AFDC 15 ( 6538 ) P3/REV.TZS 584:2003  
                                                                                                                                                  
DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
Wafers – Specification  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
  
 0 Foreword  
 
Wafer  is a crispy crunchy product made from wheat flour . Production, importation and marketing of wafers 
have  increased in the c ountry following trade liberalization.  In the manufacture of wafer such as plain, 
sandwiched or coated wafer the consistency and composition of the b utter; mixing time, baking time and 
temperature are of considerable importance.  
 
This Tanzania Standard is being prepared to ensure safety and quality of wafers traded and 
manufactured in the country . 
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania Standard assistance was drawn from the following publication:  
   
a) IS 2397: 1988, Specification  for wafers  published by the Bure au of Indian Standards.  
b) DKS 1270: 2020  Wafers - Specification  published by the  Kenya Bureau of Standards.  
In reporting the result of a test or analysis made in accordance with this Tanzania Standard, if the final 
value observed or calculated is to be round ed off, it shall b e done in accordance with TZS 4 . 
 
1 Scope  
This Tanzania standard specifies  requirements , methods of sampling and test for wafers  intended for 
direct human consumption. This standard applies to  plain, modified, sandwiched and coated wafers . 
 
2 Normative r eferences  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies;  
 
Codex standard 192 General Standard for food additives  
 
TZS 4  Rounding off numerical values.  
 
TZS 76  Method for determination of arsenic.  
 
TZS 109  Food processing units – Code of hygiene  
 
TZS 111  Bakery and biscuit manufacturing units  – Code of hygiene.  
 
TZS 118 -1 /ISO 4833 -1 Microbiology of the food chain —Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms —Part 1: Colony count at 30 °C by the pour plate technique  
 
TZS 122 -1/ISO 6579 -1 Microbiology of the food chain - Horizo ntal method for the detection, enumeration 
and serotyping of Salmonella - Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
 
TZS 268:  General atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for determination of lead in  foods and 
foodstuffs . 
 
TZS 439 -1/ EAS: 1  Wheat flour – Specification  
 
TZS 439 -2/ EAS: 767  Fortified wheat flour – specification  
 
TZS 730 -2/ISO 16649 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of -b-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli – Part 2 – Colony -count te chnique at 44 0C 
using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl -b-D-glucuronide  
 
  
 TZS 789:/EAS 12 : Potable water — Specification  
 
TZS 2426 -2: 2019/ ISO 21527 -2 Microbiology  of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for 
the enumeration of yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity 
less than or equal to 0.95  
 
TZS 2441  Baking powder – specification  
 
AFDC 15(6523)  Bakery products - methods of sampling  
 
AFDC 15(6522)  Bakery products - methods of analysis  
 
3 Term s and defini tions  
 
For the purpose of this  Tanzania Standard, the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 wafer   
Properly  baked, cri sp, crunchy, and light textured  product made from the ingredients listed under 4 and 
conforming to the requirements detailed under 5.  
 
3.2 plain wafers  
Unfilled wafer which may be hollow or flat in any shape desired by the purchaser.  
 
3.3 modified  wafer  
Filled wafer which can be:  
 
3.3.1  double (filled) wafer   
Wafer  having two plain wafers pressed with filling of sugar in between with doubl ing plates.  
 
3.3.2  sandwiched wafer   
Wafer  having two or more plain wafers sandwiched with filling in between. The filling may be of cream  
(e.g. orange, lemon or strawberry flavoured cream, among others.),  jam, jelly, marshmallow, caramel, 
figs, raisins or  the like and shall be 50-70 percent by mass of the fil led wafer.  
 
3.4 Coated wafers - These include both half -coated and full -coated wafers. The coating may be of 
chocolate, substitute fats butter scotch and the like and shall be 50-60 percent by mass of t he coated 
wafers.  
 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1  Wafers shall be properly baked and shall not show signs of under -baking or over -baking.  
 
4.1.2  Wafers  shall be crispy, crunchy and light in texture. The design impressed on them, if any, sh all be 
clear.  
 
4.1.3  Wafers  shall have an agreeable odour typical of well baked wafers, and shall be free from soapy or 
other objectionable flavours . 
 
Note . - The appearance, taste and odour shall be determined by sensory tests.  
 
4.1.4  Wafers shall be fre e from insects, moulds, yeast, any harmful or foreign matters and contamination.  
 
4.1.5  Each pack of wafers shall not have more than 5 % broken pieces.  
  
 4.1.7  The cream to be filled in wafers should be a homogenous mixed preparation of hydrogenated fat, or  
bakery shortening, icing sugar, flavours and permitted food colours with or without other ingredients in 
small proportions.  
 
4.2 Ingredients  
 
4.2.1 Essential ingredients  
 
The following materials shall be used in the preparation of batter of wafers:  
 
a) Wheat  flour, conforming to TZS 439  
b) Water,  conforming to TZS 789  
c) Aerating agent, complying to TZS 2441  Specification for baking powder or other approved 
leavening agents, e.g. sodium bicarbonate or ammonium bicarbonate.  
 
4.2.2 Optional ingredients  
 
In addition t o the 4. 2.1 essential ingredients, wafers may contain the following any other optional 
ingredient complying with relevant Tanzania Standard ; 
 
a) Food additives – antioxidants, emulsifiers, flavours, colorants, enzymes  
b) Cereals Chocolate  
c) Cocoa powder  
d) Desiccate d coconut  
e) Dextrose  
f) Dry fruits and nuts  
g) Edible common salts  
h) Eggs  
i) Fat or shortening -hydrogenated edible oil, refined edible oil, bakery shortening, butter, 
mayonnaise, butter oil, or mixture of two or more of these  
j) Flour improvers  
k) Ginger  
l) Gluten  
m) Honey  
n) Jellifying agents  
o) Oilseeds and their products  
p) Spices  
q) Edible starches  
r) Sugar and sugar products  
s) Leaven and filling  agents  
t) Other edible flours  
 
4.3 Specific r equirements  
 
The wafers shall also comply with the requirements given in T ables 1 .  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 Table 1 – specific r equirements for wafers  
 
 
S/N  
Characteristics   
Requirements   
Methods of test  
 
Plain   
Modified / 
coated 
Wafers   
 
 
1 
  
Moisture  content , % m/m , max.   
4.5 
 
  
6.0 
 
  
 
 
 
AFDC 15(6522)   
2 
 
 Acid insoluble ash (on dry 
basis), % m/m , max.  
 0.05 
 
 
 0.05 
 
 
 
 
3 
 Acidity of extracted fat (as oleic 
acid), % m/m , max.  
 1.0 
 
 1.0 
 
 
 
4 
  
Crude fibre, % (max.), on dry 
basis  
  
5 
  
5 
 
5 Fat, % m/m (min.)  0.7 2.0 
 
5 Food additives  
Only the food additives permitted by CODEX STAN 192 in the manufacture of  wafers  may be used 
without exceeding the limits.  
 
6.0 Hygiene  
 
6.1 The wafers  shall be prepared , manufactured  and packaged under hygienic conditions in accordance 
with TZS 109 and TZS 111  
 
6.2 Wafers  shall be free from pathogenic organisms and shall comply  with microbiological limits in Table 
2. 
 
Table 2  – Microbiological limits for wafers  
 
 
S/N 
  
Micro organisms   
limits  
  
Method of tests  
 
 
1 
  
Total Plate Count cfu / g 
  
103 
  
TZS 118 -1 
 
 
2 
  
E. coli cfu/g  
  
<10 
  
TZS 730 - 2 
 
 
3  
Salmonella  per 25g  
Absent  
TZS 122  - 1 
 
4 Yeast and moulds cfu/g  102  
TZS 2426 - 2 
  
 7.0 Contaminants   
 
7.1 Mycotoxins  
 
The total aflatoxins limits in the wafers shall not exceed 10 ppb and 5 ppb for aflatoxin B1.  
 
7.2 heavy metal contaminants  
 
The acceptable limits of Heavy metal in  wafers  shall conform to the re quirements specified in Table 3  
 
Table 3  – Limits for heavy metals  
 
 
S/N  
Metals   
Maximum limit   
Methods of test  
 
 
1 
  
Lead mg/kg  
  
0.1 
  
TZS 268  
 
 
2  
Arsenic mg/kg   
0.1  
TZS 76  
 
 
8 Sampling  and method of tests.  
 
8.1 sampling  
 
The method of drawing representative samples of wafers and the criteria for conformity  shall be as 
prescribed in AFDC 15(6523)  
 
8.2 Tests  
 
Tests shall be carried out as prescribed in Table 1, 2 and 3.  
 
9 Packing, marking  and labelling  
 
9.1 Packing  
 
The wafer shall be packaged in food grade materials that will ensure the safety and integrity of the 
product throughout the shelf life.  
 
9.2 Marking  and labelling  
 
9.2.1 Labelling of wafers  shall be done in accordance with the requirements of the T ZS 538/ EAS 38 and 
the following particular s shall be clearly and indelibly marked on each container ; printing ink if any shall 
be non -toxic and non -transferable:  
 
a) Name of the product shall be “wafers”  
b) Type of wafer  
c) number of wafers;  
d) Name, trade mark and ad dress of the manufacturer;  
e) batch or  code number;  
f) Net weight,  
g) list of ingredients;  
h) Date of manufacture,  
i) Expiry date,   
 j) Country of origin,  
k) Storage instructions,  
l) Instruction for the disposal of packaging materials  
m) Nutritional information  
n) Allergen  declaration/ information . 
 
9.2.2 The language on the label shall be “ Swahili ” or Kiswahili and English. A second language may be 
used depending on the designated market.  
 
9.2.3 The containers of the wafers  may also be marked with the TBS Quality mark.  
 
NOTE - The TBS S tandards 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.