KENYA STANDARD  KS 2128: 2021  
ICS 67.14 0.10 
Third  Edition  
  
 © KEBS 2021   
 Tea industry — Code of practice    
  
 
 
 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT, DECEMBER 2021  
 
KS 2128 : 2021  
ii 
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Tea Board of Kenya  
Tea Research Institute  
Kenya Tea Development Agency  
Karatina University  
Egerton University  
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries — State Department of Agriculture  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade  
Ministry of Industry and Enterprise Development  
Ministry of Health — Food Safety Unit Government Chemist’s Department  
James Finlays (K) Ltd. Unilever Tea (K) Ltd.  
Melvin Marsh International Ltd.  Kenya Tea growers association  
 Kenya Tea Packers Ltd.  
Consumer Information Network  
East African Tea Trade Association  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions for 
improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Sta ndards, 2021  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists 
in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced b y Kenya Bureau of Standards 
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing f rom the 
Managing Director.   KENYA STANDARD  KS 2128 :2021  
ICS 67.140.10  
Third  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
  Tea industry — Code of practice   
 
Kenya Bureau of Standards, Popo Road, Off  Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
  
KS 2128 : 2021  
iv 
 Foreword  
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Tea Technical Committee under the guidance of the Standards 
Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with  the  procedures of  the  Kenya Bureau of Standards.  
This Code of Practice is aimed at providing guidance to all stakeholders in the value chain to conduct all activities 
in a manner that ensures food safety and quality; personnel safety and welfare; environmental protection and 
sustainability. It also intends to enhance compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements in Kenya.  
This third edition cancels and replaces the s econd edition (KS 2128 :2017 ), which has been technically revised.  
This third Edition provides updates on existing national legislations and also covers requirements for production 
of organic tea and maximum residue limits for pesticides.  
In the developmen t of this Code of Practice, reference was made to the following documents:  
CAC/RCP 1: 1969, General principles of food hygiene  
CAC/GL: 1999, Guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced 
foods,  
CODEX Online Com modity Details for Tea  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from this (these) source (s)  
 KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  v 
  Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  iv 
1        Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
2        Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
3        Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  6 
4        General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  9 
5       Primary production  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  10 
6       Processing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  14 
7       Tea trade practices  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  17 
8       Shipping  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 20 
9       Product tracking information  ................................ ................................ ................................  20 
10     Traceability, withdrawal and recall  ................................ ................................ .......................  21 
11     Labour and workers welfare  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 21 
12     Environmental management  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 21 
 Annex  A (normative) Organic  tea — Variations from  conventi onal tea ................................ .. 23 
Annex  B (info rmati ve) Maximum pesticide  residue  limits for tea ................................ ............  25 
Annex  C (info rmati ve) Relevant legislations  ................................ ................................ ...............  27 
Annex D 2Relevant manua ls ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  2 
  
6 
  Tea industry — Code of practice  
1 Scope  
This Kenya Standard provides guidelines for achieving requirements for food safety and quality; worker 
health, safety and welfare; environmental protection and sustainability by stakeholders along the tea value 
chain in Kenya . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitute s 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.  
I. ISO 9884 -2,Tea sacks — Specification — Part 2: Performance spec ification for sacks for palletized 
and containerized transport  
II. KS EAS 12, Portable water — Specification  
III. KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods  
IV. KS EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
V. KS EAS 804, Claims — Gene ral requirements  
VI. KS 1927, Specification for tea packets and container  
VII. KS ISO 1839, Tea sampling  
VIII. KS ISO 8589, Sensory analysis — General guidance for the design of test rooms  
IX. KS ISO 3103, Tea — Preparation of liquor for use in sensory tests  
X. KS ISO 9884 -1, Tea sacks — Specification — Part 1: Reference sack for palletized and 
containerized transport of tea  
XI. KS ISO 22000, Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the 
food chain  
XII. KS ISO 22005, Traceability in the feed and food chain — General principles and basic requirements 
for system design and implementation  
XIII. KS  ISO  22006, Quality  management systems  —  Guidelines for  the  application of  ISO  9001  
to  crop production  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the  following terms and definitions apply.   KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  vii 
  3.1 tea value chain  
a sequence of the steps and operations involved in the production, processing, distribution, storage and 
handling of tea and [its ingredients], from primary production to consumption  
3.2 contaminant  
any biological or chemical agent, foreign matter, or other substances not intentionally added to tea, which 
may compromise food safety or suitability  
3.3 contamination  
an introduction or occurrence of a contaminant in tea or tea environment  
3.4 hazard  
a biological, chemical or physical agent in tea, or condition of, tea, equipment or environment, with a  
potential to cause an adverse health effect or environmental deterioration  
3.5 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)  
a system which ide ntifies, evaluates, and controls hazards which are significant for food safety, worker 
safety, and environmental protection  
3.6 Critical Control Point (CCP)  
a step or operation at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduc e a food 
safety hazard to acceptable levels  
3.7 critical limit  
a criterion (threshold) which separates acceptable tea from unacceptable tea  
3.8 calibration  
a process of comparing,   detecting, correlating, adjusting, and rectifying the accuracy of measurin g and 
application equipment against a standard instrument of predetermined accuracy.   
8 
 3.9 Integrated pest management (IPM)  
a consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures 
that  discourage  the  dev elopment  of  pest  populations  and  keep  plant  protection  products  and  other 
interventions to levels that are economically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and the 
environment  
3.10 field establishment  
the field planting, bringi ng into bearing and in filling of a tea plantation  
3.11 organoleptic evaluation / sensory analysis  
a method of  establishing acceptable tea quality based on appearance  of  dry leaf, liquor and infused leaf; 
colour and odour of dry leaf; and taste characte ristics of tea liquor  
3.12 traceability  
the ability to follow the movement of a feed or food through specified stage(s) of production, processing 
and distribution  
3.13 certification  
a procedure by which official certification bodies, or officially recogniz ed certification bodies, provide written 
or equivalent assurance that foods or food control systems conform to requirements. Certification of food  
may be, as appropriate, based on a range of inspection activities which may include continuous on -line 
inspe ction, auditing of quality assurance systems and examination of finished products  
3.14 audit  
a systematic and functionally independent examination to determine whether activities and related results 
comply with planned objectives  
3.15 food grade material  
any material for use in food processes that when in direct contact with or nearby food does not contaminate 
the food with harmful substances or impart objectionable characteristics   KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  ix 
  4 General requirements  
4.1       Tea value chain  
Stakeholders within the t ea value chain shall undertake production, processing, distribution and trading of 
tea in a manner that ensuresfood safety and quality; worker health, safety and welfare; environmental 
protection and sustainability.  
Adequate measures should be taken, as ap propriate throughout the value chain in accordance with relevant 
Kenya Standards but not limited to KS EAS 39, KS ISO 22006, KS ISO 22000, and KS ISO 22005 to 
achieve the following:  
a) Food safety by identifying practices, control measures, and monitoring haz ards associated with the 
product at each step;  
b) Food quality by identifying factors that compromise made tea quality and implement measures to 
ensure conformity to product specifications;  
c) Environmental protection and sustainability by adopting sustainable e nvironmental practices; and  
d) Worker health, safety and welfare by adhering to relevant legislations control.  
4.2       Documentation requirements  
Stakeholders within the tea value chain should establish, approve, implement and maintain necessary 
documents to demonstrate   effective control of processes within the value chain, that have potential to 
negatively affect food safety; environmental protection and workers welfare and health.  
Documentation may include but not limited to the following:  
a) Policies and manuals for tea quality and food safety, environmental protection, and worker welfare 
and health;  
b) Records of personnel training;  
c) Records of approved tea growing sites;  
d) Records of soil analysis;  
e) Records of prequalification of suppliers of materials, service s and transport;  
f) Records of stocked and applied fertilizer and crop protection products;  
g) Programs and records for pests and disease incidences and control;  
h) Records of pesticide residue monitoring;   
10 
 i) Personnel hygiene policy;  
j) Food handlers health certificat es; 
k) Procedures for handling harvested leaf;  
l) Records for harvested leaf quality;  
m) Records of production, processing and distribution;  
n) Procedures and programs for cleaning and disinfection;  
o) Records of heavy metals monitoring;  
p) Procedure for management of nonconforming products; and  
q) Procedure for traceability, withdrawal and recall.  
4.3       Transport  
All modes of transport used for transfer of tea throughout the value chain shall be maintained in a manner 
that ensure product quality and safety; package integrity, worker safety and security of the tea in transport.  
4.4       Competence  
A capacity development system should be established and maintained to ensure personnel at each stage 
of the value chain are equipped with appropriate training, knowledge an d skills that ensure safe handling 
of food, protection of environment and workers’ health.  
4.5       Security  
Measures shall be established and implemented to control access to the tea processing area, storage and 
handling facilities.  
5         Primary pro duction  
Agronomic practices  should  comply  with  Good  Agricultural  Practices  (GAP)  and  recommendations in 
approved tea producer manuals.  
5.1       Site selection  
5.1.1    Tea should be grown in recommended agro -ecological sites complying with the re levant national 
legislative requirements for industrial crop production.  
5.1.2    In case of forested land, and land use change, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) license 
from National Environment Management Authority should be obtained.  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xi 
  5.2   Nurse ry 
Nurseries should be established and managed in a manner that ensures sustainability of plant health, 
protection of the environment and workers’ safety. Ensure that:  
a) The nursery site should have adequate water supply, sheltered from wind and exposed to t he sun;  
b) The nursery soils should have top soils with a pH of about 5.6 and the subsoil pH of about 5.0;  
c) Sites excavated for nursery soils should be rehabilitated;  
d) Nursery construction and management practices should comply with the recommendations in the 
approved tea producer manuals;  
e) Wooden construction materials used should be from a sustainable source while complying with the 
legislations on protection of plant species;  
f) Fertilizers use, type and application rates be as per tea grower’s handbook or approv ed producer 
manual;  
g) Non-biodegradable materials such as polythene used in the nursery should be disposed of in 
accordance with Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA);  
h) Planting material used should be approved in accordance with the Seed and P lant Varieties Act, 
Biosafety Act and other relevant legislations;  
i) Use of agrochemicals for pest and disease control should be limited to those approved for use in 
the tea industry and in accordance with applicable legislations on chemical use.  
5.3 Field operations  
5.3.1    Land preparation  
Land preparation techniques (time, methods and technology) that minimize soil erosion and compaction, 
and safeguard the environment should be applied. Ensure that:  
a) Where necessary, soil PH correction should be based on soil analysis reports to effect 
rehabilitation;  
b) Field establishment that ensures complete bush canopy for the control of weeds and prevent use 
of herbicide should be applied;  
c) Pruning should be done in accordance with approved tea producer manuals and left in field for 
sustainable soil fertility.  
5.3.2    Fertilizer   
12 
 Fertilizers should be selected and used in a manner that promotes plant health while ensuring product 
safety of the workers and environment. Ensure that:  
a) Fertilizer used should not contain potent ially harmful substances and should comply with relevant  
Kenya Standards;  
b) Fertilizer application rates should be established and controlled to ensure sustainability of the crop 
and environmental protection;  
c) Where applicable, fertilizer application machiner y should be calibrated and maintained in a manner 
that will ensure accurate delivery rate and records should be maintained;  
d) Records of fertilizer application indicating location, date of application, type and quantity of fertilizer 
applied should be establ ished and maintained;  
e) The stock records of fertilizer should be established and maintained. The fertilizer should be stored 
in a covered dry location and not in the same room with pesticides or tea.  
5.3.3    Crop protection products  
The grower should use c rop protection products that are approved for use in tea crops and applied in a 
manner that protects the worker and the environment in accordance with approved manuals and relevant 
legislations; and ensures that acceptable maximum residue limits prescribed  in Annex B are complied with 
to safeguard human health. Ensure that:  
a) The choice of crop protection products, their storage and application, shall be appropriate and in 
accordance to the instructions on the label;  
b) The product used shall be registered by th e Pest Control Products Board;  
c) Where they are technically feasible, recognized IPM techniques should be appliedby competent 
persons;  
d) An up to date and complete list of all the crop protection products that are used and/or stored on 
the farm shall be maint ained;  
e) All applications of crop protection products should be recorded, including: field identification 
(number or code, location), application date, product trade name (brand), name of the 
operator/supervisor, application machinery (e.g. knapsack) and nam e of pest or diseases 
controlled;  
f) Application and measuring equipment should be well maintained and where necessary calibrated 
regularly to ensure accuracy of application rates and proper records should be maintained;  
g) All crop protection products should be  transported in a safe manner with attention to minimizing 
possible danger to people, food products and the environment;  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xiii 
  h) When an original package is broken or damaged, and the product is transferred to another 
package, the new package should contain key information of the original label;  
i) Storage facilities should be appropriately designed with safety features, and a product inventory 
and manufacturer’s safety information should be maintained;  
j) Empty containers of crop protection products should not be re -used in any form or manner. Such 
containers should be safely stored and later disposed in accordance with relevant legislations;  
k) The disposal of the surplus application mixes and wash downs should be carried out in a manner 
that is not injurious to the work er and the environment;  
l) Obsolete crop protection products should be labeled, stored and handled in a manner that prevents 
contamination of tea and environmental pollution.  
5.4       Harvesting  
Harvesting should be done in a manner that is hygienic and prot ects the quality of the leaf. Measures should 
be taken to control leaf contamination during plucking, handling, buying, weighing, transportation, and 
reception at the factory. Ensure that:  
a) There should be a clear process for handling of fresh tea leaves fr om harvesting to receipt at the 
factory;  
b) Appropriate  personal  hygiene  practices  should  be  maintained  and  the  personnel  should  be 
sensitized on appropriate behaviors, handling of equipment and personal protection;  
c) Harvesting and transportation co ntainers should be clean, and free from contamination;  
d) Where harvesting machines are used, they should be maintained in good hygienic condition and 
the lubricants used should be of food grade quality;  
e) Harvested plucked leaf shall be transported to the fact ory for withering  as soon as possible to 
avoid deterioration, contamination and the subsequent loss of quality;  
f) The leaf should be transported and handled in a manner that allows free -air circulation, and 
prevents contamination;  
g) Mode of transport, equipme nt and containers used should be designed to prevent contamination 
and maintain leaf quality and hygiene;  
h) Measures should be put in place to prevent falsification of weights at tea buying and collection 
centres; those found culpable, appropriate action ta ken. 
i) Measures should be put in place at buying and collection points to control contamination and 
ensure the leaf complies with set quality specification;   
14 
 j) Weighing equipment should be calibrated and in accordance with the Weights and Measures Act  
Cap. 512;  and 
k) Records for harvested leaf should be maintained.  
6    Processing  
To ensure tea products are wholesome, safe for human consumption and the worker is protected from 
occupational hazards, tea processing location, premises and steps should conform to Good  Manufacturing 
Practices (GMP) in accordance with KS EAS 39, and other relevant legislations, but not limited to Public 
Health; and Occupational Safety and Health.  
6.1       Location, design and layout  
Tea processing premises should be located, designed, a nd constructed to facilitate necessary hygienic 
practices and effectively control food hazards and protect the environment. The location, design and layout 
should ensure that:  
a) Sources of contamination, pollution, and threats to product quality and food saf ety are identified 
and appropriately controlled;  
b) Adequate maintenance, cleaning, disinfection and  monitoring of equipment, surfaces, ceilings and 
overhead structures is achieved;  
c) Materials in contact with tea are of food grade quality, appropriately designed; and easy to maintain 
and clean;  
d) Wet and dry operations are adequately separated to reduce microbiological contamination of the 
finished tea;  
e) A room for sensory analysis of tea is available and designed in accordance with KS ISO 8589;  
f) Workers safe ty and welfare is assured and maintained by use of appropriate controls;  
g) Waste is managed effectively to prevent recontamination of food, pest access and infestation.  
6.2       Hygiene facilities  
Tea processing premises should have appropriate internal des ign, equipment layout and location that 
ensure maintenance of good hygiene throughout the plant and prevention of cross contamination and the 
following should be provided:  
a) Foot  baths,  washrooms,  changing  rooms,  and  hand -washing  facilities  supplied  with  water, 
disinfectants liquid soap, sanitizer, disposable towels and/or hot air hand driers, as appropriate;  
b) Potable water conforming to Kenya Standards for Potable water KS EAS 12;  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xv 
  c) Adequate lighting and “Glass” policy;  
d) Clean compressed air for dry cl eaning;  
e) Food grade quality lubricants;  
f) Appropriate storage facilities for packaging materials, finished products (unpackaged and 
packaged), lubricants, fumigants, etc;  
g) Facilities for appropriate waste disposal; and  
h) Where required, stairs in close proximity  to production lines should be appropriately designed and 
maintained;  
6.3       Maintenance and sanitation  
Maintenance and sanitation procedures and programmes should  be  established to  cover  all  areas  of  
the manufacturing premises and ensure that:  
a) Efficient operation programmes are in place for all plant machinery and equipment;  
b) Effective cleaning and disinfection programs for all facilities and equipment are undertaken;  
c) Use of approved solvents, oils, lubricants, detergents and disinfectants is adhe red to ; and  
d) Monitoring is done to establish effectiveness of maintenance, cleaning and sanitation programs  
6.4  Personal hygiene  
A personal hygiene policy should be established and implemented to ensure tea is not contaminated by 
food handlers and ensure that: 
a) Written instructions for acceptable personal hygiene should be visibly displayed at appropriate 
areas and enforced;  
b) Visitors to manufacturing and storage areas should be sensitized on hygiene practices and wear 
protective clothing as appropriate;  
c) A documented and effective training program will be in place to ensure employees, contractors and 
sub-contractors are competent in assigned duties, and are conversant with hygiene, accidents, and 
emergency procedures and any other issue critical to food safe ty. 
6.5  Process control   
16 
 All process steps should be designed, implemented, monitored, measured, documented and reviewed for 
effectiveness of controls and compliance with critical limits for contaminants in accordance with Kenya 
Standards for various tea p roducts. Ensure that:  
a) A systematic and effective control system which identifies potential food safety hazards arising from 
value chain and their measures such as HACCP should be established;  
b) Incoming leaf should be inspected for foreign matter and be with in the acceptable standards;  
c) Measures should be established to ensure tea spillages in the processing area are appropriately 
handled and that those intended for reuse are collected in clean and clearly marked containers and 
handled in a hygienic manner;  
d) Equipment and facilities used for process controls   should be calibrated and maintained in good 
state of repair;  
e) Measures should be established as appropriate, but not limited to control of pesticide residues, iron 
filings, foreign matter, moisture levels a nd microbiological contamination;  
f) Appropriate temperature time controls should be established to prevent spoilage and eliminate 
pathogens;  
g) Monitoring should   be  undertaken  to  identify  processing  points  and  products  that  are  out  of 
specification ; identify non -conforming products as appropriate for isolation, rework, release and /or 
disposal, and records of actions taken maintained;  
h) Sensory evaluation should be undertaken as appropriate during and after processing in accordance 
with KS ISO 3103 to  ensure production of tea with acceptable organoleptic characteristics; and  
i) Cleaning and disinfection should be done in a manner that will safeguard the package integrity and 
product quality.  
6.6    Product control  
The finished product should be stored, pa ckaged, dispatched and transported in a manner that maintains 
its wholesomeness and complies with relevant Kenya Standards and customer contractual agreements; 
and should be traceable to the market. Ensure that:  
a) Contractual agreement for supplies should be  honoured by both parties;  
b) A quality   control system should be  established to  verify  compliance of  finished products with 
specifications, and maintain records;  
c) Storage bins for finished tea should designed to ease cleaning, constructed of food grade ma terials 
and managed in a manner that prevents additional moisture pick up;  
d) Consumer packages should be designed to comply with KS 1927, Specification for tea packets and 
container and labelled in accordance KS EAS 38, KS EAS 804;  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xvii 
  e) Packages for palletized an d containerized transport should be designed for compliance with KS 
ISO 9884 -1 and KS ISO 9884 -2 and customer requirements;  
f) Containers and   packages  should  be  designed  in  a  manner  that  minimise  damage and  prevent 
contamination;  
g) Where recycled mat erials are used, they should not be in direct contact with the product;  
h) Where required, pallets for product packaging should not compromise product safety and quality, 
and straps holding packages should be used in a manner that prevents damage to packages;  
i) A dispatch procedure and criteria should be established to ensure only clean vehicles capable of 
preserving safety and quality of the product are used;  
j) Tea transportation containers should be dry, clean, and free from holes, odours, leak proof and 
designated only for tea transport at a time;  
k) Transport personnel and drivers should be sensitized and aware of food safety requirements, and 
appropriate vehicle and security conditions for transporting finished products;  
l) Vehicles and containerized transpor t shall be locked with a security seal to be opened only by 
authorized personnel at the designated point of offloading and the seal identification number shall 
be traced to the warehouse;  
m) The producer/exporter should establish a documented system to ensure  every unit or batch of the 
products is traceable;  
n) A procedure should be established to ensure tea samples are representative of the offered lot and 
that non -conforming products are handled appropriately.  
7          Tea trade practices  
7.1       Buying an d selling  
Tea buying and selling should be carried out in accordance with relevant tea industry rules, national 
legislations and Kenya Standards. Ensure that:  
a) Tea samples should be prepared and handled in a manner that is representative of the lot and 
preserves traceability and product integrity in accordance with KS ISO 1839, and in a manner that 
preserves product integrity and traceability;  
b) Organoleptic tasting should done in accordance with KS ISO 3103 to ascertain quality and value 
of tea by relevant pa rties;  
c) Tea intended for auction should be catalogued and offered for sale in accordance with relevant 
legislations;   
18 
 d) Direct sales, factory door sales and forward contract sales should be executed in accordance with 
contractual agreements and applicable legi slations;  
e) Auction purchased teas and direct sales destined for export should be registered prior to shipment;  
f) Imported and transit teas should be registered and monitored in accordance with the relevant 
legislation.  
7.2             Warehouse operations  
In addition to the requirements in Clause 6, warehouses, blending, packaging, and dispatch should be done 
in a manner that facilitates identification, and implementation of control measures that ensure acceptable 
food quality, safety and traceability; health conditions of personnel; and integrity of packaging materials, 
machines and premises.  
7.2.1    Warehouses  
Warehouses in which tea is handled should have adequate space to ease movement of equipment and 
goods without damaging packages and prevent product co ntamination. Ensure the following:  
a) A  prequalification and  traceability  system  should  be  established  and  monitored  to  ensure  all 
materials and equipment received or operating within and around the warehouse are of approved 
quality and are traceab le to the supplier;  
b) Specific covered areas should be designated for loading and offloading vehicles to prevent 
packages from wetness and potential contamination;  
c) Clean and hygienic environmental conditions should be maintained to preserve tea quality durin g 
receiving, loading, storage and inter -warehouse transportation;  
d) Criteria should be established to verify product quality for acceptance in the warehouse;  
e) Effective measures should be established to control temperatures, humidity and other 
environmental c onditions in the warehouse to prevent damages to packages, pick up of taints,   
moisture, and accumulation of dust;  
f) Vehicles, conveyances and containers should be of good state of repair and cleanliness;  
g) Gasoline -  or  diesel -powered fork -lift  trucks  should  not  be  used  within  storage  areas  for  food 
ingredients or products;  
h) Fumes from vehicles should be prevented from entering the warehouses;  
i) Where wooden pallets  are used, they should be treated  to destroy pests using approved methods 
and chemicals;  
j) Access to warehouses shall be controlled to allow only authorised staff and visitors.  
7.2.2    Blending  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xix 
  Blending should be done in a manner that prevents contamination and maintains product safety and  
integrity by ensuring that:  
a) Blending areas should have appropriate lighting; clean and free from dust; and prevent moisture 
pick up;  
b) Procedures should be established to identify and control potential sources of contamination;  
c) Where  necessary,  measures  should  be  implemented  to  eliminate  and  prevent  foreign  matter 
contamination;  
d) Measures should be established to prevent personnel having direct contact with tea;  
e) Personnel should have appropriate protective clothing;  
f) All materials in contact with fo od should be clean, dry and food grade;  
g) Measures should be taken to control tea spilling onto the floor, and any spillages should be rejected, 
disposed of appropriately and records maintained.  
7.2.3    Packaging and dispatch  
Measures should be established to ensure tea product packaging and dispatch operations maintains 
quality, integrity and traceability by ensuring that:  
a) Procedures should be established to ensure only food grade packaging materials are used and 
appropriately labelled to ensure traceabilit y; 
b) Tea packages should be kept away from the floor on pallets (no contact with floor);  
c) Pallets used should be constructed and treated in a manner that preserves tea quality and integrity 
of packages;  
d) Hygienic and  mechanical conditions of  dispatch vehicle s and  integrity of  packages should  be 
confirmed before dispatch and records maintained.  
7.3       Transport  
a) Measures  should  be  established,  implemented,  monitored  and  documented  to  ensure  
transportation maintains the tea quality and integrity.  
b) Transporters should be prequalified based on their ability to provide services in a manner that does 
not compromise product quality and package integrity;  
c) Prequalified transporters shall have systems in place to ensure accidental damages to the product 
on transit are appropriately addressed;   
20 
 d) Vehicles should be checked prior to loading, and during unloading to verify that the quality and 
safety of the material or product is maintained;  
e) Vehicles transporting finished products should be equipped with fire sa fety equipment;  
f) Containers should be dry, clean, and free from holes, odours, leak proof and designated only for 
tea transport at a time;  
Procedures should be established and implemented to ensure transport personnel have adequate 
knowledge on preservation  of tea quality and integrity. This may include but not limited to:  
i. Potential impact of environmental conditions and weather on tea;  
ii. Hygienic handling of tea;  
iii. Criteria for acceptance of tea;  
iv. Mechanical soundness of tea transport vehicles;  
v. Security protocol s. 
8         Shipping  
Tea shall be shipped in food grade containers and in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations for 
food safety. Ensure that:  
a) Designated containers shall be dry, odorless, and dust -free; 
b) Shipment records should be maintained b ut not limited to the following:  
i. Consigner,  
ii. Consignee,  
iii. Quantity,  
iv. Type or grade, and  
v. Port of destination.  
9         Product tracking information  
Information on tracking of the product should be documented at the factory and should include, but not 
limited t o the following:  
a) Truck/trailer registration number;  
b) Date and time of dispatch;  
c) Name of manufacturing factory;  
d) Garden mark and grade;  
e) Product invoice numbers;  KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xxi 
  f) Delivery note;  
g) Goods received note.  
10       Traceability, withdrawal and recall  
A traceability, withdrawal and recall system should be established and maintained across the value chain 
to ensure the customer is informed correctly of the product origin and identity. Ensure that:  
a) A procedure shall be established, implemented and maintained to facilitat e traceability of products 
and recall of non -conforming products at any stage of the value chain;  
b) The traceability procedures should ensure identification of the product one step forward and one 
step backward;  
c) Products failing to meet required food safety standards should be identified, segregated, withdrawn 
from the value chain, recalled from the market, evaluated and disposed, as appropriate and records 
maintained.  
11       Labour and workers welfare  
All stakeholders within the value chain should comply w ith relevant legislations on labour and employment.  
12       Environmental management  
12.1     Sustainable environmental management should be maintained to conserve energy, soils, water 
resources, wild life and forests in accordance with the relevant envir onmental related legislations;  
12.2     Emissions from factories should be managed in a manner that minimizes environmental degradation;  
and 
12.3     Proper waste management systems should be established, monitored and maintained. paragraph.   
22 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xxiii 
  A.1 Annex  A 
(normative)  
Organic  tea — Variations from  conventi onal tea 
A.1     Scope  
This annex provides additional practices required for production of organic tea. Organic tea should be  
produced and pro cessed in accordance with organic products standard (KS EAS 456) and the integri ty of the 
tea shall be m aintained throughout the production, processing and distribution steps. 
A.2     Differences  in the growing and handling of organic tea 
The following are the differences between organic  and conventional tea: 
A.2.1   Isolati on of site for organic  farmin g: 
a) The  area  shall  be  sufficiently  isolated  to  ensure  there  is  no  possibility  of  any  pollutants  or 
contaminants flowing into the growing area; 
b) A risk assessm ent shall be unde rtaken to establish the potential contamination  from adjacent farms 
and appropriate measures implement ed; 
c)         Water used in compost preparation  shall be free from pollutants; 
d) A detailed history of a period of about five years, fully documented to give details of external inputs 
during pre-conversion period, be maintained to facilitate  inspection of organic tea cultivation. 
A.2.2   Conversion period  of site for organic  farming 
a) The  minim um  conversion  period  should  be  three  years  from  the  last  usage  of  synthetic 
agrochemi cals or at least three years in the case of land on perennial crops other than grassland. 
Tea can be marketed as “in conversion organic tea” only after one year from the start of conversion; 
b) Based on risk assessment  tea may be marketed as “organic tea” only after the comple tion of 
conversion of three years; 
c)         In cases where land is not in use for more  than two years, a competent authority shall determine the 
period of conversion, but should not be less than twelve (12) months, based on risk assessment;  
24 
 d) In cases where a whole farm is progre ssively converted, permitted  techniques monitored  by a 
competent  authority shall apply; 
e) Areas in conversion as well as areas  converted to organic production shall not be alternated or 
switched back and forth between organic and conventional production methods; 
f)          Manure and bio-fertilizers used in organic tea farming shall comply with KS 2290 and KS 2356. 
A.2.3   Handling,  storage  and processing  
Appropr iate measures shall be taken to avoid cross contam ination of  organic tea with organic  tea in 
conversion and convention al teas; 
a)         Packaging materials  and printing  ink should preferably be chosen from bio-degradable materials; 
b)         Additives and processing aids should be in accordance with the Annex D of KS EAS 456; 
c)         Tea labelled as “organic  tea” shall have certification for organic products.KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xxv 
   
Annex  B 
(info rmative) 
Maximum pesticide  residue  limits for tea 
B.1     Maxim um pesticide limits  in this Annex are based on the Codex  database for pesticide residues, 
2014. 
B.2     The pesticide residue database is regularly reviewed and updated. 
B.3     It is therefore recommended  that the list of the current pesticide residue be confirmed  by accessing 
the codex database 
B.4     Current    limits    can    be    found    on    COD EX    Online    Comm odity    Details    for    Tea    at 
http://www.fao.org/fao -who -codexalimentarius/codex -texts/dbs/pestres/commodities -detail/en/?c_id=101   
, accessed in October 2021 
B.5      List of pesticides  and maximum  residue  limits  
SL No Pesticides Maximum Residue Limit (mg/kg) 
Green tea/Black tea 
i. Paraquat 0.2 
ii. Methidathion 0.5 
iii. Clothianidin 0.7 
iv. Fenpropathrin 2 
v. Chlorpyrifos 2 
vi. Deltamethrin 5 
vii. Indoxacarb 5 
viii. Propargite 5 
ix. Endosulfan 10  
26 
 x. Etoxazole 15 
xi. Hexythi azox 15 
 
 
xii. Cypermethrins  (including alpha-and 
zeta- cypermethrin)  
 
15 xiii. Permethrin 20 
xiv. Thiamethoxam 20 
xv. Bifent hrin 30 
xvi. Dicofol 40 
xvii. Flubendiamide 50 KS 2128 : 2021  
© KEBS 2021  – All rights reserved  xxvii 
  Annex  C 
(info rmative) 
Relevant legislations  
The following is a list of legislations that apply to the tea industry: 
I. Plant varieties Act  
II. Biosafety  Act  
III. The Tea Act, 2020  
IV. Kenya Agricultu ral and Livestock Research  Organization Act 2013.  
V. The Employment Act, Cap. 226. 
VI. The Environmental Management and Coordination Act, 
1999. Oc cupational Safety and Health Act, 2007. 
VII. The Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254. 
The Irrigation  Act, Cap. 347. 
VIII. The Lakes and Rivers Act, Cap.  409. 
IX. The National Hospital Insurance Fund Act, Cap. 255. 
X.  The National Social Security Fund  Act, Cap. 258. 
XI. The Pest Control Products Act, Cap. 
346. The  Physical Planning Act, 1996. 
XII. The Regulation of Wages and Conditions of Employment  Act, Cap. 229 (ROW A).  
XIII. The Standards Act, Cap. 496. 
XIV. The Trade Disputes Act, Cap. 234.  
XV. The Children’s  Act, 2001. 
XVI. The Trade Union Act, Cap.  233. 
XVII.  The Water  Act, Cap. 372. 
XVIII.  The Seed Act, Cap. 326. 
XIX. The Public Health Act, Cap. 242.  
XX. The Forest Act, 2005. KS xxxx: yyyy    
 
© KEBS 2021 – All rights reserved   
 Annex D 
(info rmative) 
Relevant manua ls 
The following is a list of manuals from Tea Research Foundation  
I. Tea growers’ handbook, 5th Edition 2002,  Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. 
II. Fertilizer User  Manu al guide for tea, 1st Edition 2012. Tea Research Foundation  of Kenya. 
III. Tea pest and disease handbook, 1st Edition 2012, Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.  
IV. Tea cultivation manual for good agricultural practices, 1st Edition 2012,  Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. 
V. TRFK clonal catalogue, 1st Edition 2012, Tea Research Foundation  of Kenya. 
VI. Waste managem ent manual, 1st Edition 2012, Tea Research Foun dation of Kenya. 
VII. Soil, plant tissue and fertilizer sampling and analytical method s, Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.  
VIII. Soil conservation manual, 1st Edition 2012, Tea Research Foun dation of Kenya. 
IX. Tea plucking practices manual,  1st Edition 2013, Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.  
X. The biochemical Methods Manual, 1st Edition 2014, KALRO-TRI.  
XI. Tea extension providers manual, 1st Edition  2014, KALRO -TRI. 
XII. Integrated pest and disease management  sampling and analytical manual, 1st Edition 2014. KALRO -TRI 
XIII. Manual for Tea Soil Sampling and Methods of Physical Analysis. 1st Edition 2021, Tea Research Foundation.  
XIV. Manual for Tea Processing in Kenya. 1st Edition 2021, Tea Research Foundation.