a 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ICS 67.160.1 0                        DMS 1636:2020  
       First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spirit cooler  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE – This is a draft proposal and shall neither be used nor regarded as a Malawi standard  
 
 
  
  ICS 67.160.1 0         DMS 1636:2020
                First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spirit cooler  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
Moirs Road  
P O Box 946  
BLANTYRE  
 
                                                                               Tel:  +265 1 870 488  
                                                                              Fax:  +265 1 870 756  
                                                                          E-mail:  mbs@mbsmw.org  
                                                                      Web -site:  www.mbsmw.org  
 
Price based on 3 pages  
 
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
  
Contents                                                                                                                                                     page  
Foreword ……………………………… …………………………………..………………………………………… … ii 
Technical committee …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii 
Notice ……………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… …….... ii 
Scope ……………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………..  1 
Normative references ……………………………………………………………………………………………………  1 
Terms and definitions ..…………………………………… …………………………………………………………….  1 
Essenti al composition and quality factors …………………………………………………………………………….. 1 
Food additives………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 2 
Contaminants …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  2 
Hygiene ………………..………………………………………………………………………………….. ...................  2 
Packaging and l abelling ……………………..……………………………………………… ………………………….  2 
Methods of test ……………………………………………………… …………………………… ……………………..  3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standard  was prepared by MBS/TC 11, the Technical Committee on  Alcoholic and non -
alcoholic b everages  to provide requirements for spirit cooler .   
 
In preparing this draft Malawi standard reference was made to  the following standard : 
 
Uganda  Standard,  US 1598:2015 , Spirit -based ready to drink alcoholic beverages  – Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the above standard . 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi s tandard was prepared by MBS/TC 11 , the Technical Committee on Alcoholic and non -
alcoholic b everages , and the following companies, organizations and institutions were represented:  
 
Castel Malawi Brewery Limited;  
Chibuku Products Limited;  
Competit ion and Fair Trading Commission;  
Consumer Association of Malawi;  
Environmental Affairs Department;  
Immortals Limited;  
Lilongwe Dairy (2001) Limited;  
Malawi Environment Protection Authority;  
Malawi Revenue Authority;  
Malawi University of Business and Applie d Sciences;  
Ministry of Health;  
Ministry of Local Government;  
Ministry of Trade and Industry;  
Rab Processors Limited;  
Shoprite Limited;  
Universal Industries Limited; and  
University of Malawi.  
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This draft standard shall be reviewed every five years , or earlier when ever it is necessary, in order to keep 
abreast of progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .1 
 DMS 1636 :2020  
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Spirit cooler  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi  standard specifies the requirements, method of sampling and test for ready to drink spirit 
based alcoholic beverages .  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute provisions of thi s 
Malawi standard. All standards are subject to revision and, since any reference to a standard is deemed to 
be a reference to the latest edition of that standard, parties to agreements based on this standard are 
encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard s indicated below. 
Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19:  Labelling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21:  Food and fo od processing unit s – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 107 : Alcoholic beverages   ̶  Methods of test ;  
 
MS 237: Food additives – General standard;  and 
 
MS 302: Contaminants and toxins  in food – General standard . 
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purposes of this draft standard , the following te rm and definition  shall apply;  
 
3.1 
spirit cooler  
low strength  packaged alcoholic beverages derived from blending of neutral spirits as base with or without 
sugars and/or permitted food  additives  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
4.1 General quality requirements  
 
4.1.1 The product s hall be free from sediments or suspended foreign matter except for the components 
incorporated in colloidal suspension and roughage from fruit/juice.  
 
4.1.2 The product shall have the characteristic taste and ar oma of their type.   
 
4.2 Specific requirement s for spirit cooler  
 
Spirit cooler  shall conform to the compositional requirement s in Table 1 . 
 
 
 
 
 
  
2 
 Table 1 – Composition al requirements for spirit cooler  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Characteristic  
 Requirement  
 Test methods  
1 pH 2.7 – 4.5  
 
 
     MS 107  2 Total  acidity g/L, as citric  2.0 – 7.0 
3 Volatile acidity g/L, max.  0.5 
4 Ethyl alcohol content %, v/v  3.0 ˂ 15.0 
5 Carbon dioxide %, v/v max  2.7 
 
4.2.5 Spirit cooler  shall comply with limits for microorganisms  specified in Table 2 . 
 
Table 2  – Microbiological limits for  spirit cooler  
 
1 2 3 
S/N Characteristic  Limit (cfu)  
1 Acetic acid bacteria  per ml  Shall be absent  
2 Total coliforms, per 100 ml  Shall be absent  
3 E. coli per 100 ml  Shall be absent  
4 Lactic acid bacteria  per ml  Shall be absent  
5 Hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria  per ml  Shall be absent  
 
 
5 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Only those food additives li sted under this product in MS 237, may be used and only within the limits 
specified.  
 
 
6 CONTAMINANTS  
 
6.1 Heavy metals  
 
The products covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum levels of heavy metals and toxic 
substances prescribed in MS 302.  
 
6.2 Pesticide residues  
 
All the raw material s used i n the production of spirit cooler  shall comply with the maximum residue limits for  
pesticides as established by the  Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
 
7 HYGIENE  
 
The product  covered by the provisions of th is draft standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance 
with the requirements set out in MS 21.   
 
 
8 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
8.1 Packaging   
 
8.1.1  Spirit cooler  shall be packaged in containers, which  will safeguard the safety , nutritional, 
technolo gical, and organoleptic qualities of the product . 
 
8.1.2  The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances, which  are safe and 
suitable for their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavou r to 
the product.  
 
  
3 
 8.2 Labelling  
 
In addition to provisions prescribed in MS 19, the following information shall be marked or labelled indelibly 
and legib ly on the spirit cooler  packages : 
 
8.2.1  Name of the p roduct shall be “Spirit cooler ” or “Ready to dr ink spirit based alcoholic beverages ” in 
close proximity to the brand name.  
 
8.2.2  Name, physical locati on and address of manufacturer.  
 
8.2.3  Ethyl alcohol content, % by volume;  
 
8.2.4  List of ingredients in descendi ng order of proportion by mass.  
 
8.2.5  Net contents  in volume.   
 
8.2.6  Best before date.  
 
8.2.7  Date of manufacture.  
 
8.2.8  Storage conditions.  
 
8.2.9  A statement “Sale to and consumption by persons under 18 years of age is prohibited” or use 
relevant symbols e.g. +18 years to represent the s tatement ; and  
 
8.2.10  Batch identification number/code.  
 
 
9 SAMPLING AND METHODS OF TEST  
 
Sampling and t esting of spirit cooler  shall be done in accordance with the pro cedures stipulated in MS 107 . 
 
 
  
 
ICS 67.160.1 0         DMS 1636:2020
                First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI B UREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of Trade and Industry .  Set up 
in 1972 by the Malawi Bureau of Stan dards 
Act (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal 
body whose activities aim at formulating and 
promoting the general adoption of standards 
relating to structures, commodities, materials, 
practices, operations and from time to time 
revise, alter and amend the same to 
incorporate advanced technology.  To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national  
standards are granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability.