DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS  2238  
First Edition  
2019 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS  2238 : 2019 
© UNBS 2019   
  
 
Soups and broths  — Specification  
 DUS  2238 : 2019  
ii © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct applic ation  
© UNBS 2019   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from  UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS  2238 :2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ............... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  6 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  7 
8 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
9 Weights and measures  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  7 
10 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  7 
11 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  8 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  9 
 DUS  2238 : 2019  
iv © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agree ment  of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
includ ing government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments  before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS /TC2/WG2 , Food and Agriculture  DUS  2238 :2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  v 
 Introduction  
Soups are mostl y used by catering institutions as starters in their normal meal courses. They are also used to 
a larger extent in homes. This standard, hence, will help in the protection of consumers from consumption of  
substandard soups, and help the manufacturers produ ce competitive products.  The popularity of soups today 
may be due to increased  health  consciousness, to a desire for simpler or lighter meals, or to an increased 
appreciation of how appetizing and satisfying soups can be . 
  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS  2238 : 2019  
 
© UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  1 
 Soups and broths  — Specificatio n 
1 Scope   
This Draft Uganda Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for  soups  and broths  intended 
for human consumption and catering purpose  
2 Normative references   
The following referenced documents referred to in the text in such a wa y 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 edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
AOAC Official Met hod 999.11, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in Foods Atomic Absorption  
Spectrophotometry (Dry Ashing ) 
US 1659, Materials in contact with food - Requirements for packaging materials  
US CAC/GL 50, General guidelines on sampling  
US EAS 38 , Labelling of pre-packaged foods — General requirements  
US EAS 39, Code of practice for Hygiene in the Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry  
US ISO 1871,  Food and feed products - General guidelines for the determination of nitrogen by the Kjeldahl 
method  
US ISO 6496 , Animal feeding stuffs - Determination of moisture and other volatile matter content  
US ISO 6579 -1 / AMD 1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration 
and serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp. — Amendment 1: Broader range of 
incubation temperatures amendment to the status of Annex D, and correction of the composition of MSRV and 
SC 
US ISO 7937,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
Clostridium p erfringens - Colony -count technique  
US 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  
US ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding st uffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of  
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique using  
Baird -Parker agar medium  
US ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method fo r the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique   
2 © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 US ISO 16050 , Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and 
G2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic method  
ISO 17919, Microbiology of the food chain — Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of food -borne 
pathogens — Detection of botulinum type A, B, E and F neurotoxin -producing clostridia  
US ISO 21527 -2, Microb iology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
yeasts and moulds - Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0.95  
US ISO 21567, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs H orizontal method for the detection of   
Shigella  spp 
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:   
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
soup 
liquid food derived from vegetable and/or  fish, meat/poultry stock  and their bones , natural  and/or artificial, as 
appropriate for  the specific flavour.  
3.2 
stock 
clear, thin  (unthickened)  liquid flavoured by soluble substances extracted from  protein -rich substances (such 
as meat, poultry and fish) , and their bones, and from vegetables and seasonings or herbs extract that forms a 
foundation for soups.  
3.3 
Broth/ bouillon  
thin (clear) liquids obtained either by cooking of suitable protein -rich substances ( such as meat, poultry and 
fish) or their extracts and/or hydrolysates with water, with or without the addition of seasonin gs and/or 
flavouring substances  
3.4 
thick soups  
thickened  either by adding a thickening agent  such as roux or by pureeing one or more of their ingredients to 
provide a heavier consistency.   
3.5 
thin soup  
unthickened broth or stock  
3.6 
dehydrated soup  
contain soup ingredients in dry form  
3.7 
canned soup  
condense d variety of soup   prepared by canning that is ready to eat or /with a reduced proportion of water 
where the consumer adds water or milk before the mixture is heated  
3.8 
ready to eat (RTE)  
product intended to be consumed as presented with or without heating  DUS  2238 : 2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights r eserved  3 
 3.9 
weight  
shall mean the weight of the vegetable prepared for use; peeled, trimmed or shelled, or the equivalent weight 
of dehydrated vegetables. In case of dehydrated vegetables being used, weight refers to the equivalent on 
fresh vegetables  
3.10 
meat  
edible parts of an animal  but not limited  to  poultry, rabbits, hares, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, farmed 
and wild game that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for human consumption.  
3.11 
poultry  
poultry may consist of poul try meat, poultry fat, raw eviscerated carcasses of poultry or meat extracts of 
poultry origin. Poultry may refer to chicken, duck, goose, turkey and other birds, e.g., emu, ostrich, game birds 
and the chicks thereof  that is judged as safe and suitable for  human consumption  
3.12 
consommé  (meat and poultry)  
type of clear soup made from richly flavoured stock e.g. liquid made from bony part by long simmering  
3.14 
Puree   
paste or thick liquid suspension usually made from cooked food ground finely  
3.15 
cream so up  
soup  that are thickened with roux, or other added thickening agents, plus milk and/or cream  
3.16 
roux 
cooked mixture of equal parts by weight of fat and flour  
3.17 
bisque  
 made from pureed  shellfish / sea food or vegetable soup  thickened with cream  
3.18 
specialty and national soups  
soups with a distinct cultural identity that use ingredients and techniques that are native to their place of origin  
3.19 
Chowder  
Fish or seafood -based soups thickened with vegetables, milk or cream  
3.20 
Cold soup  
Soups whi ch include the natural gelatine’s jellies to make stocks or by addition of gelatine powder or those 
that are thickened with a starch or puree. These are served cold but not chilled  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Types of soups  and their requirements  
Soups  and broths  are broadly classified into different categories based on their texture  
4.1.1 Vegetable  (puree)  soups   
4 © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 4.1.1.1 Vegetable  soup mixes  
Product sold under this or similar description (e.g. mixed vegetable soup, Windsor vegetable soup) shall 
contain at least four  different varieties of vegetable and not one variety should unduly predominate. Should 
any one vegetable variety be more than 40 per cent of the total weight of the vegetables, the descriptions of 
the soup shall include the name of the predominant variety  (e.g. potato and vegetable soup).  
4.1.1.2 Single -named Vegetable Soups (e.g. Mushroom, Celery, Lentil Soup)  
Product sold under such description, the weight of the named vegetable shall exceed 50 per cent the sum of 
the weights of the remaining vegetables  
4.1.1.3 Tomato Soup  
[Product sold under this description shall contain not less than 3 per cent tomato solids. ] 
4.1.1.4 Vegetarian soups and low -fat soups  
Vegetable soups for vegans shall contain no meat or any other animal product and shall be made  with water 
or vegetable stock.  The appeal of vegetarian vegetable soups depends entirely on the freshness and the 
quality of the vegetables  High quality ingredients shall be used . to bind thick soups, use a starch slurry or a 
roux made with oil rather than but ter 
Note:  Lacto -vegetarians, on the other hand, accept soups containing butter, milk, or cream  
4.1.2 Cream soups  
Product described as cream soup shall comply with any one of the following requirements:  
a) Not less than 2.5 per cent, by weight, of butterfat .  
b)  [Not less than or equal to 2 , by weight, of butter fat if the total fat content is less than 3 per cent.  
if the total fat content is less than 3 per cent. ] 
c) [No butter fat or less than 1.5 per cent, by weight, of butter fat if the total fat content is l ess than 3.5 
per cent. ] 
4.1.3 Dehydrated soups  
shall not contain water and are prepared by adding water and then heating the product for a short time, or by 
adding hot water directly to the dry soup mix  
4.1.4  Meat Soup  
Product sold under this description s hall contain not less than 6 per cent, by weight, of meat (if unqualified) , If 
sold under specific name e.g. beef soup, it shall contain not less than 6 per cent by weight, of the named meat 
except in the case of oxtail or kidney soup  
4.1.5 Canned meat s oups  
shall have at least two thirds of total creatinine derived from meat  and shall be not less than 70 mg/L 
creatinine prepared according to directions for us e. 
4.1.6 Oxtail Soup  
Product sold under this description shall contain not less than 2 per cent of  oxtail and the total meat content 
shall be not less than 6 per cent by weight, of meat.  DUS  2238 : 2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights r eserved  5 
 4.1.7 Poultry Soups  
Product sold under a specific name e.g. chicken soups, shall contain not less than 6 per cent of raw, 
eviscerated and dressed poultry carcasses.  
4.1.8 Clear Soups  
This shall be thin clear liquid obtained by suitable extraction of meat, poultry or by dilution of their extractives 
or in the case of clear vegetables.  
4.1.8.1  Consommé  
Product sold under this description shall be a clear soup in the pr eparation of which meat (or an equivalent of 
extractives) has been the predominant ingredient.  
4.1.8.2 Beef Consommé  
The predominant ingredient shall be the named meat (beef), and shall conform to the requirements as per 
table 1. At least two thirds of th e total creatinine content shall be of bovine origin and not less than 110 mg/L.  
4.1.8.3 Fatty Consommé  
Product sold under this description shall contain at least 2.5 g fat per litre of product when prepared according 
to the directions of use.  
4.1.8.4 Julienne  
Product sold under this description shall be a suitable clear soup containing not less than 3 per cent of strip 
vegetables.  
4.1.9 Broths  
Broth as canned shall contain meat or bone extractives, derived from meat, bones, meat extractives used 
either si ngly or in any combination of two or more in such proportion that the nitrogen content shall be 
equivalent to not less than 11 per cent, by weight, meat protein (N X 6.25). The broth may contain, optionally, 
meat fibre, vegetables, farinaceous material, sp ices, herbs and suitable colourings or flavourings. It shall 
conform to the requirements as per table 1:  
4.1.9.1 Single - named meat broths (e.g. Beef broth)  
Product sold as beef broth shall be defined as above if the preparation of which only fresh beef and/or 
extractives or beef bones have been used as the meat ingredient and shall conform to the requirements as 
per table 1 . At least two thirds of the total creatinine content shall be of beef origin and not less than 70 mg/L 
of broth prepared according t o the directions of use.  
4.1.9.2 Poultry broth  
Poultry may consist of poultry meat, poultry fat, raw eviscerated carcasses of poultry or meat extracts of 
poultry origin. Poultry may refer to chicken, duck, goose, turkey and other birds, e.g. ostrich, game  birds and 
the chicks thereof  and shall conform to Table 1  for total nitrogen and sodium chloride levels.  
4.1.9.3 Fatty broth or Fatty meat broth, Fatty poultry broth  
They shall contain at least 2.5 g of fat per litre of product prepared according to the directions for use  
4.1.10 Bouillon  
4.1.10.1 Meat bouillon   
6 © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 Shall be prepared by using meat or meat  extracts.  and shall conform to the total nitrogen and sodium chloride 
levels as per table 1  
4.1.10.2 Poultry bouillon  
Shall be p repared by using  poultry meat,  poultry  fat, raw eviscerated carcasses of poultry or meat extracts of 
poultry origin  and shall conform to the total nitrogen and sodium chloride levels  as per table 1  
4.1.10.3 Other bouillons  
Other types of bouillons shall conform  to the total nitrogen an d sodium chloride levels as per table 1  
4.2 Specific requirements  
Soups and broths shall  conform to the specific requirements given  in table  1 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein   
Table 1  — Specific requirements for some categ ories of soup and broth  
 
5 Food additives  
 Soups and broth s shall contain food additives in accordance with US 45   
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Heavy metals  
Soups  and broths shall comply with limits for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission  
6.2 Pesticides  
Soups and broths shall comply with limits for pesticide residues established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission  
6.3 Mycotoxins  
When de termined in accordance with US ISO 16050,  the maximum content of aflatoxins in soups and broths 
shall not exceed  10 μg/kg for total aflatoxins  Requirements  Broth  Single named 
broth  Single named meat  
consommé  Poultry 
bouillon  Other 
bouillons  Test method  
Total nitrogen  350mg/L , min 100mg/L, min   160mg/L , max 100mg/L, 
min  50mg/L, 
min  US ISO 1871  
Sodium chloride 
g/L( max)  12.5  
 TBD 
Note 1: For dehydrated soups, the moisture content shall not exceed 10% when tested in accordance with US ISO 6496  DUS  2238 : 2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights r eserved  7 
 7 Hygiene  
Soups and broths  shall be produced and handled under hygienic co nditions in  accordance wi th US EAS 39 
and shall comply with the m icrobial limits given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with  the test methods 
presc ribed therein.  
Table 3 — Microbiological  limits in Soups and broths  
Micro organism  Limit  Test method  
Aerobic Plate Count , cfu/g , max  100 US ISO 4833 -1 
Yeast and mo ulds, cfu/g , max  Absent  US ISO 21527 -1 / US ISO 21527 - 2 
E.coli , cfu/g , max  Absent  US ISO 16649-2  
Salmonella  /25 g  Absent  US ISO 6579 -1/AMD 1 :2020  or AOAC 
967.26  
Shigella  Absent  US ISO 21567  
Staphylococcus aureus  cfu/g  Absent  US ISO 6888 -1 
8 Packaging  
Soups and broths shall be packaged in food grade  packaging  material  that will safeguard t he hygienic, safety, 
nutritional, technological, and organoleptic qualities of the product  in accordance with US 1659.  
9 Weights and measures  
Soups and broths shall be packaged in accordance with the weights and measures regulations of Uganda  
10 Labelling   
In addition to the requirements of US EAS 38, the following labelling requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked on the container:  
a) name of product  
b) nature and type of soup or broth as described  s ub clause  4.1;  
c) name and address of  manufacturer/parker/importer;  
d) batch number/date of manufacture ; 
e) expiry date;  
f) country of origin;  
g) net content in metric units ; 
h) list of ingredients in descending order ; 
i) instructions for use ; 
j) storage condition ;  
k) declaration of allergens, if any   
8 © UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  
 11 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with  US CAC/GL 50  
 DUS  2238 : 2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights r eserved  9 
 Bibliography  
[1] Commercial Item Description (CID), Soups, shelf stable , January 25, 2017  
[2] Commercial Item Description soup mixes, dehydrated, August 24, 2000  
[3] Commercial Item Description, Bouillo n (Soup and gravy bases),  November 30, 2011  
[4] KS 1088: PART 2:2001, Specification for soups and broths  
[5] Codex Stan 117 -1981:2015, Codex Standard for Bouillons and Consommés  
[6] Gisslen, Wayne. (2007). Professional Cooking for Canadian Chefs (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley 
& Sons Inc.  
 DUS  2238 : 2019  
© UNBS 2019  – All rights reserved  11 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is gov erned by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda Na tional Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS  2238 : 2019    
 
ICS 67.080.01 
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