KENYA STANDARD  DKS 2991 :2023  
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First Edition  
  
 © KEBS 2018   
  Almond Kernels  — Specification    
 
  
 
 
KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2991 :2023  
ICS ##.###  
First  Edition  
 
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  ii 
  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Agriculture and Food Authority - Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate  
Competition Authority of Kenya  
Consumer Information Network  
Government Chemist's Department  
Jungle Nuts Ltd.  
Kakuzi PLC  
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute  
Kenya Nut Company Limited  
Kenyatta University  
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)  
Ministry of Health  
National Public Health Laboratories  
Sagana Nuts Limited  
SGS Kenya Limited  
Syncom Food Consultancy Ltd.  
Tensenses Africa EPZ Ltd.  
Topnuts Enterprises Ltd.  
Agventure  Ltd 
 
Healthy U 2000 limited  
 
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2991 :2023  
ICS ##.###  
First  Edition  
 
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  iii 
  REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions for 
improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2024  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of the Laws of 
Kenya, copyright subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya 
Standard produced by Kenya Burea u of Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form 
or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from the Managing Director.   KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2991 :2023  
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First  Edition  
 
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  iv 
  Almond Kernels  — Specification   
 
 
Kenya Bureau of Standards, Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
  
KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2991 :2023  
ICS ##.###  
First  Edition  
 
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  v 
  Foreword  
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Edible nuts and Seeds Technical Committee under the guidance of 
the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bureau of Standards  
This Kenya standard lays down specifications aiming at ensuring the safety and quality of almond kernels 
produced or traded in the country for human consumption.  
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following document:  
UNECE STANDARD DPP -06 Almond kernels published by the United Nations, New York, and Geneva,2003.  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from this source.  
 DKS /2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  vi 
    KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2991 : 2023  
 
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  1 
 Almond Kernels  — Specification  
 
1 Scope  
This Draft Kenya Standard specifies requirements, methods of sampling and test for shelled raw, roasted, 
blanched and fried almond kernels.  obtained from almond fruit ( Amygdalus communis L .) intended for human 
consumption.  
This standard does not apply to bitter almond kernels.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced 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 edition of th e referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
CXG 66, Guidelines for the use of flavourings  
CXS 192, General standard for food additives  
CXS 193, General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements.  
KS EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
KS EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
KS EAS 804, Claims on foods — General requirements.  
KS EAS 805, Use of nutrition and health claims — Requirements  
KS ISO 665, Oilseeds — Determination of moisture and volatile matter content  
KS ISO 729, Oilseeds — Determination of acidity of oils  
KS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and  
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
KS 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  
KS 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  
KS ISO 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of  
beta-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli — Part 2: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using 5 - DKS  2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  2 
 bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
KS ISO 21294, Oilseeds — Manual or automatic discontinuous sampling  
3 Terms and definitions  
 For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
3.1  
raw almond kernel  
raw almond with its shell removed and which has not been subjected to roasting and/or any form of  treatment  
3.2 
Roasted almond  
almond with or without the seed coat which has been subjected to dry heat and  to which salt (in form of powder 
or brine) and/or spices may have been added  
 
3.3 
Fried almond  
almond with or without the seed coat which has been processed in edible fat or oil and to which salt (in  form of 
powder or brine) and/or spices may have been added  
 
3.5 Blanched almond  
Almond with the seed coat which has been boiled to facilitate remov al of the  testa . 
3.5  
damaged/defective  
kernel, which is damaged mechanically, or by mould or insects or those showing internal discoloration of 
kernels materially affecting the quality’.  
3.6 
other defects  
almonds  kernels that have skin discolouration, flesh discolouration and/or sprouted kernels  
3.7 
whole  
almond  kernel which is not split or broken  DKS  2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  3 
 3.8 
split 
separated 'half' of an almond  kernel  
3.9 
broken kernel  
more than one fourth of the almond  kernel is broken off  
3.10 
foreign matter  
Any visible and/or apparent matter or material not usually associated with raw and roasted hazelnut kernels.  
 
4.  Requirements  
 4.1 Raw materials  
Roasted , blanched and  fried almonds  shall be prepared from:  
a) raw almonds  complying with 4.3 and 4.4; and  
b) other ingredients complying with the relevant standards.  
4.2 General requirements  
4.2.1 Raw almonds  shall be mature and uniform in shape, size, and colour according to variety  and grade.  
4.2.2 Roasted, fried  and blanched  almonds  shall:  
a) be either whole , broken  or split; and  
b) peel easily  where applicable  
4.2.3 Raw, roasted  blanched , and fried almonds  shall be free from dead or living insects, insect fragments and  
mites.  
4.3 Specific requirements  
Raw, roasted , blanched  and fried almonds  shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when 
tested in  accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Specific requirements for raw, roasted,  and fried almonds  DKS  2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  4 
                                 Table 1 — Specific requirements for raw , roasted , and fried almonds  
S/No Chara cteristic  Requirements  % Test method  
i) Moisture  content , 
m/m, max.   Raw almonds  6.0 KS ISO 665  
Roasted , blanched 
and fried almonds  4.0 
ii) Free fatty acids , m/m, max.   2.0 KS ISO 729  
 
4.4 Grading requirements  
Grading of raw almond kernels shall be as given in annex A.  
5 Food additives  
Food additives when used in almond kernels shall comply with CXS 192.  
6 Flavouring agents  
Flavouring agents when used in almond kernels shall comply with CXG 66.  
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Aflatoxin  
Aflatoxin levels in almond kernels shall not exceed the limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the 
test methods specified therein.  
 
                 Table 2 — Aflatoxin limits for almond  kernels  
S/No.  Aflatoxin  Maximum Limi t  Test Method  
i)  Total Aflatoxin  
µg/kg  10  
KS ISO 16050  
ii)  Aflatoxin B1  µg/kg  5 
 
7.2 Pesticide residues  DKS  2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  5 
 Almond kernels shall comply with those maximum residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission.  
7.3 Other contaminants  
Almond kernels shall comply with those maximum limits for other contaminants established in CXS 193.  
8 Hygiene  
8.1 Almond kernels shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with KS EAS 39.  
 
8.2 Roasted and fried almond  kernels shall comply with the microbiological requirements given in Table  3 when 
tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
    Table 3 - Microbiological requirements for almond kernels  
S/No.  Characteristic  Requirement  Test Method  
i)  Escherichia coli, 
CFU/g A  Absent  KS ISO 16 649-2 
ii)  Salmonella spp. in 
25 g Absent  KS ISO 6579 -1 
iii)  Staphylococcus 
aureus,CFU/g  Absent  KS ISO 6888  
 
9 Packaging  
Almond kernels shall be packaged in food grade packaging material that will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional , 
technological,  and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
 
10 Labelling  
10.1 General  
In addition to the requirements given in KS EAS 38, the product shall be legibly and indelibly labelled with the  
following information:  
a) name of the product as “Raw almonds ” or “Roasted almonds ” or “Fried almonds ”: and  
b) Where grading is applied, it shall be in accordance to Annex A of this standard.  DKS  2991 : 2023  
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  6 
 . 
10.2 Nutrition labelling and health claims  
Nutrition labelling and health claims shall comply with the requirements given in KS EAS 803, KS EAS 804 and 
KS EAS 805. 
 
11 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with KS ISO 21294.  
 
 
 
 
 
 DKS 2991 : 2023    
 
© KEBS yyyy– All rights reserved   
 Annex A  
(Normative)  
Grading requirements for raw almond kernels.  
 
 
 
 
 Tolerances allowed.  
(per cent of defective almond 
kernels by weight)  
Extra  Class I  Class II  
a)  Total tolerance for kernels not satisfying the minimum 
requirements,  
of which no more than:  
-  Rancid, rotten, mouldy and damaged by insects or other 
pests a 
of which mouldy:6 
- Gummy, brown spot, blemishes  and discoloration  
- Bitter almonds  
-  Shrunken  or shrivelled  and not
 sufficiently developed kernels  
- Split, broken and halves  
- Pieces  
-  Inshell almonds, shell or skin fragments, dust and 
foreign matter   
5  
10  
15 
1 
 
0,5 2 
 
0,5 3 
 
1 
2 3 6 
1 3 4 
1 2 4 
1 3 5 
1 1 3 
0.15 0.25 0.25 
b) Other defects (not included in the total tolerances):  
- Chipped and scratched.  
- Doubles or twins b  
5  
10  
15 
5 15 20 c 
 
Living pests are inadmissible in any class.   
© KEBS yyyy – All rights reserved  3 
 b When the marking indicates “without doubles” or “without twins”, these tolerances shall be reduced to 1 per 
cent, for Extra Class and 3 per cent for Class I and Class II.  
c In Class II, when the marking indicates “with doubles” or “with twins”, no limit of doubles or twins is applied.  
For Extra Class and Class I, there may be a maximum of 10 per cent, by weight, of kernels belonging to different 
varieties or commercial types, from the same local production area. For Class II, where the variety or commercial 
type are indicated in the mar king, a maximum tolerance of 20 per cent is allowed.