Reference number  
DRS  418: 2019  
© RSB 2019  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
418 
 
First edition  
2019 -mm-dd 
 
Pumpkin seed flour  — Specification  
 
  DRS  418: 2019  
©RSB 2019  - 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 2019  
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 : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rs b.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 418: 2019  
iii                ©RSB 2019  - 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  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5 Food a dditives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
5.1 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
6.1 Pesticides residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  4 
6.2 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
6.3 Mycotoxins  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  4 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  4 
9 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
 DRS  418: 2019  
©RSB 2019  - 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 national 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  418 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 038, Processed fruits and vegetables.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Processed fruits and 
vegetables  (RSB/TC 038) in the  preparation of this standard.  
JD LIUAR  
National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB)  
NETRAPI Ltd  
Nyarutarama Incubation Center  
Shekina Enterprise  
TUZAMURANE Cooperative  
ZIMA Enterprise  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  
  DRS 418: 2019  
1                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Pumpkin seed flour — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda Standard  specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for pumpkin seed flour 
intended for human consumption.  
This Draft  Rwanda Standard  is not applicable to pumpkin pulp flour.  
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 appl ies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
AOAC 2001.13 , Determination of Vitamin A (Retinol) in Foods  
AOAC 923.03 , Ash of Flour (Direct Method)  
EAS 901 , Cereals and pulses —Test methods  
RS CAC/RCP 1 , Code of practice — General principles of food hygiene  
RS CODEX STAN 192, General standard for food additives  
RS CODEXSTAN 193, Codex general standards for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
RS EAS 38, Labelling of Pre -packaged Foods  
RS ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1 and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 
andG2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic method  
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 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feedstuffs — Horizon tal method for the enumeration 
ofyeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 
0.95 
RS ISO 24333, Cereals and cereal products — Sampling  
RS ISO 24557, Pulses — Determination of moisture content — Air oven method   
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  2 
 RS ISO 5498,  Agricultural food products — Determination of crude fibre content — General method  
RS ISO 5985 , Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid  
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.  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard , the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
pumpkin  
cultivar of a squash pla nt, most commonly of Cucurbita pepo . 
3.2 
pumpkin seed  
edible  seed  of a pumpkin  or certain other cultivars of  squash . The seeds are typically flat  and asymmetrically 
oval, has a white outer  husk , and is light green in color after the husk is removed  
3.3 
pumpkin seed flour  
flour obtained by grinding dried pumpkin seed into fine powder  
3.4 
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 Raw materials  
The product shall be made from sound quality pum pkin seeds.  
4.2 General requirements  
Pumpkin seed flour shall  be: DRS 418: 2019  
3                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 a) fit for human consumption ; 
b) of characteristic colour, odour and taste conforming of the pumpkin seeds from which it was prepared ; 
c) clean, safe, of good quality and free from signs of spoilage ; 
d) free from insects, larvae, fungal infestation, rodent contamination, dirt and other extraneous matter ; and  
e) free from foreign and extraneous matter.  
4.3 Specific requirements  
Pumpkin seed flour shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance 
with test methods specified therein . 
Table 1 — Specific requirements for Pumpkin seed flour  
S/N Characteristics  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Moisture  content , % m/m, max  11.0 RS ISO 24557  
ii.  Crude fiber, % m/m, max  4.0 RS ISO 5498  
iii.  Total ash, %, max  6.0 AOAC 923.03  
iv.  Acid insoluble ash, % m/m, max  0.1 RS ISO 5985  
v.  Vitamin A (µg/100 g) min  262 AOAC 2001.13  
vi.  Residues through 1000 micron sieve, % m/m 
max  0.5 EAS 901  
5 Food additives  
Food additives which may be used in the manufacture  of Pumpkin seed flour shall comply with RS CODEX 
STAN 192.  
5.1 Hygiene  
6.1 Pumpkin seed flour shall be processed, packaged, stored and distributed in accordance with the 
hygienic requirements stipulated in RS CAC/RCP 1.  
6.2 Pumpkin seed flour shall not exceed  the microbiological limits in Table 2 when tested in accordance 
with test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for P umpkin seed flour  
S/N Microorganisms  Limit  Test method  
i.  Total Plate Count cfu/g, max  103 RS ISO 4833 -1 
ii.  Escherichia coli, cfu/ g max.  Absent  RS ISO 16649 -2 
iii.  Salmonella spp  in 25 g max.  Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1  
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  4 
 iv.  Staphylococcus, cfu/ g, max.  Absent  RS ISO 6888 -1 
v.  Yeasts  and moulds , cfu/g , max.  102 RS ISO 21527 -2 
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Pesticides residues  
Pumpkin seed flour shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission  
6.2 Heavy metal s 
Pumpkin seed flour shall not contain any metal contaminants in excess of the levels established in RS 
CODEX STAN 193.  
6.3 Mycotoxins  
Pumpkin seed flour shall not exceed mycotoxin  limits in Table 3 when  tested in accordance with test methods 
specified therein.  
Table 3 —Mycotoxin  limits for Pumpkin seed flour  
S/N Type of aflatoxin  Maximum limit (μg/kg)  Test method  
i.  Total aflatoxins  10 RS ISO 16050  
ii.  Aflatoxin B 1 5 
7 Packaging  
Pumpkin seed flour shall be packaged in food grade materials which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological, and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
8 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of RS EAS 38, each pack of Pumpkin seed flour shall be legibly  and indelibly 
marked with the following:  
a) name of the product shall be "Pumpkin seed flour ”;  
b) name and physical address of  the manufacturer/ packer and/or distri butor;  
c) date of manufacture and packing;  
d) best before date;  DRS 418: 2019  
5                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 e) country of origin;  
f) list of ingredients;  
g) net content;  
h) lot/ batch number;  
i) if used, food additives shall be declared;  
j) statement “Human food” ; 
k) storage conditions; and  
l) instructions for use.  
9 Sampling  
Samp ling shall be done in accordance with RS ISO 24333.  
 DRS 418: 2019  
ICS 67.060  
 
 
©RSB 2019 - All right s reserved