a 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ICS 67.160.1 0                        DMS 1695 :2021  
       First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cider and Perry  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE – This is a draft proposal and shall neither be used nor regarded as a Malawi standard  
 
 
  
  ICS 67.160.1 0         DMS 1695:2021
                First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cider and Perry  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
Moirs Road  
P O Box 946  
BLANTYRE  
 
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                                                                              Fax:  +265 1 870 756  
                                                                          E-mail:  mbs@mbsmw.org  
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
  
Contents                                                                                                                                                     page  
Foreword ………………………………… ………………………………..……………………………………………  ii 
Technical committee …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii 
Notice ……………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… …….... ii 
Scope ………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………..  1 
Normative references ……………………………………………………………………………………………………  1 
Terms and definitions ..…………………………………… …………………………………………………………….  1 
Essen tial composition and quality factors …………………………………………………………………………….. 2 
Food additives………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 2 
Contaminants …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  2 
Hygiene ………………..………………………………………………………………………………….. ...................  2 
Packaging and l abelling ……………………..……………………………………………… ………………………….  3 
Sampling and me ethods of test …………… …………………………………………………… ……………………..  3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standard  was prepared by MBS/TC 11, the Technical Committee on  Alcoholic and non -
alcoholic b everages , to provide requirements for cider and perry.   
 
In prep aring this draft Malawi standard reference was made to  the following standard : 
 
Uganda s tandard,  US 2132:2019 , Cider and perry  – Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the above standard . 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi s tandard was prepared by MBS/TC 11 , the Technical Committee on Alcoholic and non -
alcoholic b everages , and the following companies, organizations a nd institutions were consulted : 
 
Castel Malawi Brew ery Limited;  
Chibuku Products Limited;  
Competition and Fair Trading  Commission;  
Consu mer Association of Malawi;  
Environmental Affairs De partment;  
Immortals Limi ted; 
Lilongwe Dairy ( 2001) Limited;  
Malawi Environment Protection A uthority;  
Malawi Revenue Authority;  
Malawi University of Business and Appli ed Sciences;  
Ministry of  Health;  
Ministry of Local Government;  
Ministry of Trade and Indus try; 
Rab Processors Limit ed; 
Shoprite Limit ed; 
Universal Industries Limited; and  
University of  Malawi.  
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This draft standard shall be reviewed every five years, or earlier when ever it is necessary, in order to keep 
abreast of progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .1 
 DMS 1695 :2021  
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Cider and perry  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi  standard specifies the requirements, method s of sampling and test for cider and perry for 
human consumption .  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this 
Malawi standard. All standar ds are subject to revision and, since any reference to a standard is deemed to 
be a reference to the latest edition of that standard, parties to agreements based on this standard are 
encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard s indicated below. 
Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19:  Labelling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21:  Food and food processing unit s – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 107 : Alcoholic beverages   ̶  Methods of test ;  
 
MS 237: Food additives – General standard;   
 
MS 302: Contaminants and toxins  in food  and feed  – General standard . 
 
ISO 4832: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs –Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms – Colony -count technique;  
 
ISO 4833: 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 6579:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal metho d for the detection of Salmonella 
spp; and 
 
ISO 7251:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli – Most probable number technique . 
 
 
3 TERM S AND DEFINITION S 
 
For the purposes of this draft standard , the following te rms and definition s shall apply;  
 
3.1 
cider  
alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of the juice of apples or a mixture of the juice of apples and 
pears with or without the addition of potable water, su gars or concentrated apple or pear juices of which 
atleast 50  % apple juice is included in any mixture from  which fermentation takes place  
 
3.2 
perry  
alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of the juice of pears or a mi xture of the juice of pears and 
apples with or without the addition of potable water, sugars or concentrated pear or apple juices of which 
atleast 50  % pear juice is included in any mixture from which fermentation takes place  
  
2 
 4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
4.1 General requ irements  
 
4.1.1 The ingredients used in the production of ciders and perry shall co nform to the relevant Malawi 
standards;  
 
4.1.2 Cider and perry shall b e free from an y substances deleterious to health;   
 
4.1.3  Cider and perry shall be free from haze and s uspended particles; and  
 
4.1.4  Cider and perry shall h ave the characteristic appearance, taste and aroma of their type.  
 
4.2 Specific requi rements   
 
Cider and perry  shall conform to the compositional requirement s in Table 1 . 
 
Table 1 – Composition al requi rements for cider and perry  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Characteristic  
 Requirement  
 Test methods  
1 Ethyl alcohol content , %, v/v .  2.5 – 15   
MS 107  2 Volatile acidity expressed as acetic acid , g/l, max.  1.4 
3 Total acidity (as malic acid), g/l.  3.0 – 8.0 
 
4.2.5 Cider and perry  shall comply with limits for microorganisms  specified in Table 2 . 
 
Table 2  – Microbiological limits for  cider and perry  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Characteristic  Maximum limit  Test method s 
1 Coliforms, cfu/ml  Absent  ISO 4832  
2 Total  plate  count, cfu/ml  102 ISO 4833 -1 
3 E. coli,  per 100 ml  Absent  ISO 7251  
4 Salmonella spp . per 25 ml  absent  ISO 6579  
 
 
5 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Only those food additives listed under this product in MS 237 , may be used and o nly within the limits 
specified .  
 
 
6 CONTAMINANT S 
 
6.1 Heavy metals  
 
The products covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum levels of heavy metals and toxic 
substances prescribed in MS 302.  
 
6.2 Pesticide residues  
 
All the raw material s used i n the production of cider and perry  shall comply  with the maximum residue limits 
for pesticides as established by the  Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
 
7 HYGIENE  
 
The product  covered by the provisions of this draft standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance 
with the requirements set out in MS 2 1.    
3 
 8 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
8.1 Packaging   
 
8.1.1  Cider and perry  shall be packaged in suitable food grade containers.  
 
8.1.2  Cider and perry  shall be packaged for bulk delivery and storage i n containers that shall prevent 
contamination of the product and preserve its safety and quality.  
 
8.2 Labelling  
 
In addition to provisions prescribed in MS 19, the following information shall be marked or labelled indelibly 
and legib ly on the cider and perry  packages : 
 
8.2.1  Name of the p roduct shall be “ Cider or P erry” in close proximity to the brand name ; 
 
8.2.2  Name, physical location and address of manufacturer, packer, distributor, importer, exporter or 
vendor of the product;  
 
8.2.3  Ethyl alcohol content, % by volume;  
 
8.2.4  List of ingredients in descendi ng order o f proportion by mass;  
 
8.2.5  Net contents  in volume;   
 
8.2.6  Best before date;   
 
8.2.7  Date of manufacture;  
 
8.2.8  Country of origin ; 
 
8.2.9  A statement “Sale to and consumption by persons under  18 years of age is prohibited ” or use 
relevant symbols e.g. + 18 years to represent the statement ; and  
 
8.2.10  Batch identification number/code.  
 
 
9 SAMPLING AND METHODS OF TEST  
 
The product s covered by the provisions of this standard  shall be  sampl ed and  tested using appropriate 
standard methods declared in this sta ndard.  
 
 
 
  
 
ICS 67.160.1 0         DMS 1695 :2021
               First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI B UREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of  Trade and Industry .  Set up 
in 1972 by the Malawi Bureau of Standards 
Act (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal 
body whose activities aim at formulating and 
promoting the general adoption of standards 
relating to structures, commodities, materials, 
practices, operations and from time to time 
revise, alter and amend the same to 
incorporate advanced technology.  To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this sc heme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national 
standards are granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability.