DEAS 778: 2022  
ICS 67.080.20  
 
© EAC 2022                                                                                                                               Second  Edition 
2022  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fresh bitter  cassava  roots  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 DEAS 778: 2022  
ii © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
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Violators may be pr osecuted . DEAS 778: 2022  
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.2 Minimum requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  2 
4.3 Total cyanogen content  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  3 
5 Food additive s ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
6 Classification  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
6.1 Types of classes  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3 
6.2 Class requirem ents ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  4 
7 Tolerances  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  5 
7.1 Quality tolerances  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 5 
7.2 Size toleranc es ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
8 Sizing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  5 
9 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  5 
9.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  5 
9.2 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 5 
10 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
11 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
13 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  6 
14 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  7 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  1 
 DEAS 778: 2022  
iv © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated 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 a re 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 re presentatives 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 representativ e of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer 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 receiv ed are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards. XXXXXX.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this docu ment is Technical Committee EASC /TC 016, Fresh fruits, vegetables , 
tubers  and flowers . 
This second  edition cancels and replaces the first edition (EAS  778:2012 ), 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.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 778: 2022  
 
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  1 
 Fresh bitter  cassava  root — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for fresh roots  of 
varieties of bitter cassa va, Manihot esculenta Crantz for preparation  before human consumption.  
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 referen ces, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 38, General standard for labeling of prepackaged foods  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing in dustry  – Code of practice  
EAS 103 , Schedule  for permitted  food additives  
CAC/RCP 44,  Code of practice for packaging and transport of fresh fruit and vegetables  
CAC/RCP 53, Code of hygienic practice for fresh fruits and v egetables  
CODEX STAN 192, General St andard for Food Additives  
CODEX STAN 193 , Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
EAS 744, Cassava and  cassava products — Determination of total cyanogens ─ Enzymatic assay method   
ISO 874, Fresh fruits and vegetables – Sampling  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain termi nological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
fresh cassava roots  
roots grown from a plant of the species Manihot es culenta Crantz  having desirable  characteristics of colour , 
texture  and firmness  typical of just harvested cassava at the time of sale  
3.2 
bitter cassava  
cassava  having  high levels of  hydrogen cyanide (fresh weight basis)  and not suitable for direct human  
consumption   
2 © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 3.3 
firm 
resistant to externally applied pressure under ordinary circumstances  
3.4 
whole  
fresh bitter cassava  which has not been subjected to any cutting or peeling  of its initial harvested mass with 
the exemption of trimming  
3.5 
sound /wholes ome 
free from disease  and physiological  deterioration (such as but not limited to decay, breakdown, freezing 
damage  vascular streaking , or soft ness ) or adulteration/contamination, that appreciably affects their 
appearance, edibility, the keeping quality  of the produce or market value  
3.6 
practically free  
produc e without defects  in excess of those that can be expected to result from, and be consistent with good 
cultural and handling practices employed in the production and marketing of the fresh bitter cass ava 
3.7 
clean  
practically free from dirt , staining , foreign matter or extraneous matter   
3.8 
food grade material  
material which will safeguard the hygienic, safety, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the 
product  
3.9 
extraneous matter  
organic matter of plant  origin other than fresh bitter cassava  
3.10 
foreign matter  
organic and inorganic materi als (such as sand, soil, glass) other than extraneous matter in the bitter cassava  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
Fresh bitter cassava r oots should be carefully harvested after reaching an appropriate degree of physiological 
development  taking into account the characteristics of the variety and the area in which they are grown . The 
fresh bitter cassava roots shall have been carefully harve sted. 
The development and condition of the fresh bitter cassava  roots shall be such as to enable it  to 
a) withstand recommended transportation and handling conditions, and  
b) arrive in a satisfactory condition at the place of destination.  
4.2 Minimum requireme nts 
Fresh bitter cassava  roots supplied to the market shall be : 
a) firm/hard/not spongy ;  
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  3 
 b) fresh;  
c) sound/wholesome;  
d) not affected by rot, mould or deterioration as to make it unfit for consumption;  
e) clean, and practically free of any visible foreign matter, except  permitted substances used to prolong 
its shelf life;  
f) of colour, taste and texture characteristic of variety;  
g) practically free of pests and damage caused by pests;  
h) free of excess external moisture, adequately surface dried if they have been washed;  
i) free of any foreign smell and/or taste with exception of preservation agents allowed under clause 5; 
and 
j) practically free of mechanical damage and  bruising.  
The cut at the distal (narrow) end of the fresh bitter cassava roots should not exceed 2 cm in diamet er. 
The stalk end of the root should have a clean cut between 1 cm and 2.5 cm in length in case of varieties that 
have distinct stalk  
Tolerances for the quality requirements shall be such that:  
a) a total of not more than 10 %  by weight or number of the fresh bitter cassava roots in the lot may fail 
the requirements;  
b) not more than 3 % by weight or number of the fresh bitter cassava roots may be affected by rot, 
mould or deterioration as to make it unfit for consumption;  
c) not more than 3 % by weight or number  of the fresh bitter cassava roots may be affected by damage 
caused by pests; and  
d) not more than 3 % by weight or number  of the fresh bitter cassava roots may be affected by rot, 
mould or deterioration; and damage caused by pests in combination.  
4.3 Total cyanogen content  
When tested in accordance to EAS 744, fresh bitter cassava roots shall have more than 50 mg/kg of hydrogen 
cyanide (fresh weight basis).  
5 Food additives  
Fresh bitter cassava roots may be preserved by use of food additives  such as wax,  in accordance with Codex 
Stan 192 . 
6 Classification  
6.1 Types of classes  
Fresh bitter cassava  roots may be classified  before marketing.   
4 © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 Where classification is done the following grade s shall be used in accordance with the requirement s of each 
class  and th e quality tolerances  in Clause 6:  
 extra class;  
 class  I; and  
 class  II. 
6.2 Class requirements  
6.2.1  Extra class  
Fresh  bitter cassava roots shall meet the minimum requirement in Clause 4.2 and shall be:  
a) of superior quality in terms of texture, and appearanc e; and  
b) characteristic of the variety and uniform in shape and size.  
Fresh  bitter cassava roots shall be free from defects, with the exception of defects on the surface  affecting not 
more than 2 % of the bitter cassava.  
6.2.2  Class I  
Fresh  bitter cassava roots shall meet the minimum requirement in Clause 4.2 and shall be:  
a) of good quality; and  
b) characteristic of the variety.  
The following slight defects  may be allowed, provided these do not affect the g eneral appearance , the quality, 
the keeping quality a nd presentation of fresh bitter cassava  roots :  
a) defects in shape not exceeding 5% of the roots;  
b) abrasion, not exceeding 10 % of the surface area of the roots;   
c) scraped areas, not exceeding 20 % of the surface area of the roots; and  
d) scarred and healed damage,  not exceeding 5% of the surface area of the roots.  
6.2.3  Class II  
Fresh  bitter cassava roots shall meet the minimum requirements  in Clause 4.2 but may not qualify for 
inclusion in  extra class and class I  (the higher classes).  
The following defects may b e allowed :  
a) defects in shape not exceeding 10 % of the roots;  
b) abrasion, not exceeding 20 % of the surface area of roots;  
c) scraped areas, not exceeding 30 % of the surface area of roots; and  
d) scarred and healed damage, not exceeding 10% of the surface area o f the roots.   
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  5 
 7 Tolerances  
7.1 Quality tolerances  
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package for produce not satisfying  the 
requirements of the class indicated.  
The following tolerance limits may be allowed for specific class es: 
a) Extra class: Five percent by number or weight of fresh bitter cassava roots not satisfying the 
requirements of extra class, but meeting those of Class I or exceptionally coming within the tolerances 
of class I;  
b) Class I: Ten percent by number or weight of fresh bitter cassava roots not satisfying the requirements 
of class I, but meeting those of Class II or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of class II; and  
c) Class II: 10 % by number or weight of fresh bitter cassava roots not satisfying the mini mum 
requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it 
unfit for consumption.  
7.2 Size tolerances  
For all classes, 10% by number or  weight of fresh bitter cassava  roots corresponding  to the size immediat ely 
above  and/or below that indicated on the package.  
8 Sizing 
Size is determined  by measuring the diameter at the thickest cross -section of the root.  Fresh bitter cassava 
roots may be coded  and designated in accordance with Table 1.  
Table 1 — Size for fr esh bitter cassava  roots  
Size code  Size Diameter (cm)  
A Large  > 10.0  
B Medium  7.6 – 10.0 
C Small <7.6 
9 Contaminants  
9.1 Heavy metals   
Fresh bitter cassava  roots  shall comply with  those maximum levels of the Codex General Standard for 
Contaminants and  Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193).  
9.2 Pesticide residues  
Fresh bitter cassava roots shall conform to those maximum residue limits for pesticide residues established by 
Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.   
6 © EAC  2022 – All rights reserved  
 10 Hygiene  
Fresh bitter ca ssava roots shall be handled in hygienic manner in accordance with the appropriate sections 
EAS 39 and CAC/RCP 53.  
11 Packaging  
Fresh bitter c assava roots shall be packaged  in food grade material. Fresh bitter cassava roots shall be 
packaged  in each contai ner in compliance with CAC/RCP 44.  
13 Labelling  
13.1 In addition to the requirements of EAS 38 , the following specific requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly  marked:   
a) name of the produce to be shown on the label shall be “Fresh bitter  cassava  root”;  
b) name and location address of the exporter and/or packer shall be declared;  
c) country of origin of the produce;  
d) place of origin such as district, or region;  
e) class where applicable;  
f) variety;  
g) size (size code);  
h) net weight (in metric system);  
i) lot identification (batch number);  
j) declaration of preservatives, if used;  
k) date of harvest;  
l) packing date;  
m) storage conditions; and  
n) Caution s “Not to be eaten raw”  and “To be detoxified to safe level before consumption”.  
13.2 When labelling non -retail packages, information for non -retail packages shall either be given on the 
packages or in acco mpanying documents, except that  the name of the produce, lot identification and the 
name and address of the manufactur er or packer; date of harvest; declaration of preserva tives, if used ; shall 
appear on the non -retail packages . 
13.3 A statement on preparation instructions indicating the following is required : 
a) Bitter cassava shall be peeled, de -pithed, scraped, sliced into pieces, rinsed and fully cooked before 
consumption; and 
b) cooking or rinsing water shall not be consumed or used for other food preparation purposes.   
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  7 
 14 Sampling  
Sampling of fresh bitter cassava roots shall be done in accordance with ISO 874 . 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 778: 2022  
 
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  1 
 Bibliography  
[1] EAS 778:2012, Fresh bitter cassava — Specificati on 
 DEAS 778: 2022    
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved