DEAS 780: 2022  
ICS 67.080.20  
 
© EAC 2022                                                                                                                               Second  Edition 
2022  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fresh cassava leaves  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 DEAS 780: 2022  
ii © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 780: 2022  
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
5 Presentation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  2 
6 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
7 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
7.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
7.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
8 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
9 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
11 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
12 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  4 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  1 
 DEAS 780: 2022  
iv © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is env isaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop an d 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standa rds are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the  National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards. XXXXXX.  
East African Standa rds are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this documen t is Technical Committee EASC/TC 016 , Fresh fruits, vegetables, 
tubers  and flowers.  
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (EAS 780 :2012 ), which  has been technically revised.  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the  elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 780: 2022  
 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  1 
 Fresh cassava leaves  — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East Africa Standard specifies the requirements , samplin g and test methods for fresh cassava 
leaves of Manihot esculenta Crantz, or Manihot glaziovii , for preparation before human consumption.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their co ntent 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  
EAS 38, General standard for labeling of prepack aged foods  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry  – Code of practice   
EAS 103, Schedule  for permitted  food additives  
CAC/RCP 44,  Code of practice for packaging and transport of fresh fruit and vegetables  
CAC/RCP 53, Code of Hygienic P ractice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables  
Codex Stan 192  
CODEX STAN 193 , Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
ISO 874, Fresh fruits and vegetables  – Sampling   
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the foll owing 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 
fresh  cassava leaves   
leaves obtained  from a plant of the species Manihot esculenta Crantz  or Manihot glaziovii  having visual 
characteristics of colour, texture and firmness typical of  just harvested cassava leaves  
3.2 
sound /wholesome  
free from disease and physi ological deterioration (such as but not limited to decay, breakdown, freezing 
damage) or adulteration/contamination, that appreciably affects their appearance, edibility, the keeping quality  
of the produce or market value   
2 © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 3.3 
clean  
practically free from di rt or staining and practically no loose dirt or other foreign matter present on the produc t 
and in the packaging material  
3.4 
practically free  
produce without defects  in excess of those that can be expected to result from, and be consistent with good 
agronomical  and handling practices employed in the production and marketing of the fresh cassava leaves  
3.5 
extraneous matter  
organic matter of plant origin other than the fresh cassava leaves  
3.6 
foreign matter  
organic and inorganic materi als (such as sand, s oil, glass) other than extraneous matter in the leaves  
3.7 
food grade material  
material which will safeguard the hygienic, safety, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the 
product  
3.8 
tender  
easily broken, cut, or crushed; soft; not tou gh 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
Fresh cassava leaves shall be:  
a) tender;  
b) fresh in appearance;  
c) sound/wholesome;  
d) free from damage caused by unsuitable washing or soaking;  
e) practically free from any visible foreign and extraneous matter; and  
f) free from any foreign odour.  
5 Presentation  
Fresh c assa va leaves may be presented in  one of the following forms:  
a) bundles firmly bound where stalks on the outside of each bundle correspond in appearance. Bundles 
shall be arranged evenly in the package, each bundle m ay be protected by paper. In any one 
package, bundles shall be of the same length;  
b) arranged, but not bundled in the package;  
c) packaged stalk free leaves;   
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  3 
 d) prepackaged units placed in another package; and  
e) macerated and packed.  
6 Food additives  
Fresh cassava leaves may be preserved by use of food additives  such as wax,  in accordance with Codex 
Stan 192  
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Heavy metals  
Fresh cassava leaves shall comply with the maximum levels of contaminants given in CODEX STAN 193.  
7.2 Pesticide residues  
Fresh  cassava leaves shall conform to those maximum residue limits for pesticide residues established by 
Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
8 Hygiene  
Fresh cassava leaves  shall be handled in hygienic manner in accordance with EAS 39  and CAC/RCP 53. 
9 Packaging  
Fresh cassava leaves  shall be packaged in food grade material. Fresh cassava leaves  shall be packaged in 
each container in compliance with CAC/RCP 44.  
11 Labelling  
11.1 In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the following specific requ irements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked:   
a) name of the produce, “Fresh cassava leaves”;  
b) name and location address of the manufacturer/ exporter /packer;  
c) country of origin of the produce;  
d) net weight (in metric system);  
e) lot identificati on (batch number);  
f) declaration of preservatives, if used;  
g) date of harvest;  
h) packing date;  
i) storage conditions;   
4 © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 j) name of variety ; 
k) form of presentation;  
l) best before date; and  
m) instructions for use.  
11.2  When labelling non -retail packages, information for non -retail packages shall either be given on the 
packages or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the produce, lot identification and the 
name and address of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the package.  
12 Sampling  
Sampling of fresh cass ava leaves shall be done in accordance with ISO 874.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 780: 2022  
 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  1 
 Bibliography  
[1] EAS 780 :2012,  Fresh cassava leaves  — Specification  
 DEAS 780: 2022    
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved