TBS/AFDC 17 (1254) DTZS   
                                                                                                        REV TZS 831: 2017  
 
 
                             DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brown  sugar — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  TANZANIA  BUREAU  OF STANDARDS  
 
 
 
©TBS  2022 – All rights  reserved   
  
Brown sugar — Specification  
 
 0. Foreword  
 
   
   Brown sugar derived from sug ar cane or sugar beet by partial purification of raw sugar 
cane/beet juice or spraying of refined sugar with sugar syrup or molasses followed by 
subsequent drying to achieve free flowing sugar intended for direct human consumption  
  
  This Tanzania Standar d has been developed in order to ensure safety and quality of the 
Brown sugar traded in and outside the country  
 
 This fifth edition replaces and repeals the fourth edition (TZS 831:2017).  
 
 In the preparation of this Tanzania Standard, considerable assis tance was derived from: 
sugar industries and from:  
 
 EAS 16:2010, Brown sugar — Specification, published by the East African commission  
 
 In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this Tanzania 
Standard, if the final value, obs erved or calculated is to be rounded off, it shall be done in 
accordance with TZS 4, rounding off numerical values.  
 
 1. Scope  
 
 This Tanzania Standard prescribes the requirements , methods of sampling and test for 
light brown and brown sugar intended for h uman consumption.  
 
   2.  Normative references  
 
 The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this 
document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced d ocument (including any amendments) applies.  
  
   CODEX 192, General Standard for Food Additives  
 
   ICUMSA GS 2/3 -35, The Determination of Sulphite in Refined Sugar Products excepting 
Brown Sugars by an Enzymatic Method – Official The Determination of Sulp hite in Brown 
Sugars – Tentative  
 
   ICUMSA Method GS 1/2/3/9 -1,The Determination of the Polarisation of Raw Sugar by 
Polarimetry  
 
 ICUMSA Method GS 1/3/4/7/8 -13, The Determination of Conductivity Ash in Raw Sugar, 
Brown Sugar, Juice, Syrup and Molasses – Official  
 
   ICUMSA Method GS 2/1/3/9 -15,The Determination of Sugar Moisture by Loss on Drying 
– Official  
 
   ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -5The Determination of Reducing Sugars in Purified Sugars 
by the Knight and Allen EDTA Method  
  
    ICUMSA Method GS 2/9 -6,The  Determination of Reducing Sugars in White Sugar and 
Plantation White Sugar by the Modified Ofner Titrimetric Method – Official  
 
   ICUMSA Method GS2/3/9 -19The Determination of Insoluble Matter in White Sugar by 
Membrane Filtration – Official  
 
    ICUMSA M ethod GS9/1/2/3 -8, The Determination of Sugar Solution Colour at pH 7.0 by 
the  MOPS Buffer Method – Official (Reference) Method  
 
   TZS 109, Food processing units – Code of hygiene  
 
   TZS 118 ,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal  method for the 
enumeration of microorganisms – Colony -count technique at 300c 
 
   TZS 122 ,  Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection 
of salmonella spp  
 
   TZS 2426 -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  
 
   TZS 4, Rounding off numerical values  
 
   TZS 538,  Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
 
   TZS 730-2 Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
beta-  glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli — Part 1: Colony -count technique at 44 
degrees C  using membranes and 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
 
 3. Terms  and definitions  
For the purpose  of this Tanzania  Standard,  the following  terms and definitions  shall 
apply:  
 
  3.1. sugar  
 
   crystalline  and purified  sucrose  (saccharose),  as a product  of sugarcane  or sugar beet.  
 
   3.2. brown  sugar  
 
sugar  derived  from sugar cane  or sugar  beet by partial purification  of raw 
sugar cane/beet juice  or spraying of refined sugar with sugar syrup or molasses 
followed by subsequent drying to achieve  free flowing  sugar  intended  for direct  
human  consumption.  
 
  3.3. ICUMSA  unit 
 
an International  Unit developed  by International Commission  for Uniform Methods    
of Sugar   Analysis (ICUMSA) for expressing the purity of sugar and it is directly 
related to the colour of sugar.   
 
  
  
3.4. polarization (0Z) 
an estimate of the sucrose conten t of sugar.  
 
 
4. Requirements  
 4.1. General  requirements  
 
 Brown sugars shall be:  
a. brownish in colour  
b. Free flowing crystals;  
c. practically free from dirt, foreign and extraneous matter; and  
d. Free from fermented, musty or undesirable odours.  
4.1. Specific  requi rements  
 
Brown  sugar  shall also comply  with the compositional  requirements  given in  table  1. 
 
 
Table  1 – Specific requirements  for brown  sugars  
 
S.N
o Characteristic  Requirement/limits  Test method  
  Light  
brown    brown   
i Polarization,  oZ, min. 
 99.2 ˃99.0 ICUMSA Method  GS 
1/2/3/9 -1, 
i Invert  sugar  content,  % m/m,  
max.  0.2 0.2 ICUMSA Method 
GS 2/3/9 -5, 
ICUMSA  Method 
GS 2/9-6, 
iii Conductivity  ashes,  % m/m, 
max.  0.3 0.3 ICUMSA Method  GS 
1/3/4/7/8 -13 
iv Moisture  content,  % mm 
(loss  on 
drying  for 3 h at 105 °C ± 2 
°C), max.  0.15 0.2 ICUMSA Method  GS 
2/1/3/9 -15 
v Colour,  in ICUMSA  units,  
max.  700 1 300 ICUMSA  Method  GS 
9/1/2/3 -8 
vi Sulphur dioxide,  mg/kg,  max.  
 20 20 ICUMSA GS  2/3-35 
Vii Water insoluble  matter, 
mg/kg,  max.  250 250 ICUMSA Method  GS 2/3/9-
19 
 
4.3. Food  additives  
 
Brown  sugars  may contain  only those  food additives  permitted  by Codex  
Alimentarius  Commission    as prescribed  in Codex  Stan 192  
 
 
 
 
  
 5 Contaminants  
5.1. Pesticide  residues  
 
Brown  sugar  shall conform  to those  maximum  pesticide  residue  limits  established  by 
the Codex     Alimentarius  Commission.  
 
 
5.2. Heavy  metals  
 
Brown  sugar  shall conform to  those  maximum  heavy  metal  contaminant  limits  
established  by the Codex  Alimentarius Commission.  
 
6 Hygiene  
Brown sugar  shall be  manufactured, h andled, stored and transported in accordance with 
the requirements given in TZS 109).  Also shall comply with the r equirements specified in 
Table 2   
 
Table  2 – Microbiological requirement  for brown  sugars  
 
S.No  Microbiological  parameter  Requirem
ent Test met hod 
i Total Plate Count  (mesophylic),  cfu/g,  
max.   103 TZS 118  
ii Yeast  and moulds,  cfu/g,  max.  50 TZS 2426 -1 
iii Escherichia  coli, cfu,/ g Absent  TZS 730 -2 
iv Salmonella,  per 25 g Absent TZS 122 
 
5 Methods  of sampling  and test 
5.1 Sampling  
 
The method  of drawing  representative  samples  of the product  and criteria  for conformity  
shall be as prescribed in  annex A of this Tanzania  Standard.  
 
5.2 Tests  
 
Tests  shall be carried  out in accordance  with the methods  prescribed  in table 1  and table 2  
 
6 Packing,  marking  and labelling  
  8.1. Packing  
    Brown sugar shall be packaged in food grade materials that ensure product safety and 
integrity.  
  
  8.2. Marking  and labelling  
 
In addition to the labelling requirements given in TZS 538, the package shall be legibly and 
indeli bly labelled with the following information:   
 
a) name  of the product  ( light brown sugar or brown  sugar);  
 
b) net contents  by weight  
  
 c) name  and address  of the manufacturer  of the product  and/or  the 
packer,  distributor,  importer,  exporter  or vendor  of the produc t shall be 
declared;  and 
 
d) country  of origin;  
 
e) manufacturer’s  registered  trade  mark,  if any; 
 
f) date of manufacture  and best before  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
Annex  A 
(normative ) 
 
Sampling  of brown  sugar  
A.1 General  requirements  for sampling  
 
In drawing,  preparing,  storing  and handling  of samples,  the following  precautions  and directions  shall 
be observed:  
 
A.1.1  Samples  shall be taken  in a protected  place not  exposed  to damp  air, dust or  soot.  
 
A.1.2  The sampling  instruments  shall be clean  and dry when  used.  
 
A.1.3  When  sampling  for microbiolo gical purposes,  the sampling  instruments  and containers  for 
samples  shall be sterilized  preferably  by dry heat at 170 °C for one hour before  use. 
 
A.1.4  Precautions shall be taken to protect the samples, the material being sampled, the sampling  
instruments  and the containers for  samples from  adventitious contamination.  
 
A.1.5  The samples  shall be placed  in clean,  dry, and  moisture -proof containers.  
 
A.1.6  The sample containers shall be sealed air -tight after filling and marked with name of material,  
date of sampling, name of  the manufacturer, name of the person sampling and such other particulars  
of the  consignments.  
 
A.1.7  Samples shall be protected from light as far as practicable and shall be stored in a cool, dry  
place.  
 
 
A.2 Scale  of sampling  
A.2.1  Lot 
 
All the bags  in a single  consignm ent declared  to contain  Tanzania brown  sugar  shall constitute a  lot. 
 
Samples  shall be tested  separately  for each  lot for ascertaining  the conformity  of the Tanzania  brown  
sugar.  
 
A.2.2  The number of bags to be selected (n) from the lot shall depend on the size  (N) of the lot and  
shall be  in accordance  with the formula:  
 
 
n = 
 
A.2.2.1  Those bags shall be selected at random from the lot; to ensure the randomness of selection a  
random number table, as agreed to between the purchaser and the supplier shall be used. In case  
such  a table  is not available,  the following  procedure  shall be used:  
 
Starting from any bag, count them as 1, 2, 3…  up to r and so on in one order, where r is equal to the  
integral part of N/n, N being the total number of bags in the lot and n the number  of bags to be  
selected.  Every r th bag thus counted shall be separated until the requisite number of bags is obtained  
from the lot to give samples for  test. 
 
A.2.2.2  In case of bags stacked in a pyramidal shape, approximately equal number of bags shall be  
selecte d from all exposed  sides  of the lot, so as to give the required  number  of sample  bags.  
 
 
 
  N   
 A.3 Preparation  of sample  
A.3.1  From the top, middle and bottom portions of each of the selected bags (see A.2), approximately  
equal quantity of sugar shall be taken with th e help of a suitable sampling instrument.  The sample  
collected from each of the bags shall be thoroughly mixed so as to give a composite sample of 600 g.  
The composite  sample  thus prepared  shall be divided  approximately  into three  equal  parts;  one for 
the purchaser, one for the supplier, and the third for the referee and sealed air tight with particulars as  
given in  A.1.6.  
 
A.3.2  Number  of tests  
 
The composite sample prepared  as under  A.3.1 shall  be tested for  the characteristics  as prescribed  in 
table  1. 
 
A.3.3  Criter ia for conformity  
The lot shall  be declared  as conforming  to this  specification,  when  the  test  results  on various     
characteristics  obtained  on the composite  sample  satisfy  the corresponding  requirements.