ICS 67.140.10  
 
Reference number  
DRS 483: 2021  
© RSB 2021  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
483  
 
First edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
Sweetened tea  — Specification  
 
   
DRS 483: 2021  
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2021  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
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E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 483: 2021  
iii                ©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
4.3 Specif ic requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
5 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  4 
6.1 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  4 
6.2 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
6.3 Iron filings  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 4 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  4 
9 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of iron filings  ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
A.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
A.3 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 6 
 DRS 483: 2021  
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare nati onal standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 483 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 038, Processed fruits and vegetables  and RSB/TC 
002 on Tea and derived products  
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
RS EAS 922: 2019, Flavoured black tea  Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledge d with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represente d on the Technical Committee on Processed fruits and vegetables  
(RSB/TC 038) and on Tea an d derived products (RSB/TC 002)  in the preparation of this standard.  
Anas  Ltd 
Benya Company Ltd  
Bora Wa Uzima  
Cooperative Des Agriculteurs et de Transformateurs d’ananas de  Mutendeli (Catam)  
National Agricultural Export Development Board provides (NAEB)  
Netrapi Ltd  
Nyarutarama Business Incubation Centre  
Rwagasabo Beverages Ltd  
Rwanda  Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board  (RAB)  
Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (RFDA)  
Rwanda Mountain Tea  DRS 483: 2021  
v                ©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved  
 Rwanda Tea Packers Ltd  
Shagasha Tea Company  
Shekina Enterprise  
Sorwatom  Ltd 
Spic Ltd  
Tuzamurane Cooperative  
Urwibutso Enterprise  
Winners Togeth er Ltd  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 483 :2021  
1                ©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved  
 Sweetened tea  — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for sweetened tea intended 
for human consumption.  
This Standard excludes herbs claimed to have medical or other health effects  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are ref erred 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.  
ISO 1575, Tea — Determination of total ash  
RS CAC/RCP 1, General principles of food hygiene  
RS CODEX STAN 193, General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
RS EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requireme nts 
RS EAS 921, Green tea — Specification  
RS ISO 14502 -1, Determination of substances characteristic of green and black tea — Part 1: Content of total 
polyphenols in tea — Colorimetric method using Folin -Ciocalteu reagent  
RS ISO 15598, Tea — Determination of crude fibre content  
RS ISO 1573, Tea — Determination of loss in mass at 103 degrees C  
RS ISO 1576, Tea — Determination of water -soluble ash and water -insoluble ash  
RS ISO 1577, Tea — Determination of acid -insoluble ash  
RS ISO 1578, Tea — Determination o f alkalinity of water -soluble ash  
RS 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-bromo -
4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
RS ISO 1839, Tea — Sampling   
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  2 
 RS ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water ac tivity less than or equal to 0,95  
RS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp  
RS ISO 9768, Tea — Determination of water extract  
3 Terms an d definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply . 
3.1  
sweetened tea  
tea to which sweeteners have been added in order to render a specific taste  
3.2 
foreign matter  
organic or inorganic material other than tea leav es and /or sweetening agent  
3.3 
adulterant  
any material intentionally added that changes the original composition and compromises the quality and safety 
of sweetened tea  
3.4 
food grade packaging material  
packaging material, made of substances which are saf e and suitable for their intended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Raw materials  
The following shall be used:  
a) Green tea complying with RS EAS 921;  
b) Black tea complying with RS EAS  28; and  
c) Sweetening agents (for example stevia) complying with RS CODEX STAN 192  DRS 483 :2021  
3                ©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved  
 4.2 General requirements  
Sweetened tea shall:  
a) have characteristic taste of sweetening agent used;  
b) be free from foreign matter;  
c) be free from insects;  
d) be free from off flavours and odours;  
e) be free from adulterants; and  
f) be free from added colouring matter other than that of sweetening agent used.  
4.3 Specific requirements  
Sweetened tea shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the 
test met hods specified therein.  
Table 1 ▬ Specific requirements for Sweetened tea  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Moisture content, %, (m/m), max.  8 RS ISO 1573  
ii.  Water extract, %, (m/m), min.  32 RS ISO 9768  
iii.  Total ash, %, (m/m)  4 – 8 ISO 1575  
iv.  Water soluble ash, as percentage of total ash, 
min. 45 RS ISO 1576  
v.  Alkalinity of water -soluble ash (as KOH), %, 
(m/m)  1.0 – 3.0a RS ISO 1578  
vi.  Acid-insoluble ash, %, (m/m), max.  1.0 RS ISO 1577  
vii.  Crude fibre, %, (m/m), max.  16.5 RS ISO 15598  
viii.  Total polyphenols (m/m), min.  9 RS ISO 14502 -1 
NOTE Except for water extract, the requirements shall be determined using a ground sample prepared in accordance 
with RS ISO 1572.  
a When the alkalinity of water -soluble ash is expressed in terms of millimoles  of KOH per 100 g of ground sample, the 
limits shall be 17.8 – 53.6.  
5 Hygiene  
5.1 Sweetened tea shall be processed and handled in a hygienic manner in accordance with RS CAC/RCP 
1.  
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  4 
 5.2 Sweetened tea shall not exceed microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for Sweetened tea  
S/N Microorganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Yeasts and moulds, cfu/g  104 RS ISO 21527 -2 
ii.  Escherichia coli , cfu/g  Absent  RS ISO 16649 -2 
iii.  Salmonella spp per 25 g  Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1 
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Pesticide residues  
Sweetened tea shall comply with the updated maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  
6.2 Heavy metals  
Heavy metals in Sweetened tea shall  not exceed maximum residue limits as stipulated in RS CODEX STAN 
193. 
6.3 Iron filings  
When tested in accordance with Annex A, the amount of iron filings in sweetened tea shall not exceed 150 
mg/kg.  
7 Packaging  
Sweetened tea shall be packaged in closed, clean and dry food grade packaging materials which do not 
compromise the quality and safety of the product.  
8 Labelling  
8.1 In addition to the requirements specified in RS EAS 38, each package of the Sweetened tea shall be 
legibly and indelibly labelled with the following:  
a) name of the product as “Sweetened tea”;  
b) name of the sweetening agent used;  
c) name and physical address of the manufacturer/packer/importer/exporter;  
d) list of ingredients in descending order;  DRS 483 :2021  
5                ©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved  
 e) date of manufacture;  
f) best before da te;  
g) batch/lot number;  
h) net weight;  
i) country of origin;  
j) storage instructions;  
k) instructions for use; and  
l) Instructions for disposal of used package.  
8.2 When labelling non -retail packages, information for non -retail packages shall either b e given on the 
packages or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the product, lot identification and the name 
and address of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the packages . 
9 Sampling  
Sampling sweetened tea shall be done in accordance w ith RS ISO 1839 . 
  
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  6 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of iron filings  
A.1 Apparatus  
a) Magnet (at least 4 000 gauss)  
b) Polythene sheet  
c) Petri dish  
A.2 Procedure  
A.2.1  A known amount of (25 g) tea is spread evenly on petri dish.  
A.2.2  A powerful magnet wrapped in polythene sheet is run over the sample repeatedly till no more iron filings 
cling to the magnet.  
A.2.3  Collect the iron filings in a clean, dry and previously weighed petri dish.  
A.2.4  Note down and express the mass of iron filings as mg/kg.  
A.3 Calculation  
 
where;  
M1 Mass, in gram, of iron filings, and  
M2 Mass, in gram, of sample taken for the test.  
 
DRS 483: 2021  
 
Price based on 6 pages  
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