARS 1123:202 3(E) 
ICS 67.120.30  
 
 
© ARSO 202 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Canned shrimps or prawns — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 1123:202 3 
ii © ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
3.1 Product definition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
3.2 Process definition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
3.3 Presentation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Essential composition and quality factors  ................................ ................................ ......................  3 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
6 Hygiene and handling  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  3 
7 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
8 Sampling, examination and analyses  ................................ .............  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
9 Definition of defectives  ................................ ................................ ... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
10 Lot acceptance  ................................ ................................ ...............  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Annex A (normative)  Sensory and physical examination  ......................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Annex B (normative)  Size designation of canned shrimps  ....................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  5 
 
  DARS 1123:202 3 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARS O) 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 harmoniz e 
African Standards (ARS) for the purpose of enhancing Africa’s i nternal 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 co mmittees 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 su bject 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 03, Fish, fisheries and aquaculture . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation  2023 — 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  
  
                                                 
* © 2023 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs.  DARS 1123:202 3 
iv © ARSO 202 3 — 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 written permission from ARSO.  
 
Requests for permission to repro duce 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 23 — 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 1123:202 3 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved  1  
Canned shrimps or prawns — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This African S tandard applies to canned shrimp  or prawn  in hermetically sealed containers  and 
prepared from species of any of the following families:  
 
(a) Penaeidae  
(b) Pandalidae  
(c) Crangonidae  
(d) Palaemonidae  
. 
It does not apply to specialty products where shrimp  or prawn  constitutes less than 50% m/m of the 
contents.  
 
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/GL 21, Principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods  
 
CAC/RCP 1, Recommended international code of practice — General principles of food hygiene  
 
CAC/GL 30, Principles and guidelines for the conduct of microbiological risk assessment  
 
CAC/GL  31, Guidelines for the sensory evaluation of fish and shellfish in laboratories  
 
 
CAC/RCP 52 [CD/K/521:2010 ], Code of practice for fish and fishery products  
 
CAC/GL 53, Guidelines on the judgement of equivalence of sanitary measures associated with food 
inspection and certification systems  
 
Codex pesticide residues in food (online database https://www.acfs.go.th/codex/pesticide  
 
ARS 471 , Edible salt — Specification  
 
ARS 56 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Specification  
 
CODEX STAN 192 , General  standard for  food additives  
 
ISO 4831 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of coliforms — Most probable number technique  
 
ISO 4832 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony -count technique  
 
ISO 4833 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms — Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C  
 
ISO 6579 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp.  
 
ISO 6887 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Preparation of test samples, initial 
suspension and d ecimal dilutions for microbiological examination — Part 1: General rules for the 
preparation of the initial suspension and decimal dilutions  
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 1123:202 3 
2 © ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved  ISO 6887 -3, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Preparation of test samples, initial 
suspension and d ecimal dilutions for microbiological examination — Part 3: Specific rules for the 
preparation of fish and fishery products  
 
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphylococ ci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique 
using Baird -Parker agar medium  
 
ISO 6888 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus a nd other species) — Part 2: Technique 
using rabbit plasma fibrinogen agar medium  
 
ISO 6888 -3, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other specie s) — Part 3: Detection 
and MPN technique for low numbers  
 
ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
 
ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
Clostridium perfringens — Colony -count technique  
 
ISO 21567, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Shigella spp.  
 
ISO/TS 21872 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection 
of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. — Part 1: Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio 
cholerae  
 
ISO/TS 21872 -2, Microbiology of food and an imal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection 
of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. — Part 2: Detection of species other than Vibrio 
parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholera  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following definition s shall apply . 
 
3.1 Product definition  
 
Canned shrimp  or prawn  is the product prepared from any combination of species of the families 
Penaeidae , Pandalidae , Crangonidae and Palaemonidae from which heads, shell, and antennae  have 
been removed.  
 
3.2 Process definition  
 
Canned shrimp  or prawn  are packed in hermetically sealed containers and shall have received a 
processing  treatment sufficient to ensure commercial sterility.  
 
3.3 Presentation  
 
The product shall be presented as:  
 
3.3.1 Peeled shrimp  or prawns  (conventional)  — shrimp  or prawns  which have been beheaded 
and peeled without the intentional removal of the dorsal tract;  
 
3.3.2 Peeled and  de-veined  (Cleaned ) — peeled shrimp  or prawns  which have had the back cut 
open and the dorsal tract removed  at least up to the last segment next to the tail. The portion of the 
cleaned or de -veined shrimp shall make up  95% of the shrimp contents;  
 
3.3.3  Cocktail (Picnic) — any mixture of shrimp  or prawns  sizes which does not contain more than 
15% of  the drained weight of the contents (m/m) broken shrimp  or prawns . 
 
3.3.4  Salad  — any size or mixture of sizes, which does not contain more than  50% m/m broken 
shrimp  or prawn  in a can.  DARS 1123:202 3 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved  3  
3.3.5 Broken shrimp  — more than 10% of the shrimp contents consist of pieces of peeled shrimp 
of less than  four segments with or without the vein removed;  
 
3.3.6 Other forms of presentation  
 
Any other presentation shall be permitted provided that it:  
 
3.3.6.1 is suffic iently distinctive from other forms of presentation laid down in this standard;  
 
3.3.6.2 meets all other requirements of this standard;  
 
3.3.6.3 is adequately described on the label to avoid confusing or misleading the consumer.  
 
3.3.7 Size 
 
Canned shrimp  or prawns  may be designated as to size in accordance with:  
 
(i) the actual count range may be declared on the label; or  
 
(ii) provisions given in Annex "B".  
 
4 Essential composition and quality factors  
 
4.1 Shrimp  or prawn  
 
Shrimp  or prawn  shall be prepared from sound shrimp  or prawn  of the species in 3.1 which are of a 
quality fit  to be sold fresh for human consumption.  
 
4.2 Optional ingredients  
 
The packing medium and all other ingredients used shall be of food grade quality and conform t o all 
applicable ARSO  standards.  
 
 
5 Food additives  
 
Only permitted additives by CODEX STAN 192 may be used.  
 
6 Hygiene and handling  
 
6.1 The final product shall be free from any foreign material, that poses a threat to human health.  
 
 
(ii) shall be free from micro -organisms capable of development under normal conditions of  storage; 
and 
 
(iii) shall not contain any other substances including substances derived from micro organisms in  
amounts which may represent a hazard to health  
 
(iv) Shall  be free from container integrity defects which may compromise the hermetic seal.  
 
6.2 It is recommended that the products covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared 
and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the current edition  of CAC/RCP 1 and the 
sections on the Products of Aquaculture in the International Code of  Practice for Fish and Fishery 
Products CAC/RCP 52.  
 
 
 
 
6.3 Microbiological limits  for canned shrimps or prawn  
 
 The product shall comply with any microbiological requirement criteria specified in table 1  DARS 1123:202 3 
4 © ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved   
Table 1 — Microbiological limits  
 
S/No. Type of microorganism  Maximum limit  Method of test  
(i) E. coli per g  Absent  ISO 7251  
(ii) Staphylococcus aureus per 10 g  Nil/g ISO 6888  
(iii) Total viable count  104/g ISO 4833  
(vi) Vibrio cholerae  Absent  ISO/TS 21872  
(vii) Clostridium perfri ngens  Absent  ISO 7937  
(viiis) Clostridium  botulinium  Absent  ISO 7937  
FDA 2017  
 
Table 2 — Heavy metals Contaminant  limits for  canned shrimp or prawns  
 
Type of contaminant  Maximum limit  
(mg/kg)  Method of test  
(i) Arsenic  0.1 AOAC 952.13  
(ii) Copper  0.4 EAS 41  
(iii) Iron 5.0 EAS 41  
(iv) Tin   
 (a) For product packed in tin plate  50.00  EAS 41  
 (b) For product packed in other packing containers  250.00 EAS 41  
(vi) Lead  0.3 AOAC 972.23  
(vii) Cadmium  0.3 AOAC 973.34  
(viii) Methylmercury  0.5 AOAC 983.20  
(ix) Zinc 50.0 EAS 41  
 
7 Labelling  
 
In addition to provisions of ARS 56 the following specific provisions apply:   
7.1 The name of the Product  
 
7.1.1 The name of the product as declared on the label shall be "shrimp", or "prawns", and may be 
preceded  or followed by the common or usual name of the species in accordance with the law and 
custom of the country  in which the pro duct is sold and in a manner not to mislead the consumer.  
 
7.1.2 The name of the product shall be qualified by a term descriptive of the presentation in 
accordance with  3.3.1 to 3.3.4. 
 
7.1.3 If the canned shrimp are labelled as to size, the size shall comply with the provisions of 3.3.5 
and Annex "B".  
 
7.1.4 Broken shrimp defined in 3.3.3 shall be so labelled.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  DARS 1123:202 3 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved  5  
Bibliography  
 
 
EAS 41 
 
CAC/RCP 52 Code of  Practice for Fish and Fishery Products . 
 
 DARS 1123:20 23 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved