DRAFT ZANZIBAR  NATIONAL  STANDARD  
 
 
Seaweed  based pickle  - Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ZANZIBAR BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved           First Edition  
 
 
 
WGD 6: 2021  
PCD 451:202 3 
ICS 67.080.20  
ICS 67.120.30   
  PCD 451: 202 3 
 
©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved  
 ii 
 Foreword  
 
This draft Zanzibar National Standard has been developed Food Standard Technical committee 
(TCFA1). In accordance with ZBS general procedures, this draft standard is presented to the public in 
order to receive any technical and editorial comment concerns.  
 
The Zanzibar Bureau of Standard (ZBS) was established under Standard Act No. 1 of 2011.   
 
In the preparation of this Standard, the reference was derived from:  ZNS 272:2019  Pickles — 
Specification  
 
Zanzibar Bureau of Standards (ZBS)  
PO Box 1136  
Zanzibar  
Tel:  +255 24 2232225  
Fax: +255 24 2232225  
E-mail: info@zbs.go.tz  
Web: www.zbs.go.tz  
 PCD 451: 202 3 
 
3                                                                                                             ©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved  
 Seaweed  based pickle  - Specification  
 
1 Scope  
This draft Zanzibar national  standard specifies requirements, method of sampling and test of  seaweed -
based  pickles intended for human consumption.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this draft Zanzib ar National 
Standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition 
of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of pra ctice 
 
CODEX STAN 192 , General Standard for Food Additives  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
 
ISO 750 , Fruits, vegetables and derived products – Sampling and methods of test – Part 2: 
Determination of titratable acidy  
 
ISO 2448  Fruits and vegetable products – Determination of ethanol content  
 
ISO 4833 -2, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 2: Colony count at 30 °C by the surface plating technique  
 
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 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
 
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 degrees C 
using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indoly beta -D- glucuronide  
 
ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in produ cts with water activity less than or equal 
to 0,95  
 
ZNS 61 , Packaging and labeling of food  
 
ZNS 94, Rounding off numerical values  
 
ZNS 325, Fruits and vegetables – Determination of Sodium Chloride in brine  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this Standard, the following (terms and) definitions shall apply.  
3.1  
seaweed  
cluster of macroscopic and multi cellular marine algae of the division Rhodophyta (red), Phaeophyta 
(brown) and Chlorophyta (green)  
 
3.2  
seaweed pickles  
fruits or vegetables preserved in common salt, vinegar, edible oil or citrus fruits juices  with added 
seaweed            PCD 451: 202 3 
 
©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved  
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 3.3  
foreign matter  
organic and inorganic matter  other than seaweed -based pickle  
3.3.1   
inorganic foreign matter  
components, such as stone, sand, plastic, glass, shells, and dust  
3.3.2   
organic foreign matter  
components such as filth, rodents and their derivatives  
3.4  
food grade  packaging  material   
material  which shall safeguard the hygienic, safety, nutritional, technological, and organoleptic qualities 
of the product  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
 
The following ingredients complying with relevant  Zanzibar  standards shall be used:  
 
a) Seaweed  
b) Fruit and/or vegetables  
c) Water,  
d) Salt, and/or edible oil or acidic media such as vinegar  
e) spices, aromatic herbs and/or condiment  
f) sugar  
 
4.2 General requirements  
 
Seaweed based pickle  shall  
a) contain not less than 1 0% of seaweed  
b) be practically free from damage or fungal attack ; 
c) be packed with or without a suita ble liquid packing medium (e.g edible  oil, brine or acidic media 
such as vinegar) ; 
d) have characteristic appearance ; 
e) be of pleasant taste and flavour ; and   
f) not show any sign of fermentation.  
  
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
Seaweed based pickle  shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance 
with the  test methods specified therein   
Table 1 : Specific requirements for  Seaweed based pickle  
 
Sn  
Characteristic   
Requirement   
Method of test  
i.  Fluid portion, per cent by mass of the net 
mass, max.  33.3 By proportion  
ii.   Acidity, as acetic by fluid  portion, percent by 
mass, max.(preserved by vinegar)  3.0 
ISO 750  
iii.  Acidity as citric acid, percent by mass, min. 
(preserved by citrus juice)  1.2 
iv.  Sodium chloride, percent by mass, max.  12 ZNS 325  
v.  Ethanol content, max as ethyl alcohol  0.3 ISO 2448  
 PCD 451: 202 3 
 
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5 Food additives  
 
Seaweed based pickle  may contain only permitted additives in accordance with CODEX STAN 192. 
 
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Heavy Metal contamination  
 
Seaweed based pickle  shall comply with those maximum heavy metal limits established by the Codex 
Stan 193.  
6.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Seaweed based pickle  shall comply with those maximum pesticide residues limits established in the 
Codex pesticide residues in food online data base.  
7 Hygiene  
Seaweed based pickle  shall be produced, transported and /or distributed in accordance with 
requirements set according to EAS 39 and  shall comply with microbiological limits given in Table 2 when 
tested in accordance with the methods specified therein.  
Table 2: Microbiological limits for seaweed -based  pickle  
S/No  Microorganism  Limit  Test method  
i.  Total plate count, cfu/g, max.  105 ISO 4833 -1/2 
ii.  Yeasts and moulds, cfu/g, max.  102 ISO 21527 -2 
iii.  Salmonella spp , per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iv.  Escherichia coli, cfu/g  Absent  ISO 16649 -2 
 
8 Weights and measures  
Seaweed  based  pickle  shall be packed in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of the 
Zanzibar . 
 
9 Packaging  
 
Seaweed  based  pickle  shall be packaged in food grade material  
 
10 Labelling   
 
10.1 In addition to the labelling requirements specified in ZNS 61, the containers shall be also legibly 
and indelibly labelled with the following: - 
 
a) name of the product  ‘Seaweed based pickle ’;             
b) brand name/trade name  if any ;  
c) name and address of producer/packer/distributor;  
d) storage condition;  
e) date of manufacture;  
f) expiry date;  
g) list of ingredients ;           PCD 451: 202 3 
 
©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved  
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 h) lot identification or batch or code number;  
i) country of origin;  
j) net weight in metric un it; and  
k) instruction for disposal of used packaged material  
 
10.2 The language on the label shall be ‘Kiswahili’ and/or English. Additional language may be used 
depending on the designated market.  
 
11 Sampling  
 
Sampling of Seaweed based pickle  shall be done according Annex A 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex A 
(normative) 
Sam pling 
 
A.1 Definitions  
 
A.1.1   
lot 
collection of primary containers or units of the same size, type, and style manufactured  or packed 
under similar conditions and handled as a single unit of trade  
 
A.1.2   
lot size 
number of primary containers or units in the lot 
 
A.1.3   PCD 451: 202 3 
 
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 sample size 
total number of sample units drawn  for examination from a  lot 
 
A.1.4   
sample unit 
container, a portion of the contents of a container, or a composite mixture of product  from small 
containers th at is sufficient for the examination or testing as a single unit. For fill of container, the sample 
unit shall be the entire contents of the container 
 
 
A.2 Sampling plans  
 
Sampling shall be done in accordance  with the plan specified in Table A.2. 
 
Table A.2 :Sampling plan 
  
 
 
Lot size (primary containers)  
Size of container,  
na 
 
Net weight equal to or less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) 
 
4 800 or less  
13 
 
4 801 to 24 000  
21 
 
24 001 to 48 000  
29 
 
48 001 to 84 000  
48 
 
84 001 to 144 000  
84 
 
144 001 to 240 000  
126 
 
Over 240 000  
200 
 
Net weight greater than 1 kg (2.2 lb) but not more than 4.5 kg (10 lb) 
 
2 400 or less 
 
 
 
 
  
13 
 
Table 1 concluded  
 
2 401 to 15 000  
21 
 
15 001 to 24 000  
29 
 
24 001 to 42 000  
48 
 
42 001 to 72, 000  
84 
 
72 001 to 120 000  
126 
 
Over 120 000  
200 
 
Net weight greater than 4.5 kg (10 lb)           PCD 451: 202 3 
 
©ZBS 202 3 - All rights reserved  
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600 or less  
13 
 
601 to 2 000  
21 
 
2 001 to 7 200  
29 
 
7 201 to 15 000  
48 
 
15 001 to 24 000  
84 
 
24 001 to 42 000  
126 
 
Over 42 000  
200 
 
a      n is the number of primary containers in sample.