© TBS 201 9                                                                                                                    
  
 
AFDC 07(6571) P 3/TZS 31:201 0 
 
 
                DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Chilies  and capsicums (whole and ground)  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
               TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
      
 
                                                                                                        
ii                                                                                                                ©TBS 201 9 – All rights reserved   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
DRAF T TANZANIA STANDARD                                             
                                                              
©TBS 201 9 – All rights reserved  1  
Chillies and capsic ums (whole and ground) – Specification  
 
 
0 Foreword   
 
 Whole Chillies and capsicum contain pungent components made up of capsaicinoids in which the 
amount differs  from one variety to another.   
 
Chillies  are marketed as dry whole pods as well as in powder f orm. Chili peppers are used around 
the world to make a countless variety of sauces, known as hot sauce , chilli sauce , or pepper sauce  
 
This Tanzania S tandard is being prepared to ensure the safety and quality of chillies and capsicum 
produced and or traded  in the country.  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania S tandard considerable help was derived from spices 
manufacturers in the country  and from ISO 972:1997 (confirmed  2012 ), on Spices and Condiments.  
 
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made i n accordance with this standard, if the final 
value, observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in ac cordance with TZS 4 (see 
clause 2)   
 
1 Scope  
 
This Tanzania Standard prescribes requirements , sampling and test  methods  for chillies and 
capsicums belonging to the species Capsicum frutescens  Linnaeus or Capsicum  annum Linnaeus 
in the form of whole or ground chillies or Capsicums  
 
 
2 Normative References  
Insert the opening statement and rearrange the standards in ascending order  
 
Codex Stan 193  
 
TZS 4 , Rounding off numerical values  
 
TZS 33 , Spices and condiments – Sampling   
 
TZS 1318 , Spices and condiments  – Determination of moisture content Entrainment method    
 
TZS 1316 , Spices and condiments  – Determination of total ash  
 
TZS 1317 , Spices and condiments  – Determination of acid insoluble ash  
 
TZS 1319 , Spices and condiments  – Determination of non volatile ether extract   
 
TZS 1315 , Spices and condiments  – Determination of extraneous matter and foreign matter 
content  
 
TZS 109 , Codes of hy giene for food processing units  – General   
   
DRAF T TANZANIA STANDARD                                             
                                                              
©TBS 201 9 – All rights reserved  2                                                                                                            
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  2 3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this Tanzania S tandard, the following definitions shall apply  
 
3.1 unripe fruits  
 
fruits not yet matured, the colour of which is considerably different from that of the batch under  
consideration. Generally the fruits are green or pale yellow in colour.  
 
3.2 marked fruits  
 
black or black stained fruits  
 
3.3 fragments  
 
small pieces  of broken fruits  
 
3.4 extraneous matter  
 
extraneous matter includes:  
a) All matter present  in the sample which is not from chillies or capsicum of the variety under 
consideration;  
b) All other foreign matter and, in particular, stalks, leaves, soil and sand.  
Extraneous mat ter does not include unripe, marked or fragment fruits of the variety under  
consideration.  
 
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 Chilies  and capsicums are the dried pods (fruits) of plants of the genus Capsicum . In longitudinal 
cross -section, the pods are roughly triangular in shape, with the base of the attachment to the peduncle 
(stalk). The angles within this triangular shape may be opposite the point of attachment of the peduncle 
being generally very acute, but becoming obtuse in rare cases, depending on the species.  
The pods contain varying numbers of yellow/wh ite, hard, disc -like seeds, 1 mm to 5 number and size of 
the seeds depend on the species.  
 
When mature, the seeds are attached individually to a relatively soft (spongy) central core within the pod 
by individual placenta (seed stalks), but in dried commer cial chillies the seeds often become detached 
from the central core and move freely within the pods. The placenta is known to contain the highest 
concentration of the pungent capsaicinoids.  
 
The mature pods may vary in colour from dark blackish -red throug h orange -yellow to yellow -green, 
according to the species. The material pigmentation, particularly red, is affected by exposure to air and 
light during storage and the intensity decreases with time  
Dimensions may vary from 10 mm to 120 mm in length and 4 m m to 50 mm in diameter, depending on 
the species.  
 
 
4.1.2 Ground chillies and ground capsicums   
 
Ground chillies and ground Capsicums are the products obtained by grinding clean and dried 
whole chillies or capsicums respec tively without any added matter.  These products shall be in form                                                                                                           
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  3 of powder of the characteristic colo ur from red to yellowish green  and the maximum particle size is  
500 microns.  
Mixtures of chillies and capsicum as blended powders are common in order to maintain a constant 
capsaicinoid c ontent (heat strength) or desired colour.   
 
 
4.2 Odour and flavour   
4.2.1 Odour  
The odour of chillies and cap sicums, in whole form and in powder form shall have a charac teristic  
strong odour with acrid note , causing sneezing but not disagreeable. Chillies  and capsicums, 
whole and ground, shall be free from musty odour.  
 
4.2.2 Flavour  
  
The flavour of chillies shall be characteristic of chillies, acridvery strong, very pungent and very 
persistent . The flavour of capsicums shall be acrid moderately strong m oderately pu ngent and 
moderately persistent.  
 
 
4.3 Freedom from pests and diseases  etc.  
 
Whole and ground chillies and capsicums shall be free from dirt, fungal growth, insect infestation, 
insect fragments and rodent contamination visible to the naked eye  (corrected, if necessary for 
abnormal vision) with such magnification as may be necessary in any particular case. If the 
magnification exceeds x 10, this fact shall be stated in the test report.  
 
Specific requirements (rearrange the subclauses numbers)  
 
4.4 Extraneous matter   
 
The proportion of e xtraneous mat ter when determined by the method described in  TZS 1315 (see 
clause 2)  shall not exceed 1  % (m/m).    
 
 
4.5 Unripe , marked or fragment fruits  
 
The propor tion of fruits  not in conformity with the desc ription in clause 4.1 of whole chillies and 
whole capsicums shall be less than 5 % (m/m ). The method for the determination of unripe, marked 
or broken berries is described in a nnex  B  
 
4.6 The ground chilies  and capsicums shall be of such fineness  that all  of it passes through a 500  
micron  (0.500mm) sieve . 
 
4.7 Chemical requirements  
Whole and ground chillies and capsicums shall comply with the requirements given in t able 1.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                           
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  4 Table 1 – Requirements for chillies and capsicums, whole and ground   
 
NOTE – Requirements in 2 to 5 are on dry matter basis.  
 
5 Hygiene  
 
Chillies and capsicums shall be prepared under good hygienic practices as stipulated in TZS 109:  
Codes of hygiene for food processing units  – General.  
 
6 Contaminants  
 
Chillies and capsicums shall be prepared with special care under Good Manufacturing Practices, so that 
pesticides used in the Chillies and capsicums production do not leave residues and heavy me tals in 
excess of the limit stipulated on clause 6.1 and 6.2 respectively.  
 
6.1 Pesticide residues in Chillies and capsicums shall not exceed maxi mum residue limit as stipulated 
by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
6.2 Heavy metals in chillies and capsicum w hole and ground should not exceed maxi mum residue limit as 
stipulated by Codex Alimentarius Commission  in Codex Stan 193 . 
 
6.3 Mycotoxins  
Aflatoxin B1 5 ppb  
Total Aflatoxin 10 ppb  
 
 
 
7 Packaging, marking  and labeling   
 
7.1 Pack aging  
 
7.1.1 Chillies and ca psicums, whole and ground shall be manufactured and packed under hygienic 
conditions .  
 
7.1.2 Whole chillies and capsicums  
 
Whole chillies and capsicums shall be packed in clean and sound gunny bags, paper bags or 
paper cartons with polyethylene liner, foo d grade. The containers shall be free from any fungal or 
insect infestations and shall be free from any undesirable smell.  
 
7.1.3 Ground chillies and capsicums  
 
Ground chillies and capsicums shall be packed in clean, sound and sealed gunny bags, cloth, o r 
paper bag or paper cartons with a polyethylene liner food grade or in tinplate or glass con tainers 
with tamper -proof screw or plastic stoppers, or aluminium foil packs or cellophane bags  SI. No  Characteristic:  Requireme
nts Methods of test 
1 
2 
3 
4 
 
5 
 Moisture per cent (m/m). max.   
Total ash per cent (m/m) max   
Acid insoluble ashes in Hcl  %  (m/m ) max.  
Crude fibre, per cent (m/m), max  
Non-volatile ether extract % (min.)  10 
10 
1.6 
          30 
          12 TZS 1318:   
TZS 1316:   
TZS 1317:      
         Annex C  
 
TZS 1319:                                                                                                             
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  5  
7.1.3.1 Ground chillies and capsicums supplied to in stitutions and individuals not involved in retail 
trade shall be supplied in quantities agreed to between the purchaser and supplier.  
 
7.2 Marki ng and labelling   
Opening statement to introduce TZS 538  
7.2.1 The following particulars shall legibly and inde libly be m arked or labelled on each container:  
 
a) name of the product ; 
b)  Trade name or brand name if any;  
 
c Name and physical and postal address of manufacturer and/or packer;  
 
d) Batch or code number;  
 
e) Net weight ; 
 
f)   Best before  date; 
 
g) Country of origi n; 
 
h).Storage condition   
 
 
 
7.2.2  Ground chillies and capsicums  
  
Items a) to f) in clause 7.2.1 shall be marked on each individual container and on each package for 
dispatch.  
 
 
7.3  The packages may also be marked with TBS certification mark.  
 
NOTE  – The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by manufacturers only under 
licence from TBS. Particulars of conditions which the licences are granted may be obtained 
from TBS offices.  
 
8 Methods of sampling and test  
 
Whole chillies and capsicums and ground chillies and cap sicums shall be sampled in accordance 
with TZS 33:   and tested for compliance with th e requirements of this Tanzania Standard as 
described in t able 1   
 
Samples of ground chill ies and capsicums shall be analy sed without further preparation other than 
thorough mixing  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                           
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  6  
 
 
 
 
 
Annex  A 
 
Preparation of samples of chillies and capsicums for test  
 
 
A.1 Field of application  
 
The method described in this annex applies to whole chillies and capsicums  
 
 
A.2 Apparatus   
  
A.2.1  The following a pparatus is required A-2.1 Grinding mill, which  
 
a) is made of material which does not absorb moisture  
 
b) is easy to take to pieces and clean, and has a minimum of dead space  
  
c) does not introduce any foreign body into the sample  
 
d) permits rapid and even g rinding without causing heating  
  
e) avoids, as far as possible, contact with outside air  
 
f) can be adjusted so as to obtain particles which will pass a sieve of  500 micron aperture 
size (see 4 .6) 
  
g)Permits complete recovery of a ll fragments of the sample (l ight and heavy parts)  
  
h) is free from rust  
 
A.2.2 Sample container  
 
A clean, dry, air -tight glass container or other suitable container of material which has no action on 
the test sample of such size that it will be nearly filled by the test sample.  
 
 
A.3 Procedure   
 
A.3.1  Divide the final lot sample into two samples A and B each of at least 10 0 g, for the following 
purposes  
 
A.3.1.1 Sample A:  
 
a)to identify the product (see 4.1.1)  
 
b)to assess the odour and flavour (see 4.2)  
                                                                                                           
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  7 c)to verify the absence of fung i, insects etc (see 4.3)  
 
d)to determine the proportion of extraneous matter (see 4.4)  
 
e)to determine the proportion immature, marked or broken berries (see 4.5)  
 
A.3.1.2  Sample B after grinding, for various other tests (see 4.6).  
 
A.3.2   Using the grindi ng mill grind a small quantity of Sample B and reject it. Then quickly grind 
the remainder of Sample B Transfer this test sample to the sample container and close the 
container immediately  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex  B 
                                               (Normative)  
 
Determination of unripe fruits, marked fruits, and broken fruits and 
fragments                                                                                                            
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  8  
The method described in this annex applies to whole chillies and capsicums  
 
B.1 Spread out the sample, the extraneous matter of which has been removed (as  specified in TZS 1315: 
on a white sheet of matt paper. Segregate the unripe fruits, the marked fruits, and the broken and 
fragments by physical separation.  
 
B.2 Weigh separately, to the nearest 0.1 g, these three categories of defecti ve fruits. The masses m0, m1 
and m2 are obtained for unripe, marked, and broken fruits and fragments, respectively. Their percentages 
are calculated from the expressions given below.  
 
B.2.1 Unripe fruits:   
                          mo  x 100  
                       M  
B.2.2 Marked fruits:   
                              m1 x100  
                           M  
 
B.2.3 Broken fruits and fragments:   
      m2 x 100  
      M  
  
where  
 M is the mass, in grams, of the initial sample;  
  mo is the mass, in grams, of un ripe fruits;  
 m1 is the mass, in grams, of marked fruits;  
 m2 is the mass, in grams, of broken fruits and fragme nt 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex  C 
 
Crude fibre  
C.1 Reagents  
 
C.1.1 Petroleum ether:    
 
C.1.2  Dilute sulphuric acid: 1.25 % (m/v) accurately prepared.   
 
C.1.3  Sodium hydroxide solution: 1.25 % (m/v) accurately prepared.  
 
C.1.4  Ethanol: 95 % (v/v)                                                                                                           
 
©TBS 201 9– All rights reserved  9  
C.2 Procedure:  
 
Weigh accurately about 2.5 g of the ground material into a thimble and extract for about 1 hour with 
petroleum ether using a Soxhlet apparat us. Transfer the material in the thimble to a one -litre flask. Take 
200 ml of the dilute sulphuric acid in a beaker and bring to boil. Transfer the whole of the boiling acid to 
the flask containing the fat -free material and immediately connect the flask wi th a water -cooled reflux 
condenser and heat so that the contents of the flask begin to boil within 1 minute. Rotate the flask 
frequently taking care to keep the material from remaining on the sides of the flask and out of contact with 
the acid. Continue bo iling for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the flask and filter through fine linen (about 18 
thread to the centimetre) or through a coarse acid washed hardened filter paper, held in a funnel  and 
wash with boiling water until the washings are no longer acidic to  litmus paper. Bring some quantity of 
sodium hydroxide solution to boil under reflux condenser. Wash the residues on the filter into the flask 
with 200 ml of boiling sodium hydroxide solution. Immediately connect the flask with the reflux condenser 
and boi l for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the flask and immediately filter through the linen or the filter 
paper.   
 
Thoroughly wash the residue with boiling water and transfer to a Gooch crucible prepared with a thin 
but compact layer of ignite asbestos. Wash the r esidue thoroughly first with hot water and then with 
about 15 ml of ethyl alcohol and with three successive washings of 15 ml of petroleum ether each.  
Dry the Gooch crucible and contents at 105 ± 10 C in an air -oven for 3 hours, cool and weigh. Repeat 
the process of drying for 30 minutes, cooling and weighing until the dif ference between two 
consecutive weighings is less than 1 mg. Incinerate the contents of the Gooch crucible in the muffle 
furnace at 550 ±20 0C until all the carbonaceous matter is burnt.  Cool the Gooch crucible containing 
the ash in a desiccator arid weigh.  
 
C.3 Calculation  
 
Crude fibre (on dry basis), per cent by mass  
 
    = l00(M 1 – M2)  X   100 
                                 M          (100 -H) 
 
Where:   M 1 = mass in g of Gooch cruc ible and contents before ashing.  
               M2 = mass in g of Gooch crucible containing asbestos and ash , and  
               M = mass in g of the material taken for the test  
     H= Moisture content of the sample as received in percent