AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
1079  
First Edition 2023 
 
 Reference No. CD-ARS 1079 :2023(E) 
 
ICS 67.100.30  
 
 
© ARSO 20 23 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cheese s in Brine — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS  1079 :2023 
ii © ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved   
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  2 
4.2 General requirement  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  2 
4.3 Compositional Requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
5 Food Additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  2 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
8.1 Name of the food  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
8.2 Declaration of milkfat content  ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
8.3 Declaration of milk protein  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
8.4 Additional Mandatory Requirements.  ................................ .... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
8.5 Labelling of non -retail containers  ................................ ................................ ...........................  4 
9     Packaging………………………………………………………………… ………………….. ……………. 4 
10   Methods of Sampling and Analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 5 
 
  DARS 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 20 23 — 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 internal 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 committees 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 subject of 
patent rights. ARSO  shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 
This African Standard was prepared by the ARSO Technical Committee on Milk and milk products 
(ARSO/TC 04) 
 
 
 
 
 
© 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  1079 :2023 
iv © ARSO 20 23 — 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 writt en permission from ARSO.  
 
Requests for permission to reproduce 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 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved  v  
 
 
 DARS 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved  1  
Cheese s in Brine - Specification  
 
1 Scope  
 
This draft African Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for Cheeses in Brine, 
intended for direct consumption or further processing, in conformity with the description in Clause 3 of 
this Standard.  
 
Subject to the provisions of this Group Standard, African Standards for individual varieties of Cheeses 
in Brine may contain provisions which are more specific than those in this Standard  
 
 
2 Normative references  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For 
undated references, the latest ed ition of the referenced standard  (including any amendments) applies.  
 
CODEX STAN 192 -General Standard for Food Additives  
 
CXS 193 -General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed  
 
CXC 1 -General Principles of Food Hygiene  
 
CXC 57 -Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products  
 
CXG 21 -Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods  
 
CXS 1 -General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged  Foods  
 
CXS 234 - Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling  
 
WD-ARS XXX - Glossary of Dairy Terms  
 
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 11290 -1, Microbiology of the food chain. Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of 
Listeria monocytogenes and of Listeria spp. Part 1: Detection method  
 
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of the food chain -Horizontal method for the enumeration of coagulase -
positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) : Part 1: Method using Baird -Parker 
agar medium  
 
ISO 16649, Microbiology of the food chain -Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta -
glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli : Part 1: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using 
membranes and 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
 
ISO 19020 ,  Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the immunoenzymatic detection of 
staphylococcal enterotoxins in foodstuffs  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
 
Cheeses in Brine are semi -hard to soft ripened cheeses in co nformity with the  ARS 1073 . The body 
has a white to yellowish colour and a compact texture suitable for slicing, with none to few mechanical 
openings. The cheeses have no actual rind and have been ripened and preserved in brine until 
delivered to, or prepacked for, the consumer .  Certain individual Cheeses in Brine contain specific herbs 
and spices as part of their identity . 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 1079 :2023 
2 © ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved   
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 Raw materials  
 
4.1.1  Essential Raw materials  
 
Milk and/or products obtained from milk  
 
4.1.2 Optional Raw Material s 
– Starter cultures of harmless lactic acid and/or flavour producing bacteria and cultures of other 
harmless micro -organisms.  
– Safe and suitable enzymes.  
– Sodium chloride.  
– Potable water.  
– Safe and suitable Herbs and spices  are part of the identity of the Cheese in Brine  
 
4.2 General requirement  
 
Cheese shall be free from dirt and foreign matter  
 
4.3 Compositional Requirements  
 
Table 1:  Designation According to firmness  
 
 Soft Semi -Hard  
Min fat in Dry matter,  % 40 40 
Min Dry matter, %  40 52 
 
Table 2 : Milk Fat content  
 
Fat Content  FDM %  
High fat  above or equal to 60%  
Full fat  above or equal to 45% and less than 60%  
Medium fat  above or equal to 25% and less than 45%)  
Partially skimmed  above or equal to 10% and less than 25%)  
Skim  FDM is less than 10%)  
 
5 Food Additives  
Food additives may be used and only within the limits specified in General Standard for Food Additives 
(CODEX STAN 192 -1995) – Category 01.6.1 (Unrip ened cheese) & 01.6.2 (Ripened cheese) and table 
3. 
 
6 Contaminants  
The products covered by this African Standard shall comply with the Maximum Levels for contaminants 
that are specified for the product in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and 
Feed (CXS 193).  
 
7 Hygiene  
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 General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1 -1969), 
the Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products  (CXC 57 -2004) and other relevant Codex texts 
such as Codes of Hygienic Practice and Codes of Practice. The products should comply with any 
microbiological criteria established in accordance with the Principles and Guidelines for the 
Establishment and Appl ication of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods (CXG 21 -1997).  DARS 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved  3  
 
Table 3: Microbiological limits for C hees es in Brine  
Food Category  Micro -
organisms  Sampling plan  Limits  Test method 
reference  n c m M 
Unripended,  
ripended soft,  
semi hard 
cheese   Salmonella  5 0 Absence in 25 g  ISO 6579 -1 
Listeria 
monocytogenes  5 0 Absence in 25 g  ISO 11290 -1 
Coagulase -
positive 
staphylococci  5 0 102 
cfu/g
m 103cf
u/gm  ISO 6888 -1 
Staphylococcal 
entero -toxins  5 0 Not detected in 
25 g ISO 19020  
Escherichia Coli  5 1 102 
cfu/g
m 103cf
u/gm  ISO 16649 -1 
 
Where:  
n = number of samples or units analyzed.  
c = maximum allowable number of sample units yielding marginal results, i.e. results between m and 
M. 
m = microbiological level that separates good quality from defective, or in a three -class plan good from 
marginally acceptable quality.  
M = microbiological level in a three -class plan that separates marginally acceptable from unacceptable 
(defective) quality. Note: In a two -class plan M is assimilated to m.  
 
 
8 Labelling  
In addition to the provisions of the ARSO standard ARS -56 and the General Standard for the Use of 
Dairy Terms (CXS 206 -1999), the following specific provisions apply:  
 
8.1 Name of the food  
 
The name of the food shall be Cheese in Brine. However, the word “Cheese in Brine” may be omitted 
in the designation of an individual Cheese in Brine variety reserved by a Codex standard for individual 
Cheese in Brine, and, in the absence thereof, a variety name specified in t he national legislation of the 
country in which the product is sold, provided that the omission does not create an erroneous 
impression regarding the character of the food.  
 
8.2 Declaration of milkfat content  
 
The milk fat content shall be declared in a manner found acceptable in the country of sale to the final 
consumer, either (i) as a percentage by mass, (ii) as a percentage of fat in dry matter, or (iii) in grams 
per serving as quantified in the label provid ed that the number of servings is stated.  
Additionally, terms may be used as per table (2).  
 
8.3 Declaration of milk protein  
 DARS 1079 :2023 
4 © ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved  If the consumer would be misled by the omission, the milk protein content shall be declared in a 
manner acceptable in the country of sale to the final consumer, either as  
(i) a percentage by mass,  
(ii) or grams per serving as quantified in the label provided the number of servings is stated.  
 
8.4 Labelling of non -retail containers  
 
Information required in Section 7 of this Standard and Sections 4.1 to 4.8 of the General Standard for 
the Labelling of Pre -packaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1 -1985), and, if necessary, storage instructions, 
shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the 
product, lot identification, and the name and ad dress of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the 
container. However, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer or packer may be 
replaced by an identification mark, provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the 
accompanying documents.  
 
 
9  Packaging  
 
A container or outer container in which the Cheeses in brine  is packed shall:  
(a) be made from a material that :  
 (i) is suitable for this purpose;  
(ii) will protect the contents thereof from contamination; and  
(iii) will not impart any undesirable flavour or taste to the contents thereof;  
(b) be so strong that it will not be damaged or deformed during normal storage, handling and transport 
practices;  
(c) in the case of a container that is re -used, be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before the  Cheeses 
in brine is packed therein;  
(d) be intact; and  
(e) be closed properly in a manner permitted by the nature thereof.  
 
10 Methods of Sampling and Analysis  
 
For checking the compliance with this standard, the methods of analysis and sampling contained in 
the Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CXS 234 -1999) relevant to the provisions in 
this standard, shall be used.   DARS 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 20 23 — All rights reserved  5  
 
 
 
 DARS 1079 :2023 
© ARSO 202 3 — All rights reserved