TBS/ AFDC 17 (2279) DTZS  
  
  
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Honey butter - specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
                                                                                                                                TBS/ AFDC 17 (2279) DTZS  
  
0. Foreword  
This Tanzania standard prescribes the  requirements, sampling and test methods f or honey butter 
intended  for human consumption. This standard does not apply to products with therapeutic 
purposes   
In the preparation of this Tanzania standard assistance was derived from RS 498 Honey mix  
In reporting the  result of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard, if the final value 
observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4.  
1. Scope  
This Tanzania standard prescribes the requirements , sampling and test methods for honey  butter  
intended  for human consumption . This standard does not cover  honey  milk butter (mixture of honey 
and milk butter)  
 
2. Normative  references  
 
The following 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 the referenced  document  (including  any amendments) applies.  
 
AOAC 999.1, General atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for determination of lead in food and food stuffs  
 
CAC/GL 50 ,   General guidelines on sampling  
 
TZS 1326 , Animal and vegetable fats and oils determination of moisture and volatile matter content  
 
ISO 7305 Milled cereal products — Determination of fat acidity  
 
ISO 4831, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of 
coliforms — Most probable number technique  
 
TZS 131 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuff – General guidance for enumeration of yeasts and moulds –   
Colony count technique at 25oC  
 
TZS 1502,  Fruits, vegetables and derived products — sampling  and methods of test Part 14: Determina tion of    arsenic 
content — Silver diethyldithocarbamate spectrophotometric method.  
 
ISO 6561 -2, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of cadmium content — Part 2: Method using 
flame atomic absorption spectrometry  
 
TZS 3420 , Oilseed residues ― Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid  
 
TZS 109, food processing units — Codes of hygiene  
 
TZS 122, Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of salmonella spp  
 
TZS 125(Part 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                                                                                                                                  TBS/ AFDC 17 (2279) DTZS  
  
TZS 131, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuff – General guidance for e numeration of yeasts and moulds – 
Colony count technique at 25OC 
 
TZS 538 Packaging and labeling of foods  
 
TZS 731, Microbiology of food and feeding -stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of 
presumptive Escherichia Coli – Most Probabl e Number Technique  
 
  TZS 3459  determination of Ash of honey  
 
  TZS 3460 determination of reducing sugar in honey  
 
  TZS 3461,  Determination  of hydroxymethylfurfural  (HMF)  content  
 
 TZS 851 , Honey - specification   
 
TZS 731 , Microbiology of food and feeding -stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of presumptive 
Escherichia Coli – Most Probable Number Technique  
  
TZS 119, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection and enumeration of  
Coliforms  – Most probable number technique  
  
 3.. Terms  and definitions  
 For the purposes of  this standard,  the following  terms  and definitions  apply  
 
 3.1 honey butter  
mixtu re of honey and nut butter  with any other food ingredients  used as spread  in bread, toast  etc 
 
   3.2. foreign matter  
   organic or inorganic material other than honey butter.  
 
4.  Requirements  
 
     4.1. Ingredients  
 
The following  shall include:  
 
a) Honey  butter shall comprise of at least 60 % of honey complying   with TZS 851  
b) nuts complying with relevant standards  
c) Other additional food products fit for human consumption   
 
4.2 General requirements  
 
honey  butter shall: 
 
a) shall not be heated  to such  an extent  that its essential  composition  and /or its quality  is impaired;  
 
b) not be chemically  or biochemically  treated  to influence  honey  crystallization;  
                                                                                                                                 TBS/ AFDC 17 (2279) DTZS  
 c) have  the characteristic  colour  of the product;  
 
d) be free from visible mould and as far as practicable, be free from  pollen,  inorganic or organic 
matter ; and  
 
e)  have an aroma and flavour typical of roasted/fried nut  
 
 
4.3. Specif ic requirements  
 
Honey  butter shall  with the specific  requirements  stipulated  in Table  1 when  tested  in accordance  with 
test method  s specified  therein  
 
Table  1. Specific  requirements  for honey  butter  
 
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i. Moisture  content,  % m/m,  max.  8  TZS 1326  
ii. Reducing sugar , % m/m,  min  30 TZS 3460  
iii Acidity of extracted fat   % m/m, max  1  ISO 7305  
iv. Total  ash, %  m/m, max  2                                                                                           
TZS 3459  
v Acid insoluble ash %m/m, max.  0.5 TZS 3420  
vi. Hydroxymethylfurfural  (HMF),  mg/kg,  max or min???  40 TZS 3461  
 
 
 
5. Hygiene  
 
5.1. Honey  butter  shall be manufactured  processed,  packaged,  stored  and distributed  under  hygienic  
conditions    prescribed in TZS 109  
 
5.2. Honey  butter shall  not exceed  microbiological  limits  in Table  2 when  tested  in accordance  with test 
methods  specified t h e r e i n 
 
Table  2. Microbiological  limits  for honey  butter   
 
S/N Microorganism  Maximum  limit Test method  
i Total plate count  103 TZS 119  
ii. Yeast  and mould  cfu/g,  < 10 TZS 131  
iii. Salmonella  spp. per 25 g,  Absent  TZS 122  
iv. Escherichia  coli MPN/g,  Absent  TZS 731  
v Staphylococcus aureus,  
cfu/g . Absent  TZS 125  
 
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6. Contaminants  
 
  6.1. Pesticide  residues  
 
Honey  butter shall  conform  to those  maximum  residue  limits  for pesticide  residues  established  by Codex  
Alimentarius  Commission for this commodity.  
 
 
  6.2. Heavy  metals  
 
honey  butter  shall not exceed  the acceptable  limits  of Heavy  metals  specified  in Table  3 
 
Table  3— Limits  of heavy metals  for honey  butter  
 
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum  limit Test method  
i. Lead  (Pb) mg/kg max  0.1 AOAC 999.1  
ii. Cadmium mg/kg max  0.1   ISO 6561 -2 
iii. Arsenic  (Ar) mg/kg max  0.1 TZS 1502  
TZS 1502: 2016  
 
 7.  Aflatoxins  
 
when  tested  in accordance  with ISO 16050 , aflatoxin  levels  in honey  butter  shall not exceed  10 μg/kg  and 5 
μg/kg  for total aflatoxin  and aflatoxin  B1 respectively.  
 
 
8. Packing,  marking and labelling  
 
8.1. Packing  
 
Honey  butter shall be packed in a food grade  material  to safe guard  the hygienic  and nutritional  quality  of the 
product.   
 
8.2.   Marking and Labelling  
 
 In addition  to the requirements  of TZS 538,  the following  specific  labelling  requirements  shall be legibly  
and  indelibly  marked;  
 
a) common  name  of the product,  “Honey  butter  
 
b) complete  list of ingredients shall  be declared  on the label  in descending  order of  proportion;  
 
c) net weight  in metric  units;  
 
d) name  and physical  address  of the manufacturer/packer/distributor of  the product  shall be declared  on 
the label;  
                                                                                                                                 TBS/ AFDC 17 (2279) DTZS  
 e) date of manufacture;  
g) lot identification;  
 
h) expiry  date;  
 
i) country  of origin;  
 
k) storage  instructions;   
 
l) instructions  on disposal  of used  package.  
 
m) Declaration of allegens (if any)  
 
 
 
9. Sampling  and Tests  
 
 
9.1. Sampling  of honey  butter  shall be done  in accordance  with CAC/GL 50     
 
 
  9.2. Tests shall be done in accordance with Table 1, 2 and 3.                                                                                                                                              TBS/  AFDC 17 (2279) CD1