AFDC 15 (1601) DTZS/REV TZS 2081:2017  
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cookies  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS 
1 
  
0 Foreword  
 
Cookie  is a baked sweet snack that is commonly traded in the country. There are different kinds of 
cookies such as filled cookies, coated cookies and garnished cookies.  
 
This standard was prepared to ensure safety and quality of these products as the measure to safeguard 
the health of the c onsumers  and enhance fair trade practices in cookies.  
 
In the preparation of this  Tanzania Standard assistance was drawn from the following publication s:-  
 KS 661:2007 Cookies – Specification , published by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)  
 IS 1011:2 002 Biscuits – Specification , published by Bureau of India Standards (BIS)   
 
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this Tanzania  draft Standard, if the 
final value observed or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be do ne in accordance with TZS 4 (see 
clause 2).  
 
1.0 Scope  
This Tanzania Standard prescribes the require ment s, methods of sampling and test for  cookies 
intended  for direct  human  consumption . 
 
2.0 Normative Reference  
The following referenced documents a re indispensable for the application of this standard . For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies : 
 
Codex Stan 192 Codex General standard fo r food additives  
 
CODEX STAN 193, Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in foods  
 
TZS 4 Rounding off numerical values  
 
TZS 109  Food processing units - Code of hygiene – General  
 
TZS 111, Bakery units – Code of hygiene  
 
TZS 538/EAS 38, Labellin g of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
 
TZS 730 - 2/ISO 16649 -2 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of -b-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli – Part 2 – Colony -count technique at 44 0C 
using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl -b-D-glucuronide  
 
TZS 122 -1: /ISO 6579 -1 - Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, 
enumeration and serotyping of Salmonella - Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp  
 
TZS 2426 -2/ ISO 21527 -2 Microbiology of f ood 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 
 
TZS 2752: Bakery products - methods of analysis  
 
TZS 2753: Bakery products - meth ods of sampling  
 
  
2 
 3.0 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of t his standard the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 cookie   
a baked snack that is small and sweet made from ingredients such as  flour, sugar , edible oil or fats  . 
These may be further enriched by incorporation of edible seeds, nuts, dry fruits, chocolates , cream , jam, 
jelly, caramel , fruits, etc.  
 
3.2 filled cookies   
are cookies sandwiched with the filling of cream , jam, jelly , ‘marshmallic  caramel’, figs, raisins or sim ilar 
products . 
 
3.3 cream   
a homogeneously mixed preparation of hydrogenated fat or bakery shortening, icing sugar, flavours and approved 
food colours with or without other permitted ingredients in small proportions.  
 
3.4 coated cookies  
are cookies with or  without  the filling in -between, but coated with chocolate or caramel or icing sugar  
 
3.5 garnished cookies  
Are cookies decorated  but not limited with nuts, fruits , cherries, jelly  crystals or candy c rystals firmly set 
onto the prod uct.        
 
4.0 Require ments  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
Cookies shall ;  
(i) Be properly baked with no signs of under or over baking  
(ii) Be crispy  
(iii) Have  uniform texture, tenderness and appearance.  
(iv) Be of same size and design within the group.  
(v) have a typical flavor of well baked cookies o f different types  
(vi) Be free from any soapy or bitter ness  and odour.  
 
4.2 Essential ingredients  
The following ingredients shall be used in the preparation of cookie s and shall comply with relevant 
Tanzania Standards . 
 
(i) flour (singly or in combination of wheat , cassava, almond , rice , banana  etc). 
(ii) edible oil s and fats   
(iii) Water,  
(iv) Sugar,  
 
4.3 Optional ingredients  
In addition to the essential ingredients specified in 4.2 any of the following ingredients complying with the 
relevant Tanzania standar d may be used in t he preparation of the cookie s.  
 
a) Cereal and cereal products   
b) Edible oil seed and nut products   
c) Milk and milk products  
d) Honey and sugar products  
e) Fruit and fruit products  
f) Spices   
3 
 g) Baking powder  
h) Eggs or egg products  
i) Edible common salt  
 
4.4 Specific  requirement s 
 
Cookies shall comply with the specific  requirements  given in T able 1  
Table 1 – Specific  requirements for cookies  
 
 
S/No  
  
                Characteristic   
Requirement   
Test 
method  
1 Moisture, % by mass, max.  6.0  
 
 TZS 2752  2 Acid insoluble ash (on dr y basis), % 
by mass, max.  0.1 
3 Free fatty acid  % by mass, max.  1.0 
 
5 Food additives  
Food additives may be used in the preparation of cookies  and shall comply with Codex Stan 192.  
 
6.0 Hygiene  
 
6.1 Cookies shall be prepared and packaged in premises bu ilt and maintained under hygienic condition in 
accordance with TZS 109 and TZS 111(see clause 2) . 
 
6.2   Cookies shall be free from pathogenic microorganisms and shall comply with microbiological limits in 
Table 2.  
 
                             Table 2 – Microbiological limits for cookies  
 
S/No  Types of micro -organism       
Limits      Test methods  
1 Yeast and mould count (cfu/g), max.  102 TZS 2426 -2  
2 Escherichia coli  (cfu/g) Absent   TZS 73 0-2  
3 Salmonella  spp in 25g  Absent    TZS 122 -1  
 
7.0 Contamina nts 
Presence of heavy metal shall conform to the limits set in appropriate sections of CODEX STAN 193 (see 
clause 2).  
 
8.0 Sampling and method of test  
 
8.1 Sampling  
Sampling of cookies shall be done in accordance with TZS 2753  
 
8.2 Test method  
Test shall b e carried out as per methods  specified in this Tanzania standard.  
 
9.0 Packaging , Marking  and labeling   
  
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 9.1 Packaging  
The cookies shall be packaged in clean, sound food grade containers  that will ensure the safety a nd 
quality  of the product throughout handling and the shelf life.   
 
9.2 Marking and labelling  
  
9.2.1 In additional to the requirements prescribed in the TZS 538 , the following particular s shall be clearly 
and indelibly marked on each pack of cookies on the outer side of the wrapper; printing ink if any shall be 
non-toxic and non -transferable:  
 
i) Name of the product,  shall be cookies  with/without  some features according to the type of cookies.  
ii) Name and physical address of the manufacturer,  
iii) Batch or code number,  
iv) Net weight, in grams (g) or kilograms (kg),  
v) List of ingredient s in descending order of proportion,  
vi) Date of manufacture,  
vii) Expiry date,  
viii) Country of origin,  
ix) Storage instructions,  
x) Instruction for the disposal of packaging waste.  
 
9.2.2 The packages of the cookies  may also be marked with the TBS certification mark.  
NOTE - The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the manufacturers only under licence from  
TBS. Particulars of conditions under which the licences are granted, may be obtained from TBS.