DEAS  33: 2023 
ICS 67.100.10 
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                            Fourth Edition  2023 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Yoghurt — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  DEAS 33: 2023 
ii © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
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 DEAS 33 : 2023 
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessi tated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee (EASC) mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards (EAS).  The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner  States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations in the community.  
East African Standards are developed through Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, con sumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the principles  and procedures for development of East African Standards . 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ens ure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 017, Milk and milk products . 
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (EAS 33: 2019 ), which has been technically revised  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  DEAS 33: 2023 
iv © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
 DEAS  33: 2023   
 
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
  
 Yoghurt — Spec ification  
1 Scope  
This Draft East  African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for yoghurt , alternate 
culture yoghurt and acidophilus milk  
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.  
CXC 57, Code of hygienic  practice for milk and milk products  
CXS 192 , Codex general standard for food additives  
EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
EAS 39,  Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 803 , Nutrition labe lling — Requirements  
EAS 803, Nutrition labelling ― Requirements  
EAS 804, Claims on foods ― General requirements  
EAS 805, Use of nutrition and health claims ― Requirements  
ISO 13580 , Yoghurt — Determination of total solids content (Reference method)  
ISO 145 01, Milk and milk powder — Determination of aflatoxin M1 content — Clean -up by immunoaffinity 
chromatography and determination by high -performance liquid chromatography  
ISO 20128,  Milk productsEnumeration of presumptive Lactobacillus acidophilus on a selec tive medium —
Colony -count technique at 37 degrees C  
ISO 22662, Milk and milk products —Determination of lactose content by high -performance liquid 
chromatography (Reference method)  
ISO 23318 , Milk, dried milk products and cream —Determination of fat content —Gravimetric method  
ISO 29981,  Milk products —Enumeration of presumptive bifidobacteria —Colony count technique at 37 
degrees C  
ISO 4832 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony count techniq ue 
ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms — 
Part 1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique   
2 © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
 ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enu meration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp  
ISO 6611 , Milk and milk products — Enumeration of colony -forming units of yeasts and/or moulds — Colony - 
count technique at 25 degrees C  
ISO 6888 -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 
Baird -Parker agar medium  
ISO 707 , Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
ISO 7889,  Yoghur t — Enumeration of characteristic microorganisms — Colony count technique at 37 degrees 
C 
ISO 7889,  Yogurt —Enumeration of characteristic microorganisms —Colony -count technique at 37 degrees C  
ISO 8968 -1, Milk and milk products —Determination of nitrogen cont ent—Part 1: Kjeldahl principle and crude 
protein calculation  
ISO/TS 11869, Fermented milks — Determination of titratable acidity — Potentiometric method  
ISO/TS 6733, Milk and milk products — Determination of lead content — Graphite furnace atomic absorptio n 
spectrometric method  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
yoghurt  
cultured milk product obtained by lactic acid fermentation through the action of  Streptococcus thermophilus  
and Lactoba cillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus  
3.2 
sweetened yoghurt  
yoghurt to which sugar  and/or non -nutritive sweeteners  have been added  
3.3 
Plain/natural  yoghurt  
yoghurt produced  using appropriate cultures without addition of any other ingredients  
3.4 
flavoured yoghurt  
yoghurt  into which permitted flavours,and/or sweeteners,, food colours have been added  
3.5 
fruit yoghurt  
yoghurt to which fruits or fruit pulp have been added  
3.6 
probiotic yoghurt , alternate culture yoghurt,  acidophilus milk  
Yoghurt , alternate cul ture yoghurt  and acidophilus milk  which contain live and beneficial microorganisms in 
amounts that can confer health benefits  
3.7 
alternate culture yoghurt  
Cultured milk product obtained by lactic acid fermentation through the action of Streptococcus therm ophilus  
and Lactobacillus species   
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  3 
 3.8 
acidophilus milk  
Cultured milk product obtained by lactic acid fermentation through the action of Lactobacillus acidophilus  
3.9 
Greek yoghurt  
yoghurt that has been strained to remove its whey resulting to a thicker and  creamy consistenc y 
3.10 
Greek style yoghurt  
Yoghurt that has been concentrated by addition of milk solids and permitted thickening agents resulting to a 
thicker and creamy consistency  
3.11 
heat-treated yoghurt  
yoghurt that has been pasteurised, thermized or sterilized  after fermentation  
3.12 
Lactose free yoghurt  
yoghur t whose lactose content has been significantly reduced using appropriate methods  
3.13 
Frozen yoghurt  
Yogurt prepared by means of freezing while stirring the product resulting from the fermen tation of milk by 
specific lactic acid producing bacteria  
3.14 
Stirred /drinking  yoghurt  
plain or flavoured yoghurt whose coagulum has been broken through stirring or agitation process to obtain a 
free-flowing product  
3.15 
set yoghurt  
plain or flavoured yog hurt whose coagulum has not undergone any stirring or agitation process  
3.16 
food grade packaging material  
packaging material made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will not 
alter the quality, safety or organoleptic  properties of the product  
3.17 
Foreign matter  
any kind of undesirable physical material introduced to a food product at any point in its production, handling, 
processing or distribution  
4 Types of yoghurt  
Yoghurt, acidophilus milk and alternate culture yo ghurt as presented in the form of either set, stirred / drinking  
or frozen , greek , greek style or any other appropriate form may be classified in either of the following types:  
a) Plain/natural  yoghurt;  
b) flavoured yoghurt;  
c) heat treated yoghurt;  
d) probiotic yoghu rt; 
e) probiotic alternate culture yoghurt ;  
4 © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
 f) probiotic acidophilus milk ; 
g) fruit yoghurt ; and  
h) lactose free yoghurt . 
5 Categories of yoghurt  based on fat content  
The categories based on fat content shall be as follows:  
a) whole milk/full cream  milk yoghurt;  
b) low fat  yoghurt;  
c) fat reduced  yoghurt ; 
d) fat free yoghurt; and  
e) high fat yoghurt.  
6 Requirements  
6.1 Ingredients  
6.1.1  Essential ingredients  
All yoghurts shall be made from the following ingredients:  
a) milk and milk products which may include any of the following:  
1) Raw milk; 
2) heat treated milk; 
3) reconstituted or recombined;  or toned milk ; 
4) evaporated or condensed milk;  
5) pasteurized cream; or  
6) a mixture of two or more milk products  listed above . 
b) Specific starter cultures  
1) yoghurt: cultures of Lactobacillus delbrueckii  subsp. b ulgaricus  and Streptococcus thermophilus . 
2) Alternate culture yoghurt: cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus  and any Lactobacillus  species  
3) Acidophilus milk: Lactobacillus acidophilus  
6.1.2  Optional ingredients  
6.1.2.1  Ingredients, including but not limited to the following, may be added to all types of yoghurts:  
a) cultures of suitable microorganisms ;  
b) milk and cream  powder complying  with EAS 49;   
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  5 
 c) unfermented butter milk;  
d) concentrated whey;  
e) whey or whey proteins and/or their concentrates;  
f) edible casein and casei nates;  
g) sugars (in sweetened types of yoghurt only), complying with  EAS 16, EAS 5, EAS 8, EAS 770, or EAS 
749; or 
h) Approved flavouring agents (natural or synthetic) used in accordance with CXG 66 - 2006 or other 
food ingredients made from preparations such a s fruits, vegetables, juices, purees, pulps and 
preparations, cereals, honey, chocolate, nuts, coffee, spices may be used  
6.1.2.2  Where non -dairy ingredients are used, they shall not be more than 50 % of the total composition.  
6.2 General requirements  
Yogh urt shall:  
a) be free from off odours and off flavours such as metallic flavour or yeast flavour;  
b) be free from foreign matter; and  
c) have the characteristic texture , flavour  and taste of the type of yoghurt . 
6.3 Specific requirements  
Yoghurt shall comply with t he requirements specified in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the test  
methods specified therein.  
Table 1 ▬ Specific requirements for yoghurt  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Whole  
milk/full 
cream milk  
yoghurt  Fat 
reduced  
yoghurt  Low fat 
yoghurt  Fat free  
yoghurt  High fat  
yoghurt  
1.  Milk fat content, %,  m/m 3.25 - 4.5 1.51 – 3.24 0.5 – 1.50 < 0.5  4.6 - 15 ISO 23318  
2.  Milk solids  non-fat, 
%, m/m,  min. 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 ISO 13580  
3.  pH 4.0 – 4.6 4.0 – 4.6 4.0 – 4.6 4.0 – 4.6 4.0 – 4.6 Annex  A 
4.  Titratable acidity, %,  lactic  acid,  min. 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 ISO/TS 11869  
5.  Sum of microorganisms  constituting  
the starter culture, CFU/g  in totala 
min  107 107 107 107 107 ISO 7889  
6.  Labelled  microorganisms  CFU/g  in 
totalb min  106 106 106 106 106 ISO 29981 / 
ISO 20128  
7.  Milk protein % , minimum  2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 ISO 8968 -1  
6 © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
 8.  [Lactose contentc ,% m/m max ] [0.1] [0.1] [0.1] [0.1] [0.1] ISO 
22662/AOAC 
984.15  
a The requirement  on sum of  microorganisms  and labelled  microorganisms  do not apply  for heat treated  yoghurt  
b Applies  where  a content  c l a i m is made  in the labelling  that refers  to the presence  of a specific microorganism  other  
than Lactobacillus  delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus  that has been  added  as supplement  to the specific  
starter  culture  
c Lactose content applies to lactose free yoghurt  
 
7 Hygiene  
7.1 Yoghurt shall be produced and handled in accordance with CXC  57 and EAS 39.  
7.2 Yoghurt shall comply with microbiological limits in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for yoghurt  
S/No  Microorganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Coliforms, CFU/g, max.  < 10 ISO 4832  
ii.  Salmonella spp,   in 25 g, max.  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iii.  Staphylococcus aureus,  CFU/g, max.   <10 ISO 6888 -1 
iv.  Yeasts and moulds, CFU/ g, max.  102 ISO 6611  
 
Note: <10 CFU/g should be interpreted as equivalent  to “absent” based on the limit of detection for the m ethod 
applied  
8 Food additives  
 Food additives permitted for yoghurt  in CXS 192 may be used  
9 Contaminants  
9.1 Pesticide residues  
Yoghurt shall comply with maximum limits of pesticides resid ues set by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
9.2 Veterinary drugs residues  
Yoghurt shall comply with maximum tolerable residue limits for antibiotics and other veterinary drugs set by 
Codex Alimentarius Commission  in CX/MRL2 . 
9.3 Heavy metals  
When tested in a ccordance with ISO/TS 6733 , the level of Lead (Pb) shall not exceed 0.02 mg/kg.  
9.4 Aflatoxin  
When tested in accordance with ISO 14501, the level of aflatoxin M1 shall not exceed 0.5 µg/kg.   
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  7 
 10 Packaging  
Yoghurt shall be packaged  in food grade packaging mat erial that safeguards the quality, integrity and safety of 
the product.   
11 Labelling  
11.1 General labelling requirements  
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the following information shall be provided on the label : 
a) Name of the product shall be eith er “Yoghurt” or “alternate culture yoghurt” or “acidophilus milk”  
b) Type  either “ plain/natural” or “flavoured” or “lactose free” or “heat treated yoghurt”; “probiotic yoghurt”, 
“probiotic alternate culture yoghurt”,or “probiotic acidophilus milk” or “Fruit yoghurt”, or “Lactose free 
yoghurt”  
c) Category based on fat content as either whole milk/full cream milk or low fat or fat reduced or fat free 
or high fat  
d) Fat content  
e) For yoghurt , alternate culture yoghurt” or “acidophilus milk  labelled as probiotic,  the type of beneficial 
microorganism  shall be indicated  
f) The label shall carry the picture of the fruit, nuts, confectionary and their derivatives only when 
yoghurt contains the real fruit, nuts, confectionary and/or their derivatives.  
g) [Declaration of lactose con tent for lactose free yoghurt, alternate culture yoghurt” or 
“acidophilus milk ] 
11.2 Nutrition labelling and claims  
Nutrition labelling shall be done in accordance with EAS 803. Nutrition and health claims may be used in 
accordance with EAS 804 and or EAS 805 as appropriate.  
 
12 Sampling  
Sampling of yoghurt shall be done in accordance with ISO 707.   
8 © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(informative)  
 
Determination of pH 
A.1 General  
The pH value or hydrogen ion concentration gives a measure of the true acidity of yoghurt. The relationship 
between pH and acidity of yoghurt is only approximate. In yoghurt the pH ranges from 4.2 to 4.6. The value is 
reduced by the development of acidity. The pH of yoghurt may be determined rapidly by using the indicator 
strips . 
A.2 Indicator strips  
Indicator paper s trips or discs are made by soaking strips of absorbent paper in a suitable indicator and drying 
them.  
A rough estimate of pH is obtained by dipping a strip of the prepared paper in yoghurt and observing the 
colour. Bromocresol purple (pH range 4 to 7, colo ur changes from yellow to purple) and bromothymol blue (pH 
range 4 to 7, colour changes from straw yellow to bluish -green) are commonly used as indicators. Both narrow 
and wide range ready -made indicator papers are available over the pH range 2.0 to 10.5.  
Indicator paper strips shall always be kept in closed containers and under dry conditions.  
A.3 pH meter  
The pH meter may be used to determine pH in yoghurt  
A.4 Interpretation  
On an average, yoghurt gives a pH of 4.6. Yoghurt of pH over 4.6 should be regarded with suspicion as 
indication of poor fermentation as a result of starter culture inhibition. pH below 4.2 is as a result of over 
fermentation.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  9 
 Bibliography  
1) EAS 33: 2019 Yoghurt  — Specification ( Third  edition)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
10 © EAC 2023 – All rights reserved