Reference number  
DRS  410: 2019  
© RSB 2019  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
410 
 
First edition  
2019 -mm-dd 
 
Cigar s — Specification  
 
  DRS  410: 2019  
ii        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2019  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
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E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS  410: 2019  
iii        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4.1.1  Description  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2 
4.1.2  Length  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  2 
4.1.3  Mass Per 1000 Cigars  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4.1.4  Freedom from mould attack and tobacco beetle attack  ................................ ...............................  3 
4.1.5  Harmful substances  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  3 
4.1.6  Additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
4.1.7  Burning quality  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
4.1.8  Filler tobacco  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
4.1.9  Wrapper tobacco  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  3 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
5 Packaging and labelling ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
5.1 Pack aging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
5.2 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  4 
5 Sorting  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  4 
6 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
Annex  A (normative)  Examination for freedom from mould attack and tobacco beetle attack  ....... 5 
Annex  B (normative)  Sampling of cigar  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 6 
B.1 General requirements of sampling  ................................ ................................ .............................  6 
B.2 Scale of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  6 
B.3 Prep aration of samples  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  7 
B.3.1  Individual  samples  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  7 
B.3.2   Composite sample  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  7 
B.3.3   Referee sample  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  7 
B.4 Number of tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  7 
B.5 Criteria of conformity  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  8 
Annex  C (normative)  Determination of total ash  ................................ ................................ ...................  9 
C.1 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 9 DRS  410: 2019  
iv        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  D (normative)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  10 
D.1 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 10 
D.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 10 
Annex  E (normative) Determination of total chlorides  ................................ ................................ ........  11 
E.1 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 11 
E.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 11 
E.3 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 11 
. DRS  410: 2019  
v        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB,  in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards. Final Draft Rwanda Standards adopted 
by Technical committees are ratifie d by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS  410 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 24, Chemicals and consumer products . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following stan dard:  
IS 1769 -1:1994 , Cigar s and Cheroots - Specification, Part 1: Cigars  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Chemicals and consumer 
products (RSB/TC 24)  in the preparation of this standard.  
University of Rwanda - College of Science and Technology  
University of Rwanda - College of Education  
Star Construction and Consultancy  Ltd 
AB Chalk  
STB 
Unique Chalk  
Rwanda Inves tigation Bureau  
Here and Now Group Ltd  
AGROPY Ltd  
AMEKI Color  
Standards for Sustainability  DRS  410: 2019  
vi        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS  410: 2019  
vii        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Introduction  
A cigar  is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. They are produced in a 
wide variety of sizes and shapes. Almost all cigars are made up of three distinct components: the filler, the 
binder leaf which holds the filler together, and a wrapper leaf, (which is often the best leaf used). Regular cigar 
smoking is known to carry seri ous health risks including increased danger of various types of cancer and 
cardiovascular illnesses.  
Some cigars use different varieties of tobacco for the filler and the wrapper. Long filler cigars  are a far higher 
quality of cigar, using long leaves thro ughout. These cigars also use a third variety of tobacco leaf, called a  
"binder", between the filler and the outer wrapper. This permits the makers to use more delicate and attractive 
leaves as a wrapper. These high -quality cigars almost always blend varieties of tobacco.  
 
Tobacco leaves are harvested and aged using a curing process that combines heat and shade to reduce sugar 
and water content without causing the bigger leaves to rot. This takes between 25 and 45 days, depending upon 
climatic conditio ns and the nature of sheds or barns used to store harvested tobacco. Curing varies by type of 
tobacco and desired leaf colo ur. A slow fermentation follows, where temperature and humidity are controlled to 
enhance flavo ur, aroma, and burning characteristics  while forestalling rot or disintegration.  
 
 
 
 
 
 DRS  410: 2019  
1        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Cigar s — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda Standard specifies  the requirements, methods of sa mpling and test for cigars.  
 
It does not cover the requirements for flavour and aroma of cigars . 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or a ll 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.  
RS ISO 3402, Tobacco and tobacco products  — Atmosphere for conditioning and testing  
RS ISO 8454,  Cigarettes  — Determination of carbon monoxide in the vapour phase of cigarette smoke  — NDIR 
method  
ISO 16632, T obacco and tobacco products — Determination of water content — Gas chromatography  method  
ISO 1 5152, Tobacco  — Determination of the content of total alkaloids as nicotine — Continuous –flow analysis 
method  
RS ISO 17318,  Solid fertilisers and soil conditioners  — Determination of arsenic, cadmium. Chromium, lead 
and mercury contents.  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
nicotine  
toxic colourless or yellowish oily liquid which is the chief active constituent of tobacco  
3.2 
moisture content  
ratio of the mass of water  in a sample to the mass of  solids in the sample, expressed as a percentage  DRS  410: 2019  
2        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 3.3 
wrapper  
cigar's outermost layer. It is the most expensive component of a cigar.  The wrapper determines much of the 
cigar's character and flavo ur, and as such its colo ur is often used to describe the cigar as a whole  
3.4 
 
binder  
small bunch of "filler" leaves bound together inside of a leaf, beneath the wrapper.  Binder leaf is generally 
considerably thicker and hardier than the wrapper leaf surrounding it  
3.5 
 
filler  
bulk of a cigar, a bound bunch of tobacco leaves. These leaves are folded by hand to allow air passageways 
down the length of the cigar through which smoke is drawn after the cigar is lit  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General  requirements  
4.1.1  Description  
4.1.1.1  Cigars are made from uncut tobacco. Cigar shall be made of filler tobacco forming its central core, 
the binder tobacco binding the filler and folding it into shape . The outside of the cigars shall be wrapped with 
wrapper leaves. A typical cigar shall approximately contain  85 % filler tobacco, 10.5  % binder and 4.5  % wrapper 
tobacco. It is the cigar wrapper that imparts to the cigar the fine finish, good burn, agreeable flavour and 
delectable aroma. Cigar shall be closed at one end and open at the other end or both ends may  be kept open. 
The ends may be cylindrical  
4.1.1.2  The adhesive shall not contain copper sulphate or any other preservative.  
4.1.2  Length  
The length of cigar shall be between 75 mm  and 150 mm.  
 
4.1.3  Mass Per 1000 Cigars  
The mass of 1 000 cigars shall be between 3.0 kg and 11.0 kg. DRS  410: 2019  
3        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 4.1.4  Freedom from mould attack  and t obacco beetle attack  
Cigars shall be free from  any mould attack an d tobacco beetle attack when examined by the method 
prescribed in Annex A.  
 
4.1.5  Harmful substances  
The material shall not contain any harmful substa nces.  
 
4.1.6  Additives  
Any substances, if added, shall be of nature and purity which are sui table for use as food additives.  
 
4.1.7  Burning quality  
Cigars shall burn evenly. Chemical agents shall not be used for obtaining better burn of cigars.  
 
 
4.1.8  Filler tobacco  
It shall consists of air -cured or sun -cured cigar tobacco, sweated or unsweated. The desirable quality 
characteris tics shall be thin to medium and pliable texture, good size, mild strength, good burning with white 
ash and agreeable flavour. For binder, leaf w ith thin veins is considered more suitable.  
 
4.1.9  Wrapper tobacco  
It shall consist of cigar -wrapper tobacco grown under shade or in open and air -cured under shade. The leaf 
shall be thi n, elastic, free from damage and blemish, of parrot green colour, having fine texture and good 
burning quality.  
4.2 Specific  requirements  
Table 1  — Specific re quirements for cigar  
S/N Characteristics  Requirement  Test method  
i) Moisture content, percent by mass   11.0 to 16.0  ISO 16632  
ii) Nicotine (on dry basis), percent by mass, Max 3.0 ISO1 5152  
iii) Carbon monoxide , mg/m3 , max 15 RS ISO 8454  
iv) Total ash (on dry basis), percent by mass, Max 25.0 Annex C  
v) Acid insoluble ash (on dry basis), percent by mass, Max  5.0 Annex D  
vi) Total chloride s (on dry basis), percent by mass, Max  1.5 Annex  E 
   vii) Freedom from poisonous and  
 toxic materials, mg/Kg, max  
 Lead as P b 10 
RS ISO 17318  Arsenic as As 2O3 2 
Cadmium  7 DRS  410: 2019  
4        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
  Chromium  10 
Mercury  2 
 
5 Packaging and labelling  
5.1 Packaging  
Cigars shall be pack aged in 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 numbers in a wooden, ti n or cardboard box opening only at the 
top; or on a paper wrapper completely closed on all sides and wi th all outer edges gummed down; or as agreed 
to between the purchaser and the vendor.  
5.2 Labelling  
Each packet of cigars shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following:  
a) description of contents;  
 
b) name of the manufacturer or the distinguishing mark of the manufacturer ; 
 
c) brand or brand code ; 
 
d) number of cigars ; 
 
e) date of manufacture or date code ; 
 
f) colour of wrapper ; and 
 
g) any other statutory information . 
 
 
5 Sorting  
After manufacture, cigars shall be graded according to the colour of the wrapper. Cigars of uniform colour  shall 
be pack aged in one packet.  
 
 
6 Sampling  
Draw of representative samples of the material and the criteria of conformity shall be as prescribed in Annex 
B. DRS  410: 2019  
5        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Examination for freedom from mould attack and tobacco beetle attack  
A.1 Take five cigars and visually examine the surface of each for the presence of any penetrations by tobacco 
beetles. Cut open these cigars one by one on a clean white sheet of paper.  
A.2 Examine the cut material carefully for the presence of Lasioderm serric orne (tobacco beetle) in all its 
stages, that is egg, larval, pupal and alive or dead adult, either visually or with the help of a hand lens 
(magnification x 10).  
 DRS  410: 2019  
6        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Sampling of cigar  
B.1 General requirements of sampling  
B.1.1  In drawing, preparing, storing and handling samples, the following precautions and directions shall be 
observed.  
B.1.1 .1 Precautions shall be taken to draw the samples so as to protect the sample, the material being 
sampled and the receptacles for samples from loss or  gain of moisture and from adventitious contamination . 
B.1.1.2  The samples shall be placed in clean and dry receptacles. The receptacles shall be sealed airtight 
after filling and marked with full details of sampling, date of manufacture, name of the manuf acturer and other 
important particulars of the consignment . 
B.1.1.3  Samples shall be stored in such a manner that the conditions of storage do not unduly affect the 
quality of the material.   
B.1.1.4  Sampling shall be done by a person agreed to between the purchaser and the vendor and in the 
presence of the purchaser (or his representative) and the vendor (or his representative).  
B.2 Scale of sampling  
B.2.1  All the bulk containers in a single consignment of the material pertaining to the same brands shall 
constitute a lot. If the consignment is declared to consist of different brands, the bulk containers belonging to 
the same brand shall be grouped together to constitute a lot.  
B.2.2  Samples shall be tested for each lot for ascertaining conformity of the ma terials to the requirements of 
this s tandard . 
B.2.3 The number of bulk containers to be selected from the lot shall depend on the size of the lot and shall 
be in accordance with Table B1. 
Table B1 — Number of Bulk Containers to be selected for Sampling  
 
Lot size  Number of bulk containers to be s elected  
N n 
1 2 
Below 5  2 
6 to 10  3 DRS  410: 2019  
7        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Over 10  4 
B.2.4 These bulk containers shall be chosen at random and for this purpose some random number table as 
agreed to between the purchaser and the vendor shall be used. In case such a table is not available, the 
following procedure shall be adopted . 
B.2.5 Arrange all the bulk containers in the lot in one order and count them as 1,  2, 3..., up to r and so on, 
every rth bulk container thus counted shall be withdrawn to give a sample for test, where r = N/n (see Table  B1). 
If r comes to be a fractional number, its value shall be taken as equal to the integral part of it.  
B.3 Preparation of samples  
B.3.1  Individual  samples  
B.3.1.1  The number of packets to be taken at random from each selected bulk container shall be sufficient 
so as to give about 300 g of the material. The material so taken shall be mixed 150 g of the same shall be taken, 
crushed into small pieces, thoroughl y mixed together and then divided into three equal parts. Each part shall 
constitute an individual sample representing the bulk container and shall be transferred immediately to 
thoroughly clean and dry receptacles and sealed air -tight. The receptacles sha ll be labelled with the particulars 
given under B.2.2.  
B.3.1.2  The individual samples so obtained from the lot shall be divided into three sets in such a way that 
every set has an individual sample representing each selected bulk container. One of these se ts shall be marked 
for the purchaser, another for the vendor and the third for the referee and all the three sets shall bear the seals 
of the purchaser and the vendor.  
B.3.2   Composite sample  
B.3.2.1  From the portion of the material left over after prepari ng the individual sample (see B. 3.1), equal 
quantities of material shall be taken for each selected container and well mixed together to form a composite 
sample of about 150 g for the lot.  
B.3.2.2  The composite sample shall be divided into three equal part s, one for the purchaser, another for 
the vendor and the third for the referee and all the three samples shall bear the seals of the purchaser and the 
vendor.  
B.3.3   Referee sample  
Referee sample shall consist of a set of individual sample (see B. 3.1) and a composite sample (see  B.3.2) 
marked for this purpose and shall bear the seals of the purchaser and the vendor. These shall be kept at a place 
agreed to between the two.  
B.4 Number of tests  
B.4.1  Tests for the determination of moisture content, nicotine and total ash shall be conducted on each of 
the individual sample (see B.3.1).  DRS  410: 2019  
8        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 B.4.2  Tests for the determination of the remaining characteristics shall be conducted  on the composite sample 
(see B. 3.2). 
B.5 Criteria of conformity  
B.5.1  A lot shall be declared as conforming to the specification when:  
a) each of the test results for moisture content, nicotine and total ash satisfies the corresponding requirement 
specified in Table 1. If, however, one or m ore test results do not satisfy the respective requirement, for 
moisture content, the conformity of the lot shall be ascertained in accordance with B.5.1.1 ; and  
b) the test results on the composite samples for the remaining requirements shall satisfy the corresponding 
requirements as given in Table B2.  
 
B.5.1.1  In case one or more of the test results do not satisfy the requirements for moisture content, nicotine 
and tot al ash, the following procedure shall be adopted for determining conformity of the material in respect of 
these characteristics. The mean and the range of the corresponding test results shall be calculated as:  
 
 
Mean(X) =       𝐒𝐮𝐦  𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭  𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬          
𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫  𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭  𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 
 
 
Range (R)  = Difference between the maximum and the minimum of the test result  
 
The appropriate expression as shown in column 6 of Table 3 shall be calculated. If the values of these 
expression satisfy the relevant  condition as given in column  6 of Table 3, the lot shall be deemed to have 
satisfied the requirements for moisture content, nicotine and total ash . 
Table B2 — Crite ria for Conformity  
 
S/N Characteristics  Test result  
1,2,3,…,n  Average  Range  Criteria for Conformity  
i) 
 Moisture content  
 - X1 R1 
 X1  ±0.4  
R1 shall lie between 11.0 and 16.0  
ii) 
 Nicotine  
 - X2 R2 
 X2+0.4 
R2≤ 3.0  
iii) 
 Total ash  
 - X3 R3 
 X3+0.4 
R3 ≤ 25.0 DRS  410: 2019  
9        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of total ash  
C.1 Procedure  
C.1.1 Accurately weigh about 10g of the material into a tared 9 cm diameter platinum, porcelain or silica dish. 
Carefully dry the material on a burner flame and char it completely until all organic matter is destroyed. Ignite 
the charred material by placing the  dish in a muffle furnace maintained at a temperature of 550 ±25ºC for 2 
hours. Cool the dish and weigh. Note the mass of the ash contained in the dish.  
C.1.2 preserve the ash for the determination of acid insoluble ash  
C.1.3 Calculation  
Total ash content of the material (on dry basis), % by mass =10 000  w
W (100 −M) 
 
where, 
w = mass, in g rams , of the ash;  
W = mass, in g rams , of the material  taken f or the test;  
M= loss on heating, percent by mass  DRS  410: 2019  
10        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  D 
(normative)  
                                            Determ ination of acid insoluble ash  
D.1  Reagents  
D.1.1 Dilute Hydrochloric Acid, 1 :1 (v/v)  
D.1.2 Concentrated Nitric Acid,  1.42g 
D.2 Procedure  
D.2.1 Moisten the ash contained in the dish with a few drops of water. Cover the dish and carefully add 20 ml 
of dilute hydrochloric acid avoiding loss due to effervescence. Place the covered dish on a water bath and digest 
for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and rinse  the cover, add one millilitre of concentrated nitric acid to oxidize any 
ferrous salts and evaporate the contents to dryness. Heat for about 30 minutes on water bath dehydrate the 
silica. If necessary, heat for one hour in an oven at 110°C to complete the  dehydration. Moisten the dry salt with 
10 ml of dilute hydrochloric acid and 50 ml of water. Heat on water bath until all soluble salts are in solution. 
Filter through a filter paper (Whatman No. 44 or equivalent) and collect the filtrate in a 500 ml volu metric flask. 
Transfer the residue to the filter paper and wash several times with hot dilute hydrochloric acid.  
D.2.2 Transfer the filter paper along with the residue to a platinum dish or silica crucible and ignite to bright 
red heat. Cool and weigh the  material.  
D.2.3 Calculation  
Acid insoluble ash (on dry basis), =10 000 (W2−W)
W1 (100 −M) 
 
 
where, 
 
W2=mass, in grams , of dish with acid insoluble ash;  
W  = mass, in grams , of empty dish;  
W1 = mass, in grams , of the material taken for the test; and  
M  = loss on heating, percent by mass  
 
 DRS  410: 2019  
11        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  E 
(normative)  
Determination of total chlorides  
E.1 Reagents  
E.1.1 Standard Silver Nitrate Solution, 0.1 N. Standardize against potassium chloride as in E.2. 
E.1.2 Dilute Nitric Acid, 1 :9 (v/v).  
E.2 Procedure  
Weigh accurately about  2 g of tobacco into a 250 ml beaker. Add 100 ml of water, a small amount in the first 
instance to wet the tobacco thoroughly and then the remainder. Allow it to stand for at least 5 minutes at room 
temperature, stirring intermittently. Add 5 ml of dilute nitric acid into the mixture and insert the clean electrodes. 
Start magnetic stirrer and continue stirring throughout titration at a rate sufficient to produce vigorous agitation 
without sputtering. Titrate with standard silver nitrate solution to the pote ntial previously established as 
equivalent point. Determine equivalence point graphically by making several titrations on one or more tobacco 
samples. Recheck occasionally and determine when either electrode is replaced. Record the volume of the 
titrant.  
E.3 Calculation  
Total chlorides (on dry basis),  percent by mass = 𝑉×𝑁× 3.54533
𝑊 
 
 
 
where,  
 
V = volume, in ml, of silver nitrate solution required for the test  
N = normality of silver nitrate solution  
W = mass in grams, of the sample taken for the test  
 
 
 
            DRS  410: 2019  
12        ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] IS 5643 (1999): Tobacco and tobacco products — Methods of tests for tobacco  
 
 DRS 4 10: 2019  
ICS 65.160  
 
©RSB 2019 - All right s reserved