DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485 :2024 
ICS 67.080.10  
Fifth Edition  
  
 © KEBS 2023  
 Water - based f ruit flavoured drinks  — Specification  
 
  
 
 
DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485 :2024 
ICS 67.080.10  
Fifth  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  ii 
  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Gonas Best Ltd.  
Kenafric Industries Ltd.  
Aquamist Ltd.  
PATCO Industries Ltd.  
Kevian Kenya Ltd  
Coca -Cola Central East and West Africa Ltd.  
Victoria Juice Ltd.  
Excel Chemicals Ltd  – Foods Division  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)  
Government Chemist’s Department  
Consumer Information Network  
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology — Department of Food Science and Technology  
Agriculture and Food Authority  
Ministry of Health — Food Safety Unit  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485 :2024 
ICS 67.080.10  
Fifth  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  iii 
  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 Standards, 2024  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of the Laws of Kenya, copyr ight subsists in all Kenya Standards and 
except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Burea u of Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form 
or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from the Managing Director.   DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485 :2024 
ICS 67.080.10  
Fifth  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  iv 
  Water–based f ruit flavoured drinks  — Specification   
 
 
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)  
  
DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485 :2024 
ICS 67.080.10  
Fifth  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  v 
  Foreword  
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Water -Based Flavoured Drinks and Ices 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 standard covers all types of fruit flavoured drinks made from water, permitted sweetening agents either nutritive or non -
nutritive sweeteners used singly or in combination and permitted food additives, natural or synthetic colourings, flavouring 
emuls ions, among other permitted ingredients. Water -based f ruit flavoured drinks shall be distinguished from fruit squashes, 
fruit juices , fruit drinks and flavoured water through appropriate labelling.  
The standard stipulates the chemical, microbiological and other quality limits for water -based fruit flavoured drinks. (KEVIAN)  
Labelling requirements of water -based flavoured drinks have been incorporated in this standard to prevent any 
misrepresentations of the products through, say, fruit pictorials on the labels.  
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition (KS 1485:2020), which has been technically revised.  
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following documents:  
               KS EAS 77, Fruit drinks — Specification.  
               KS 224, Fruit drinks and squashes — Specification.  
               Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act – Chapter 254 of the Laws of Kenya.  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from these source s. 
 DKS  1485 : 2024  
© KEBS 2024 – All rights reserved  vi 
   
. 
  DRAFT KENYA STANDARD  DKS 1485:202 4 
 
© KEBS 2023  – All rights reserved  1 
 Water -based f ruit flavoured drinks — Specification  
1 Scope  
This draft Kenya Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for water -based fruit flavoured drinks.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents 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 applies. For undated references, the latest 
edition of the re ferenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
CXG 50, General Guidelines on sampling  
Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254  
KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
KS EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
KS CODEX STAN 192, General Standard for food additives  
KS EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
KS EAS 804, Claims — General requirements  
KS EAS 805, Use of nutrition and health claims — Requirements  
KS ISO 2173, Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of soluble solids — Refractometric method  
KS ISO 4831, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of 
coliforms — Most probable number techniques  
KS ISO 4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coliforms — 
Colony -count technique  
KS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and serotyping of 
salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
KS ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coagulase -
positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species)  
KS ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeds — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of presumptive 
Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
KS ISO 17239, Fruits, vegetables and derived products — Determination of arsenic content — Method using hydride 
generation atomic absorption spectrometric  
\KS ISO 17240, Fruits and vegetable products — Determination of tin content — Method using flame atomic absorption 
spectrometric  
KS 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  DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  2 
 KS ISO 21567, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of Shigella spp  
KS ISO 21872 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the determination of Vibrio spp. — Part 1: 
Detection of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus  
KS ISO 26482, Hard metals —Determination of lead and cadmium content  
Public Health Act, Cap. 242  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
concentrated or ready -to-drink products prepared from water, sweetening agents, natural, nature identical or permitted 
artificial fruit flavourings, permitted colourings  and other optional permitted ingredients  
3.2 
INS 
International Numbering System used in identifying the approved food additive  
3.3 
potable water  
water either in its original state or after treatment, intended for human drinking, cooking, food preparation, or other 
domestic purposes, food production, regardless of its origin whether it is supplied from a distribution network, from a 
tanker or in bot tles  
3.4 
food additive  
any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally used as a typical ingredient of the food, 
whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional addition of which to food for a technological (including organoleptic)  
purpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food 
results, or may be reasonably expected to result (directly or indirectly), in it or its byproducts becoming a component of or  
otherwise affecting the cha racteristics of such foods. The term does not include contaminants or substances added to 
food for maintaining or improving nutritional qualities. (see KS CODEX STAN 192)  
3.5 
concentrated product  
fruit flavoured beverage presented in a state in which it does not contain  the majority of its base solvent, water  and 
require s dilution before consumption  
3.6 
ready -to-drink  DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  3 
 are packaged beverages that are sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption  
3.7 
uniform  
not changing in form or character; remaining the same in all cases and at all time  
3.8 
sugar free water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
water -based fruit flavoured drinks sweetened exclusively with permitted non-nutritive sweeteners  
3.9 
sweetening agents  
sucrose, glucose or fructose, natural sweeteners and any other permitted nutritive and non-nutritive  sweeteners used in 
sweetening water -based fruit flavoured  drinks  
3.10 
carbonated water -based fruit flavoured  drinks  
water -based fruit flavoured  drinks which, after processing, has been made effervescent by the addition of carbon dioxide  
3.11  
1 gas (carbonation) volume  
amount of carbon dioxide the water volume absorbs at the standard atmospheric pressure at 15.6 ºC  
3.12 
food grade packaging material  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for the intended use, and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product.  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 The product shall:  
a) have a uniform colour;  
b) possess a good body;  
c) be free from defects;  
d) possess normal characteristic taste and flavour; and  
e) not contain any substances harmful or injurious to health.  
4.1.2 Sugar free  water -based fruit flavoured drinks shall contain  no more than 0.25 % glycogenic carbohydrates.  
4.2 Specific requirements  DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  4 
 4.2.1 Water -based fruit flavoured dr inks shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1, when tested in 
accordance with the test methods specified therein . 
                                       Table 1 — Specific requirements for water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
 
i. Degree Brix (oB) at 20 °C a 
Concentrated products, min.  
Ready -to-drink products, min.   
30.0 
10.0 
 
 KS ISO 2173  
ii. Carbon dioxide b, gas volume, min.  1 Annex A  
iii. Sugar free (glycogenic carbohydrates) c  
Degree Brix (oB) max.   
0.25  
KS ISO 2173  
a. Does not apply to sugar free or reduced sugar water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
b. Applies to the carbonated water -based fruit flavoured drinks.   
c. Applies to sugar free water -based fruit flavoured drinks.   
NOTE 1  Reduced calorie water -based fruit flavoured drinks shall comply with the requirements of the 
Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254 of the Laws of Kenya.  
NOTE 2  1 Gas volume eqv to 1.966 g/l of CO 2. 
 
5        Food Additives  
Only permitted food additives permitted under KS CODEX STAN 192 shall be used.  
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Heavy metal contaminants  
Water-based fruit flavoured drinks shall not contain heavy metal contaminants in excess of the limits given in Table 2 when 
tested in accordance with the methods provided therein  
Table 2 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants for water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
S/N Contaminant  Maximum level  Test method  
i. Arsenic (As)  0.2 mg/kg  KS ISO 17239  
ii. Lead (Pb)  0.3 mg/kg  KS ISO 26482  
iii. Tin (Sn) *  250 mg/kg  KS ISO 17240  DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  5 
 * Applies only for canned products  
 
6.2 Other contaminants  
The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall comply with those maximum levels for contaminants 
established by the Codex Alimentarius  Commission for these products . 
7 Hygiene  
7.1 Manufacturing premises  
Water-based fruit flavoured drinks shall be processed, packaged, stored and distributed under hygienic conditions in accordance with 
KS EAS 39, the Public Health Act, Cap. 242 and the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254 of the Laws of Kenya  
7.2 Microbiological limits  
Water-based fruit flavoured drinks shall be free from pathogenic organisms and shall comply with the microbiological limits 
stipulated in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the methods provided therein:  
                       Table 3 — Microbiological limits for water -based fruit flavoured drinks  
 
S/N Micro -organism  Limit  Test method  
i. Coliforms, per 100 ml  Not detected  KS ISO 4831 or KS ISO 4832  
ii. Escherichia coli, per 25 g, (cfu/g),  Not detected  KS ISO 7251  
iii. Yeast and moulds (cfu/g), max.  10 KS ISO 21527 -2 
iv. Staphylococcus aureas, per 25 g  Not detected  KS ISO 6881 -1 
v. Shigella, per 25 g  Not detected  KS ISO 21567  
vi. Salmonella, per 25 g  Not detected  KS ISO 6579 -1 
vii. Vibrio cholera, per 25 g  Not detected  KS ISO 21872 -1 DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  6 
 8        Packaging  
Water-based fruit flavoured drinks shall be packaged in food grade material that ensures the integrity and safety of the 
product.  
9        Labelling  
9.1 Labelling of water -based fruit flavoured drinks shall comply with KS EAS 38, KS EAS 803, KS EAS 804 and KS EAS 
805. In addition, the information given in 8.2 shall be legibly and indelibly marked on the container. These requirements 
shall also apply to bulk packages.   
9.2 Pre -packaged water -based fruit flavoured  drinks shall not be described or presented on any label or in any labelling in 
a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any  
respect and shall include the following:  
a) name of product shall be “X flavoured drink” (such as “Orange flavoured drink”, “Lemon flavoured drink”; “Mango 
flavoured drink” or “Pineapple flavoured drink”) where X is the name of the flavour in the drink.  
b) in the case of water -based fruit flavoured  drink products manufactured from two or more fruit flavours, the product 
name shall include the names of the fruit flavours comprising the mixture or the words "fruit flavoured drink blend", 
" a fruit flavoured drink mixture", "mixed fruit flavoured drink " or other similar wording.  
c) list of all ingredients shall be listed in descending order of ingoing weight (m/m) and it shall include specific names 
of additives and/or the INS number at the time of the manufacture of the food;  
d) for concentrated products, directions of use stating the recommended amount of the product that should be applied 
in a stated volume of potable water.  
e) where applicable the storage conditions and duration of use af ter opening the product  
9.3 Pictorial representations  
Use of pictorial representations  and the use of the words “contains fruit juice” on water -based fruit flavoured  drink label is 
prohibite d except  where the species of fruits or fruit juices present, in the water -based fruit flavoured drink is in amounts 
constituting 5% and not exceeding 10%, provided that where two or more fruits or fruit juices are used, the combination of 
the fruits or fruit juices whose content individually constitutes 5 % and not exceeding 10%.  
9.4 Additional labelling requirements  
The following designations shall be used where applicable:  
a) When non-nutritive  sweeteners are employed as substitutes for sugars in water -based fruit flavoured drinks, the 
statement, “contains non-nutritive sweetener(s),” shall be included in conjunction with or in close proximity to the product 
name; and  
b) The name of non -nutritive sweeteners used shall be indicated in the label.  
10 Sampling  
The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall be sampled in accordance  with CXG 50 and tested using appropriate 
standard methods declared in this standard  
 DKS 1485:202 4 
© KEBS 202 4 – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Method of measuring gas volume  
A.1 Principle  
A.1.1 The method involves snifting of the top gas. The pressure reading should drop to 2 psi, to remove the air before testin g for 
carbon dioxide volume. In so doing correction of altitude as per table should be considered as pressure is affected by altitu de.  
A.1.2 The apparatus consists of pressure gauge having a hollow spike with holes in its side. The bottle is inserted from the side into 
the slot provided in the neck of the carbon dioxide tester and is secured in place by tightening with a threaded system. The pressure 
gauge is inserted until the needle point touches the crown cork. There is a snift valve on the gauge stem which is kept close d until the 
needle point of the pressure gauge is forced through the crown cork. The reading is noted on the gauge.  
A.2 Procedure  
Clamp the bottle in the frame of the gas volume tester. Pierce the crown cork/cap but do not shake the bottle. Snift off the top gas quickly 
until the gauge reading drops to zero. Make certain to close the valve instantly the needle touches zero in the pre ssure gauge. Shake 
the bottle vigorously until the gauge gives the reading that additional shaking does not change. Record the pressure. Note th e 
temperature and record. Obtain the volume of gas from pressure -temperature chart (carbon dioxide chart).DKS 1485:202 4   
 
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