AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Minced meat products – Specification – Part 2: Chicken  meat  for 
burger , kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS                                                                                                                                                      AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 Minced meat products – Specification – Part 2: Chicken meat for 
burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
 
0 FOREWORDS  
 
Chicken  meat  for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf are  minced  meat which has 
had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it .  
 
This draft Tanzania standard has been prepared to ensure that chicke n meat for  burger ; 
kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  manufactured or imported in the country meet the safety 
and quality requirements  intended for human consumption .  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania standard assistance was drawn from TZS 2188:2020  
Dresse d poultry  — Specification published by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards.  
 
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this  Tanzania 
Standard, if the final value observed or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be done 
in acc ordance with TZS 4 (see clause 2).  
 
1 Scope   
This draft Tanzania standard prescribes  the requirem ents, sampling and test methods 
for chicken meat intended for  making  chicken  burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf .  
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
For the purpose  of this finalized Tanzania standard, the following references 
shall apply. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (inc luding any 
amendments) applies:  
 
TZS 4, Rounding off  numerical values.  
TZS 109, F ood processing units - Code of hygiene.  
TZS 118 / ISO 4833, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the enumeration of microorganisms – Colony -count technique at 30 oC. 
TZS 122 /ISO 6579 -1, Microbi ology of food and feeding staffs – Horizontal method for 
detection of Salmonella spp . 
TZS 123/ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method 
for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens  – Colony -count technique.  
TZS 125 – 1/ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the enumeration of coagulase -positive staphylococci ( Staphylococcus 
aureus  and other species) – Part 1: Technique using Baird -Parker agar medium – 
Amendment 1: Inclusion of precision data   
TZS 459, Code of hygiene for poultry processing.  
TZS 538, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements                                                                                                                                                      AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 TZS 73 0/ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and feeding -stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
detection and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia  Coli – Most Probable Number 
Technique  
TZS 852 -1/ISO 11290 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the detection and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes – Part 1 – 
Detection method  
TZS 1761/ISO 1443  Meat and  meat products – Determination of total fat content  
ISO 17604 Microbiology of the food chain – Carcass sampling for microbiology analysis  
ISO 10272 -1:2006 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method 
for detection and enumeration of  Campylobacter spp . – Part 1: Detection method  
Codex Stan 193 – Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and 
feed.  
TZS 2841/ISO 2917, Meat and meat products – measurement of pH – preference  
TZS 183:2016 Fresh meat in retail – Code of hyg iene 
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this standard , the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 Carcass  
The body of a chicken after dressing  
3.2 chicken meat  
dressed  chicken , cuts thereof and edible offal that have  been approved for human 
consumption.  
3.3 Fillet  
round , elongated fusiform chicken meat that attaches to each side of the keel bone 
(sternum).  
3.4 minced chicken  meat for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
 Meat  which has been reduced into fragments/particles and has had foodstuffs, 
seasonings or additives added to it . 
3.5 Freezer -burn  
 a burning or browning damaged caused by dehydration or oxidation due to air reaching 
the uncovered meat in a freezer.  
                                                                                                                                                     AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 4 Requirements   
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 Raw materials  
 Chicken meat and c uts shall be derived from healthy chicken slaughtered and 
processed in approved facilities that shall comply with the requirements specified 
in TZS 459  
 Chicken and carcasses thereof shall be subjected to ante -mortem  and meat 
inspection , respectively and s hall be approved as being wholesome, sound and 
free from contagious and infectious diseases and fit for human consumption.  
 Chicken meat shall be clean, firm and have uniform natural colours  and free from 
discoloration or any slimy appearance .  
 Chicken mea t shall be free from objectionable odours, fecal contamination, 
freezer -burn* and foreign matters which may be harmful to consumers.    
4.1.2 Chicken meat for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf shall be;  
 coarse mixture . 
 of characteristic ar oma and tast e. 
4.1.3 Storage and transportation  
 All packed products  shall be kept in cold storage  (chilled (1 – 4 oC) frozen below -
18 oC.)  
 Storage time shall not exceed 12 months for frozen  products  at -18 °C.   
 Vehicle(s) for chicken meat for burger , kebab, meat ba ll and meat loaf transport 
shall be equipped with cooling unit in the storage area at all time.  
4.2 Ingredients  
 Spices and condiments  complying with TZS 457  
 Portable w ater complying with TZS 789  
 Binder and extender  
 Permitted additive as per Codex Stan 192 
4.3 Specific requirements  
Product shall comply with specific requirements stipulated in the Table 1.  
Table 1: Specific Requirements  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Method of tests  
1 Acid insoluble ash 1.5 TZS 34 -1                                                                                                                                                      AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 %m/m, max  
2 Fat contents %, max  30 TZS 1761  
 
5 Hygiene  
5.1 Product shall be produced, processed, packed, stored, transported and handled 
under good hygienic conditions according to TZS 459 and TZS 109 to prevent 
contamination that may be harmful to consumer.  
5.2 Product shall be free from p athogenic organisms and shall comply with the 
microbiological limits provided in Table 2 when  determined by the methods shown 
alongside the Table.  
Table 2: Microbiological limits for  Chicken  meat  for burger, kebab, meat ball and 
meat loaf   
S/N Characterist ics limits  Test methods  
1 Total plate count, cfu/g, 
max.  1 x 105 TZS 118  
2 Escherichia coli , cfu/g , 
max 1 x 102 TZS 73 0-2  
3 Escherichia coli  0157:H7 per 
25 g absent  TZS 730 -3 
4 Staphylococcus aureus , 
cfu/g , max  1 x 103 TZS 125 -1 
5 Salmonella spp  per 25 g absent  TZS 122,  
6 Clostridium perfringens  
per 25 g  absent  TZS 123  
7 Campylobacter spp , per 
25 g absent  ISO 10272 -1 
8 Listeria monocytogenes  
per 25 g  absent  TZS 852 -1 
 
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Heavy metal  
Product  shall not contain heavy metal in exces s than limits specified in Codex Stan 193 
and Table 3; 
Table 3: Maximum limits of heavy metals for chicken meat for burger , kebab, meat ball 
and meat loaf  
S/N Heavy metals  Maximum limits  
ppm  Test method                                                                                                                                                      AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 I Arsenic (As)  0.1 TZS 76 
Ii Lead (Pb)  0.1 TZS 268 
iii Cadmium (Cd)  0.03 AOAC 973:34  
Iv Mercury (Hg)  0.01 AOAC 971: 21  
 
6.2 Pesticides and veterinary drug residues   
 The Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs) for pesticides and veterinary drug residues in 
product shall be as prescribed by CAC/MRLs.  
7 Samplin g and method of tests   
7.1 Sampling  
For the purpose of this standard  sampling of product  shall be done in accordance with 
ISO 17604.  
7.2 Method of t est  
Samples  of product  shall be tested to ascertain conformity of the product to the 
requirements of each  specification by the methods described in the respective 
standards provided under Table 1, 2 and 3 of this standard . 
8 Packaging, marking and labeling   
8.1 Packing   
  Product shall be packed in clean permitted food grade materials. The package 
shall be s ealed tightly and  shall not be exposed to direct sunlight or rain.  
 All packaging materials shall be durable during transportation. The materials 
shall not be torn or broken when keeping in low temperature and shall prevent 
product from absorbing objection able odors from the environment.   
 
8.2 Marking and labeling  
The container shall be marked and labeled in accordance with TZS 538. In addition, 
each container of product shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following 
information:  
 
a) Name of the p roduct shall be chicken meat for burger /kebab/meat ball/meat loaf ;  
b) Name and address of the manufacturer/packer;  
c) Batch or code number;  
d) Net weight;                                                                                                                                                      AFDC 22 (277) DTZS  
 e) Date of production;  
f) Expiry date;  
g) Storage  conditions;  
h) Country of origin;  
i) List of ingredients in ascending order.  
 
8.3 The container may also be marked with TBS Certification Quality Mark.  
NOTE  – The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the manufacturers 
only under license from TBS. Particulars of conditions under which the 
licenses are granted may be o btained from TBS.