AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
 
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
Breakfast cereals  - Specification  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
 
AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.Foreword  
 
Breakfast cereal foods can be classified based on either the amount of time required for domestic 
cooking, the form of the breakfast cereal or the cereal used as a raw material. The types that require no 
cooking are called ready -to-eat cereals and these are available in a variety of forms. These ready -to-eat 
cereals are usually consumed with milk or wa ter and with or without added sugar.  
 
Development of this Tanzania standard was necessitated by the need to ensure the safety and quality of 
breakfast cereal  being produced and or marketed in Tanzania as well as for import and export markets.  
 
In preparation of this draft Tanzania standard assistan ce was drawn from KS523 , Standard for Breakfast 
cereal . 
 
In reporting the result of a test or analysis made in acc ordance with the Tanzania standard, if the final 
value observed or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4: (see clause 
2). 
 
 
1. Scope  
 
This Tanzania Standard prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling and test for flaked/puffed 
breakfast cereals including muesli and cereal bars, for direct human consumption.  
 
2. Normative references  
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application 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.  
 
CAC/GL 23 Guidelines for nutrition and health claims.  
 
CODEX STAN 193, General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
 
TZS 4 – Rounding off numerical values  
 
TZS 109, Food processing units – Code of hygiene  
 
 
TZS 117,  Food – Handling of samples for microbiological analysis – Code of practice  
 
TZS 122, Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of salmonella spp  
 
TZS 125, 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 Baird \-Parker agar medium – Amendment 1 \: Inclusion of precision data  AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
TZS 131, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuff \: General guidance for enumeration of yeasts and 
moulds \- Colony Count techn ique at 25oC  
TZS 268, General atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for determination of lead in food and 
food stuff  
TZS 330,  Cereals and pulses — Sampling   
 
TZS 331, Cereals and pulses — Test methods#  
 
TZS 538, Labelling of pre\-packaged foods — General requirements  
 
TZS 729 -2 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs –Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms – Colony count technique  
TZS 730, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method fo r the enumeration of \-b\-
glucuronidase \-positive Escheria coli – Part 2 – Colony \-count technique at 44 0C using 5 \-bromo \-4\-
chloro \-3\-indolyl \-b\-D\-glucuronide  
TZS 1316,  Spices and Condiments - Determination of total ash   
TZS 1317, Spices and Condiments \- Determination of acid insoluble ash  
TZS 1502 Fruits, vegetables and derived products – Sampling and methods of test Part 14 \: 
Determination of arsenic content \- Silver diethyldithocarbamate spectrophotometric method  
TZS 1770, Hazard Analysis  and Critical Control Point \(HACCP \) System — Requirements for any 
organization in the food chain  
 
3.0 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
 
3.1 
flaked  breakfast cereals   
ready to eat breakfast cereals made by pressing cooked grain grits through rollers or by extrusion.  
 
3.2 
 puffed breakfast cereals   
ready to eat cereals made by exploding cooked grains from a pressurized chamber.  
 
3.3 
cereal bar  
breakfa st cereal made of a mixture of different cereal grains which are either flaked or puffed with optional 
additional ingredients such as dried fruits,nuts, seeds and may be coated with products like chocolates or 
any to other suitable food coating.  
 
3.4 
muesl i 
loose mixture of rolled cereal grains and other ingredients including dried fruits nuts and seeds.  AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
3.5  
food grade packaging material  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will 
not impart any  toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.0 General requirements  
 
4.1 The cereal flakes/puffs shall be prepared from clean, sound grains, e.g. corn, wheat or rice, which  
complies  with relevant Tanzania Standards.  
 
4.2 If the cereal flakes/puffs are prepared from cereal flour, the flour used shall be of good quality and  
complying with relevant Tanzania Standards on various cereal flours.  
 
4.3 The flakes/puffs shall be tender, crisp y, and reasonably uniform in size and of characteristic flavor and  
color. Shall not be soggy.  
 
4.4 The cereal flakes/puffs shall possess a good characteristic taste and odor and shall be free from  
rancid, musty, sour and other undesirable tastes and odors.  
 
4.5 The flakes/puffs shall be free from insects and foreign matters.  
 
4.6 When immersed in milk or water the product shall absorb the liquid and swell substantially,  
presenting a pleasant texture and taste. This will not apply to breakfast cereal bars.  
 
4.7 The wheat flaked biscuits shall be of good flavor, color and of uniform size and design within the  
Group and the product shall not be soggy.  
 
4.8 The clauses 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7 shall be determined by sensory evaluation panels.  
 
5.0 Specific requirements  
The cereal flakes/puffs and flaked cereal biscuits (ready -to-eat) shall comply with the requirements given  
in Tables 1  
Table 1: Specific requirements for breakfast  
cereals  
 
S/N Parameter  Limits  Test method  
 
1 Moisture (Max) % m/m Muesli  12 TZS 331  AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
Others  7.5 Clause 5  
Cereal bars  14 
2 Protein min.)  N x 
6.25 % m/m  
  5.0 
 TZS 331  
Clause 4  
3 Total Fat Max% m/m  Corn 
flakes/puff  4  ISO 11085  
Muesli 
Cereal bars  14 
 Others   8 
4 Total Ash Max% m/m   6 
 TZS 1316  
5 Acid Insoluble Ash Max% m/m  
 
  0.2 
 TZS1317  
6 Total Fibre Max% m/m   12 ISO 5498  
 
 
6.0 Hygiene  
 
6.1 It is recommended that the produce covered by the provisions of this Standard be prepared and 
handled in accordance with TZS 109 and TZS 1770.  
 
6.2 The produce should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with TZS 117  
 
6.3 To the extent possible in good agricultural practice, the products shall be free from objectionable 
mater.  
 
 
6.4 Microbiological requirement  
The flaked/puffed cereals shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Microbiological Limits for breakfast cereals  
 
S/N Parameter  Limits (Max)  Test method  
1 Coliform bacteria cfu/g  10 TZS 729 -2 
 
2 Salmonella sp.  25g  absent  TZS 122  
 
3 Escherichia coli  cfu/g  absent  TZS 730  
 
4 Staphylococcus aureus /25 g  absent  TZS 125 
 
5 Yeast and moulds cfu/g  
 < 50  TZS 131  
 
 
 
7.0 Contaminants  AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
7.1 Pesticide residues  
Flaked/puffed cereals shall comply with those pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
7.2 Heavy metals  
Flaked/puffed cereals shall be free from heavy metals in amounts which may represent a hazard to 
health. If present, they shall not exceed the limits established in Table 3.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3 — Heavy metal contaminants limits  
 
 
S/N Heavy metals  Limits (max) in ppm  Test method  
1 Arsenic (As),  0.1  TZS 1502  
2 Lead (Pb),  0.2  
 TZS 268  
4 Cadmium (Cd)  0.1  
 TZS 1490  
 
 
 
 
7.3  Mycotoxin  
 
Flaked/puffed cereals shall comply with the maximum limits for mycotoxins given in Table 4 when tested 
in accordance with the test methods prescribed therein.  
 
Table 4 — Mycotoxin limits for breakfast cereals  
 
 
 
 
8.0 Packing, marking and labelling  
 
8.1 The breakfast cereals shall be packed in well -sealed moisture proof food grade  
containers, which will protect the product from deterioration in quality and safety throughout the shelf life.  
 
8.1.2 The fill of the container shall be packaged in accordance to the Weights and Measures of the 
relevant country regulation.  S/N Mycotoxin  limit (max)  Test method   
i.  Total aflatoxins µg/kg  10 TZS 331/EAS 901 Clause 9  ii.  Aflatoxin B 1, µg/kg  5 AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.2 Marking and Labelling  
8.2.1 Labelling of retail containers  
In addition to the requirements in TZS 538, each package shall be legibly and indelibly labelled with the 
following on the container:  
a) (i) product nameas “ flaked/puffed cereals ”,muesli and cerea l bars  
(ii) the cereal used for preparation of the breakfast cereal shall be declared before the product 
name.  
b) name, address and physical location of the producer/packer/importer;  
c) Brand name/ trade name;  
 
d) Country of origin  
e) lot/batch/code number;  
f) net weight, in metric units;  
g) Date of manufacture;  
 
h) Expiry date  
i) storage condition ; 
j) instructions for use and  disposal of used package;  
k) the declaration “Food for Human Consumption’’  
8.2.2 Labelling of non -retail containers  
Information detailed in 9.1 shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except 
that the name of the product, lot identification and the name and address of the processor or packer as 
well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container.  AFDC16( 6757 )P2 
However, lot identificat ion and the name and address of the processor or packer may be replaced by an 
identification mark provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.  
8.3 The use of pictorials or any other misrepresentation of the product on the label is prohibited.  
8.4 Each container may be marked with the TBS standards mark of quality.  
8.5 Nutrition and Health claims  
Any Health and/or Nutrition claim on breakfast cereal products shall conform to the provisions of CAC/GL  
23 
 
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.   
 
9. Sampling  
 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the TZS 33 0.