©TBS 201 5 – All rights reserved   
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Cardamoms — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 0 Foreword   
 
Cardamoms are the dried, nearly ripe fruits of Elettaria cardam omum  (L) Maton  perennial plant .  
 
This standard  was prepared so as to enhance  and improve the safety and quality of cardamom  
which is produced or  traded  in the country . 
 
This Tanzania Sta ndard is a revision of the second version published in 2015. This th ird edition cancels 
and replaces  the second edit ion (TZS 358:2015 ) which has been technically revised.  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania S tanda rd, assistance was derived from  ISO 882-1 and ISO 882-
2: Cardamoms  — Specification, published by the Internati onal Organization  for Standardization 
(ISO).  
 
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard , if the final value 
observed or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4 (see clause 
2).  
 
 
1 Scope   
 
This Tanzania S tandard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for cardamom , 
Elettaria cardamomum (L) Maton var . cardamomum. This standard does not cover  the ca psules  or 
seeds of genus Amomum.  
 
 
2 Normative  Reference s  
 
The follow ing referenced documents are indispensable for t he application of this document. For 
dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the 
referenced document (in cluding any amendments) applies.   
 
 
TZS 4, Round ing off numerical values  
 
TZS 33 , Spices and co ndiments  — Sampling  
 
TZS 109,  Codes of hygiene for food processing units — General  
 
TZS 538 /EAS 38, Labelling of prepackaged foods — General requirements  
 
TZS 1315, Spices and condiments — Determination of ex traneous matter and foreign matter content  
 
TZS 1316, Spices and condiments — Determination of total ash  
 
TZS 1318 , Spices and condiments  — Determination of moisture  content — Entrainment method  
 
TZS 1320 , Spices and condiments  — Determination of volatile oil content (hydrodistillation method)  
 
TZS 1492 , Fruits and vegetables — Determination of tin content  
 
TZS 1495, Fruits and vegetables — Determination of copper content  
 
TZS 1500, Fruits and vegetables — Determination of zinc content  
 
TZS 1501, Fruits and  vegetables — Determinatio n of mercury content  
 
TZS 1502, Fruits and vegetables — Determination of Arsenic content  
  
 TZS 1581 -Part 1, Determination of cadmium content – Method graphite furnace atomic 
absorption spectrometry  
 
TZS 1501:2016/ ISO 6637 -1984Fruits, vegetabl es and derived products – Sampling a nd 
methods of test – Part 16: Determination of mercury content – Flameless atomic absorption 
method  
 
3 Terms and Definitions  
 
For t he purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions  shall  apply.  
 
3.1 capsule ; 
 a dry fruit that release its se eds by busting open when ripe  
 
3.2 empty and malformed  capsules ; 
 
capsules which have no seeds or  are scantily filled with seeds  
 
3.3 immature and shriveled capsules ; 
 
capsule s which are not fully developed  
 
3.4 blacks   
 
capsules having v isible blackish to  black colour  
 
3.5 splits   
 
capsules which are open at the corner s for more than half the length  
 
3.6 unclipped capsules  
 
capsules  with t ips which have not been trimmed  
 
3.7 bleached  and/or half bleached capsules  
 
capsules, fully developed and dried, which  have been bleached and/or half b leached by sulfur 
dioxide. The colour of such capsules ranges from pale cream to white.  
 
 
4 Requi rements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 The capsules should be well formed and with sound cardamom seeds in side. The 
cardamo ms shall be the graded type on the basis of colour, clipping, size, weight per litre, 
bleaching or otherwise  proportions of extran eous matter .    
 
4.1.2 Odour and taste  
 
The odour and taste of car damom in capsules and cardamom seeds shall be fresh and 
characteristic of cardamom . The products shall be free from foreign odour s and taste, including 
those of rancidity and mustiness.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 4.1.3 Freedom from pest s and diseases , etc.  
 
Carda moms in capsules and cardamom seeds shall be free from live insect s and practically free 
from moulds, dead insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination visible to the naked eye (co -
rrected, if necessary, for abnormal vision) with such magnification as may be necessary in any par -
ticular case. If the magnification exceeds  x 10, this fact shall be stated in the test report.  
 
NOTE  — Thrip marks alone on capsules sh ould not lead to the conclusion that the capsules 
have been infested with insects.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
 
4.2.1 Extraneous matter  
 
Cardamom  capsule s and s eeds  shall be free from visible dirt or dust. The proportion of pieces o f 
calyx and stalk shall be not more than 5  % for cardamom capsules and 2 % (m/m),  for cardamom 
seed s when tested in accordance to TZS 1315  (see clause 2) as specified in Table 1. 
 
Table 1 — Grade designation of cardamom seeds and their requireme nts 
 
S/N Grade 
designation  Extraneous matter, 
per cent by mass, 
max  Light seeds, per 
cent by mass, 
max  Mass in g/l 
max  General 
characteristics  
1 A 0.5 3.0 675 
 Decorticated 
and dry seeds of 
any variety  of 
Elettaria 
cardamom  2 B 1.0 5.0 660 
 
3 C 2.0 _ _ 
 
 
4.2.2 Immature and shriveled  capsules   
 
The proportion of immature and shriveled  capsules shall not be more than 7 % (m/m) when 
determined a fter separation, as under  TZS 1315  (see clause 2).  
 
4.2.3 Empty and malformed capsules   
 
The proportion of emp ty and malformed capsules shall not be more than 5  % by count. For this 
purpose, 100 capsules , taken at random from the sample, shall be opened and the number of 
empty and malformed  capsules coun ted. 
 
4.2.4 Light seed   
 
Light seeds include seeds that are brown or red in colour, and broken , immature and shriveled . 
The proportion o f light seeds in cardamom seeds shall not  be more than 5  % (m/m)  when 
determined as under  TZS 1315  (see clause 2).  
 
 
4.3 Chemical requirements   
 
Cardamoms with capsules and cardam om seeds shall comply with the requirements given in Table 
3.  
 
Table 3 — Chemical  requirements for cardamom capsules and seeds  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Method of test  
1 Moisture content  per cent (m/m) , max  
 13.0 
 TZS 1318  
  
  
Note: The determination of the moisture content and t otal ash shall be made on whole capsules. 
The determination of volatile oil shall be made on se eds after separating them from the husk.  
 
4.3 Grades  
 
The cardamoms with capsules may be graded on the basis of colour, clipping, size and whether  
they are bleached or unbleached and as a funct ion of the proportion of extraneous matter or their 
place of  origin . Cardamom seeds may be graded as a function of the proportion of extraneous 
matter and light seeds present. For the purpose of this standard, cardamom capsules and seeds  
shall be graded ac cording to  the criteria  given in Table 1 and Table 3.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3 — Grade designation of cardamoms with capsules and the ir requirement  
 S/N 
Trade name  
 
Grade 
designation  
 
Extraneous 
matter (dirt, 
dust) percent 
by mass, max  
 Empty and 
malformed 
capsule s, 
percent by 
count, max  
Unclipped 
capsules, 
percent by 
count, max  
Immature and 
shriveled 
capsules, 
percent by 
mass, max  
Black split, 
percent by 
count, max  
Size (diameter 
of holes in mm 
of the sieve on 
which 
retained)  
Mass in one 
litre (g/l), min  
 General 
characteristics  
 
1 Green  
 A-1 
A-2 
A-3 Nil 
Nil 
Nil 2.0 
4.0 
- Nil 
Nil 
Nil 2.0 
6.0 Nil 
10.0 
15.0 7.0 
4.0 
3.5 425 
350 
260 Dried 3 
cornered 
and 
having 
ribbed 
appeara
nce 
2 Golde/ 
Brown  DI-1 
DI-2 
DI-3 Nil 
Nil 
Nil 3.0 
5.0 
 Nil 
4.0 
- 4.0 
7.0 
- Nil 
10.0 
15.0 7.0 
6.0 
3.5 430 
365 
280 Global 
shape, 
skin 
ribbed or 
smooth  
 
3 Bleached  
 AI-1 
AI-2 Nil 
Nil Nil 
Nil Nil 
Nil Nil 
Nil Nil 
Nil 7.5 
5.0 340 
300 Fully 
developed 
capsules, 
bleached 
or half 
bleached 
global or 3 
cornered 
red with 
skin ribbed 
or smooth  
 
 
 2 Volatile oil conten t ml/100  g on dry bases, min  
 3.5 
 TZS 1320  
 
3 Total ash, per cent (m/m) on dry basis, max  9.5 TZS 1316  
  
  
 
 
5 Contamin ants  
 
5.1 Heavy metals  
 Cardimon  shall comply with  the limits prescribed by  Codex stan 193  
Cardamom s shall not contain any metallic contaminants in excess of levels specified in T able 4 . 
 
 
Table 4  — Limit s for metal lic contami nants for cardamom s 
  
S/N Characteristics  Maximum 
(mg/kg)  Method  of test  
(see clause 2)  
1 Arsenic (As )  0.2     TZS 1502  
2 Tin (Sn)  250     TZS 1492  
3 Copper (Cu)  5.0     TZS 1495  
4 Lead (Pb)  0.3      TZS 268  
5 Cadmium  0.1      TZS 1581 -Part 1  
6 Mercury  0.1      TZS 1501   
 
5.2 Pesticide  residues  
 
Cardamom s shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Committee on Pesticide Residues for this commodity.  
 
5.3 Mycotoxin s 
Aflatoxin B1 5 ppb  
Total Aflatoxin 10 ppb  
 
 
6 Hygiene  
 
The product covered b y this st andard shall be processed and packed  under Good Hygienic Practic es 
as stipulated in TZS 109  (see clause 2) .  
 
 Table for microbiological limits  
TPC - 105 
Total coliforms 102 
E.coli – Absent  
Yeast and moulds - 103 
 
7 Sampling and test methods  
 
Samp ling of cardamoms in capsules and seeds shall be carried out as prescribed in TZS 33  (see clause 
2) and tests according to methods specified in 4.1 and 4.2 and in Table 1 , 2, 3 and 4.  
 
 
8 Storage and transport of cardamoms  
 
8.1 Storage  
 
The packed  cardamo ms shall be stored in premises well protected from the sun, rain , excessive heat 
and contamination.  
  
 The store ro om shall be dry, free from obje ctionable odours and proofed against entry of insects and 
other vermin. The ventilation shall be controlled so as to giv e good air circulation under dry 
conditions and to be fully closed under damp conditions. In storage warehouse, s uitable facilities 
shall be ava ilable for fumigation .  
 
8.2 Transport  
 
The containers shall be transported in such a manner that they are prote cted from the rain, sun or 
other sources of ex cessive heat, objectionable odours and cross infestation, especially in holds of 
ships.  
 
 
9 Packaging , marking and labeling   
 
9.1 Pack aging  
 
Cardamom  capsules and seeds shall be packed in clean, sound  and dry tin plate containers, or in 
wooden cases or new jute bags  or any other suitable food grade container , suitably line d with, for 
example, water proof paper, craft paper or plastic material which does not affect sa fety and quality 
of the product.  
 
9.2 Marking  and labelling  
 
9.2.1 In addition to  requirements stipulated in  TZS 538  (see clause 2) , the following particulars shall 
legibly and inde libly be marked or labelled on each container:  
 
a) name of the product;  
b) Trade name/ brand name if any;  
c) Name, phys ical and postal address of manufacturer and/or packer ; 
d) Batch or code number;  
e) Year of harvest  and/or date of packing ; 
f) Best before  date; 
g) Storage conditions ; 
h) Net weight;  
i) Grade of the product ; and  
j) Country of origin.  
 
9.2.2  The packages may also be marked with  TBS standards mark of quality.  
 
NOTE  — The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the manufacturers only under 
licen ce from TBS. Particulars of conditions under which the licences are granted may be 
obtained from TBS .