ICS 67.069  
 
Reference number
DRS 552: 2023
© RSB2023
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
552 
 
First edition  
yyy-mm-dd  
 
Vegetable juices and nectars — 
Specification  
   
DRS 552: 2023 
1                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 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 2022 
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 RSB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to: 
Rwanda Standards Board 
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Toll Free: 3250 
E-mail:info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 552:2023 
©RSB 2023- All rights reserved                  2 
 Contents Page 
Foreword ..............................................................................................................................................................3  
1 Scope ......................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
2 Normative references ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
3 Terms and definitions ...........................................................................................................................5  
4 Requirements .........................................................................................................................................6  
4.1 Ingredients ..............................................................................................................................................6  
4.1.1 Essential Ingredients .............................................................................................................................6  
4.1.2 Optional Ingredients ..............................................................................................................................6  
4.2 General requirements ............................................................................................................................7  
4.3 Specific requirements ...........................................................................................................................7  
4.4 Microbiological requirements ...............................................................................................................7  
5 Food additives ........................................................................................................................................8  
6 Contaminants .........................................................................................................................................8  
6.1 Pesticides residues ...............................................................................................................................8  
6.2 Heavy metal and other contaminants ..................................................................................................8  
7 Hygiene ...................................................................................................................................................9  
8 Packaging ...............................................................................................................................................9  
9 Labelling .................................................................................................................................................9  
9.1 Containers destined for the final consumer .......................................................................................9  
9.2 Non-retail containers .......................................................................................................................... 10  
10 Sampling .............................................................................................................................................. 10  
Annex A (normative)  Method of sampling for vegetable juices and nectars ........................................... 11  
A.1 Scale of sampling ............................................................................................................................... 11  
Annex A (normative)  Method of sampling for vegetable juices and nectars . Error! Bookmark not defined.  
A.2 Scale of sampling ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
A.3 Test samples and reference samples ............................................................................................... 11  
 DRS 552: 2023 
3                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 Foreword 
Rwanda Standards are prepared by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda 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 national standards. Final Draft Rwanda Standards 
adopted by Technical committees are ratified by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards. 
WD xxx was prepared by Joint Technical Committee RSB/TC 001 & 038, Non-alcoholic beverages and 
processed fruits and vegetables.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Joint Technical Committee on Non-alcoholic beverages 
and processed fruits and vegetables  (RSB/TC 001&008) in the preparation of this standard. 
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DRS 552:2023 
©RSB 2023- All rights reserved                  4 
 Vegetable juices and nectars — Specification 
1 Scope 
This Working Draft Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for vegetable juices and 
nectars intended for direct human consumption or for further processing. 
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 950.27 , Solids (total) in non-alcoholic beverages 
AOAC 979.17,  Lead in evaporated milk and vegetable juice, Anodic stripping voltametric method  
AOAC 980.19, Tin in food, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric method 
AOAC 999.10,  Lead, cadmium, zinc, copper and iron in food, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry 
ISO 17239, Vegetable s, vegetables and derived products — Determination of arsenic content — Method 
using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry  
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 164, Honey — Specification  
RS CAC/RCP 1 , General principles for food hygiene 
RS CODEX STAN 192, General standard for food additives 
RS CODEX STAN 212 , Sugars — Specification 
RS EAS 12, Potable water — Specification  
RS EAS 38 , General standard for labeling of prepackaged foods 
RS EAS 803, General requirements for nutrition labelling 
RS EAS 805 , Guidelines for use of nutrition and health claims DRS 552: 2023 
5                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 RS ISO 2173 , Vegetable and vegetable products — Determination of soluble solids —Refractometric method 
RS ISO 4833-1 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms — Part 1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique  
RS ISO 6579-1 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp. 
RS 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  
RS ISO 21527-1,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
yeasts and moulds — Part 1: Colony count technique in products with water activity greater than 0,95  
3 Terms and definitions 
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply. 
3.1 
vegetable juice 
unfermented but fermentable liquid obtained from the edible part of sound, appropriately mature and fresh 
vegetable or of vegetable maintained in sound condition by suitable means including post-harvest treatments 
3.2 
concentrated vegetable juice 
product that complies with the definition given in 3.1, except water has been physically removed in an amount 
sufficient to increase the Brix level to a value at least 50 % greater than the Brix value established for 
reconstituted juice from the same vegetable  
3.3 
water extracted vegetable juice 
product obtained by diffusion with water of pulpy whole vegetable whose juice cannot be extracted by any 
physical means; or of dehydrated whole vegetable, and it may be concentrated and reconstituted 
3.4 
vegetable purée 
unfermented but fermentable product obtained by suitable processes e.g. by sieving, grinding and milling the 
edible part of the whole or peeled vegetable without removing the juice DRS 552:2023 
©RSB 2023- All rights reserved                  6 
 3.5 
concentrated vegetable purée 
product obtained by the physical removal of water from the vegetable purée in an sufficient amount to 
increase the Brix level to a value at least 50 % greater than the Brix value established for reconstituted juice 
from the same vegetable  
3.6 
vegetable nectar 
unfermented but fermentable product obtained by adding water with or without the addition of sugars, honey 
and/or syrups, and/or food additive sweeteners 
3.7 
extraneous matter 
inorganic matter such as sand, glass, metal, gravel, dirt, pebbles, stones, lumps of earth, clay and mud and 
organic matter such as chaff, straw, weed seeds and grains of crops, insects or insects’ fragments, rodent 
hairs or any other foreign matter  
3.8 
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 Requirements 
4.1 Ingredients 
4.1.1 Essential ingredients 
The following ingredients shall be used: 
a) vegetable juice obtained from the edible part of sound, appropriately mature and fresh vegetable or of 
vegetable maintained in sound condition by suitable means; and 
b) where water has been added, it shall comply with RS EAS 12. 
4.1.2 Optional Ingredients 
The ingredients that may be used in the manufacture of vegetable juices and nectars include but are not 
limited to the following: 
a) sugars complying with RS CODEX STAN 212; DRS 552: 2023 
7                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 b) honey complying with RS 164; 
c) lemon juice may be added to vegetable juice for acidification purposes to unsweetened juices or 
vegetable nectars; 
d) salt and spices and aromatic herbs (and their natural extracts); and 
e) essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals may be added for the purposes of product fortification. 
4.2 General requirements 
The vegetable juices and nectars shall: 
a) have the characteristic colour, aroma and flavour of juice from the same kind of vegetable from which it is 
made; 
b) retain no more water from washing, steaming or other preparatory operations than technologically 
unavoidable; 
c) be free from insect and rodent contamination; and 
d) not contain extraneous matter. 
4.3 Specific requirements 
Vegetable juices and nectars shall comply with the requirements stipulated in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with AOAC 950.27. 
Table 1 — Specific requirements for vegetable juices and nectars 
S/N Characteristics limit  Test method 
Vegetable juice  Vegetable nectar  
i.  Brix, %, max 8 18 AOAC 950.27 
ii.  Min (%) of vegetable juice/puree in 
the final product; 90 10 GMP 
iii.  Total soluble solids, min (%) 10 10  
iv.  Ethanol, % v/v  0.5 0.5 ISO 2448 
v.  Acid insoluble ash, mg/kg, max 10 10 ISO 763 
vi.  PH, max 4.5 4.5 ISO 1842 
4.4 Microbiological requirements 
Vegetable juices and nectars shall comply with the requirements specified in Table 2 when tested in 
accordance with methods specified therein. DRS 552:2023 
©RSB 2023- All rights reserved                  8 
 Table 2 — Microbiological limits for vegetable juices and nectars 
S/N Characteristics Maximum limit Test method 
i. Total viable counts, CFU/ml  103 RS ISO 4833-1 
ii. E. coli, CFU/ml  Absent ISO 16649-2 
iii. Salmonella spp in 25 ml Absent RS ISO 6579-1 
iv. Staphylococcus aureus , CFU/ml  Absent RS ISO 6888-1 
v. Yeast and moulds, CFU/ml  102 RS ISO 21527-1 
5 Food additives 
Food additives permitted by RS CODEX STAN 192 and existing national laws that may be used include but 
are not limited to the following: 
a) colorants; 
b) antifoaming agents; 
c) emulsifiers and stabilizers; 
d) flavouring agents; 
e) flavour enhancers; 
f) preservatives; and 
g) sweeteners – natural and synthetic. 
6 Contaminants 
6.1 Pesticides residues 
The products covered by the provisions of this standard should comply with those maximum residue limits for 
pesticides established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for these products. 
6.2 Heavy metal and other contaminants 
Vegetable juices and nectars shall not contain heavy metal contaminants in excess of the limits stipulated in 
Table 3. 
Table 3 ▬ Limits for heavy metals in vegetable juices and nectars 
S/N Characteristics Maximum limit Test method 
i. Lead as Pb 0.1 AOAC 979.17 
ii. Cadmium as Cd 0.2 AOAC 999.10 DRS 552: 2023 
9                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 7 Hygiene 
The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall be processed, packaged, stored and distributed 
under hygienic conditions prescribed in the RS CAC/RCP 1. 
8 Packaging 
Vegetable juices and nectars shall be packaged in food grade packaging materials that shall not affect the 
quality of the product. 
9 Labelling 
In addition to the requirements stipulated RS EAS 38, the following information shall be provided: 
9.1 Containers destined for the final consumer 
a) name of the product as: 
1) vegetable juice defined in 3.1: The name of the product shall be “_____ juice” or “juice of _____”, 
2) concentrated vegetable juice defined in 3.2: The name of the product shall be “concentrated 
____juice” or “____ juice concentrate”, 
3) water extracted vegetable juice defined in 3.3: The name of the product shall be “water 
extracted_____ juice” or “water extracted juice of _____”, 
4) vegetable purée defined in 3.4: The name of the product shall be “______ purée” or “Purée 
of_______”, 
5) concentrated vegetable purée defined in 3.5: The name of the product shall be “concentrated 
______purée” or “______ purée concentrated”, 
6) vegetable nectars defined in 3.6: The name of the product shall be “____ nectar” or “nectar of 
____”, 
NOTE 1 In the case of vegetable juice products (see 4.2) manufactured from two or more vegetable s, the product 
name includes the names of the vegetable juices comprising the mixture in descending order of proportion by weight 
(m/m) or the words "vegetable juice blend", " a vegetable juice mixture", "mixed vegetable juice" or other similar wording. 
NOTE 2 For vegetable juices, vegetable nectars and mixed vegetable juice/nectar, if the product contains or is 
prepared from concentrated juice and water or the product is prepared from juice from concentrate and directly expressed 
juice or nectar, the words “from concentrate” or “reconstituted” enter in conjunction with or close to the product name, 
standing out well from any background, in clearly visible characters, not less than 1/2 the height of the letters in the name 
of the juice. 
b) name, physical location and address of manufacturer; DRS 552:2023 
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 c) list of ingredients; 
d) lot number; 
e) net content; 
f) instructions for use; 
g) date of manufacture; 
h) country of origin for imported products or the declaration 'Made in Rwanda' for locally manufactured 
products; 
i) expiry date; 
j) additional requirements such as: 
1) any added essential nutrients declaration should be labelled in accordance with RS EAS 803 and 
RS EAS 805, 
2) a pictorial representation of vegetable (s) on the label should not mislead the consumer with 
respect to the vegetable so illustrated, 
3) where the product contains added carbon dioxide the term “carbonated” or “sparkling” shall 
appear on the label near the name of the product, and 
4) where tomato juice contains spices and/or aromatic herbs, the term “spiced” and/or the common 
name of the aromatic herb shall appear on the label near the name of the juice. 
9.2 Non-retail containers 
9.2.1 Information for non-retail containers not destined to final consumers shall be given either on the 
container or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the product, lot identification, net contents 
and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer, as well as storage instructions 
shall appear on the container, except that for tankers the information may appear exclusively in the 
accompanying documents. 
9.2.2 However, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or 
importer maybe replaced by an identification mark, provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the 
accompanying documents. 
10 Sampling 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with Annex A. 
 DRS 552: 2023 
11                ©RSB2023- All rights reserved 
 Annex A 
(normative)  
 
Method of sampling for vegetable juices and nectars 
A.1 Scale of sampling 
A.1.1 All bottles in a consignment belonging to the same batch of manufacture shall constitute a lot. If the 
consignment is declared to consist of different batches of manufacture, bottles of the same batch shall be 
grouped together and each group so formed shall constitute a separate lot and each lot shall be sampled. 
A.1.2 The number of bottles to be selected from a lot for testing for microbiological and other requirements 
shall depend on the size of the lot and shall be in accordance with Table A.1. 
Table A.1 — Number of bottles to be selected for sampling 
No. of bottles in the lot 
(L) No. of bottles to be selected  
Microbiological testing  Other tests  
L ≤ 1 300 12 18 
1 300 < L ≤ 3 200 18 24 
L > 3 200  24 30 
 
A.1.3 The bottle to be selected for testing shall be chosen at random from the lot by the following procedure. 
Starting from any bottle, count them as 1, 2, 3... up to r. Every r th bottle thus counted shall be withdrawn r being 
the integral part of N/n, where N is the total number of bottles in the lot and n is the total number of bottles to 
be chosen. 
A.2 Test samples and reference samples 
A.2.1 Samples for microbiological tests 
The sample bottle selected for microbiological tests (see Table A.1) shall be divided at random into three 
equal sets and labelled with all particulars of sampling. One of these sets of sample bottles shall be for the 
purchaser; another for the vendor and the third set is the reference. 
A.2.2 Samples for other tests 
The sample bottles selected for other tests (see Table A.1) shall be divided at random into three equal sets 
and labelled with all the particulars of sampling. One of these sets of sample bottles shall be for the purchaser, 
another for the vendor, and the third is the reference. 
 DRS 552:2023 
 
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