ICS 67.160.20 
 
Reference number  
DRS 4 96: 202 2 
© RSB 2022 
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
496  
 
First edition  
2022-mm-dd 
 
Ubushera — Specification  
   
DRS 4 96: 202 2 
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2022 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
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prior written permission from R SB. 
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ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 4 96: 202 2 
iii                ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 Ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  2 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.3 Specif ic requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
6 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
7 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
7.1 Pesticide and veterinary drugs residues  ................................ ................................ ............................  4 
7.2 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
7.3 Aflatoxin limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
8 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  4 
10 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
 DRS 4 96: 202 2 
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adop ted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 496 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 001 on Non-alcoholic beverages . 
In the preparation of this standard, refere nce was made to the following standard:  
1) RS 391: 2019, Ikigage  — Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Non- alcoholic beverages 
(RSB/TC 001) in the preparation of this standard.  
Abasenga Company Ltd  
Amazon Nutrition Cabinet  
ANASS Ltd  
Benya Company Ltd  
INNOPRO Ltd  
Inyange Industries  
La Pervenche Nutrition Cabinet   
National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA)  
Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board  
Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (RFDA)  
SOMAGACYE Ltd  DRS 4 96: 202 2 
v                ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 SPIC Ltd  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 496: 2022 
1                ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 Ubushera — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for Ubushera made from 
malted sorghum grains of varieties (cultivars) grown from Sorghum bicolor  (L.) Moench intended for 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 references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) a pplies.  
AOAC 952.13 , Arsenic in food. Silver diethyldithiocarbamate  
AOAC 999.11 , Lead, Cadmium , Copper, Iron and Zinc in Food, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry  
RS CAC/RCP 1 , General principles for food hygiene  —Code of practice  
RS CODEX STAN 192, Codex general standard for food additives  
RS EAS 104 , Alcoholic Beverages — Method of sampling and testing  
RS EAS 12, Potable water — Specification  
RS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Requirements  
RS EAS 757 , Sorghum grains — Specification  
RS ISO 16050 , Foodstuffs Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic method  
RS ISO 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
beta-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli — Part 2: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using 5 -
bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
RS ISO 1842 , Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of pH  
RS ISO  21527 -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  
RS ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizon tal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique   
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  2 
 RS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Dete ction of Salmonella spp.  
RS ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique using 
Baird -Parker agar medium  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
ubushera  
unfermented but fermentable beverage derived from a mash of sorghum malt grain and which may contain the 
mash or the residual mash from which it is derived  
3.2 
extraneous matter  
inorganic matter such as sand, glass, metal, gravel, dirt, pebbles, stones, lumps of earth, clay and mud and 
organic matter such as chaff, straw, weed seeds and grains of crops, insects or insects’ fragments, roden t 
hairs or any other foreign matter  
3.3 
food grade packaging material  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
The following ingredients shall be used for the production of Ubushera:  
a) malted sorghum grains or malted sorghum flour complying with FDRS 468 and FDRS 469 prepared from 
sorghum grains complying with RS EAS 757; and  
b) potable water compl ying with RS EAS 12;  
4.2 General requirements  
Ubushera shall:  
a) have the desired characteristic appearance, taste and aroma of ingredients used;  DRS 496: 2022 
3                ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 b) be free from extraneous matter ; 
c) be free from any substances injurious to health;  
d) be free from signs of fermentation; and  
e) not contain added alcohol . 
4.3 Specific requirements  
Ubushera shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with test 
methods specified therein.  
Table 1 —Specific requirements for Ubushera  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method   
1.  Ethyl alcohol content, %, v/v, max.  0.5   RS EAS 104/ AOAC 
950.21  2.  Volatile acidity, g/l, max.  0.6 
3.  Total suspended solids %, m/v, max.   7.0 
4.  Residual sugar, g/l, max.  20 
5.  Fructose, g/l, min.  Not detected  AOAC 932.15  
6.  Total solids, %, max.  15 AOAC 950.27  
7.  pH (25 °C ± 3 °C)  3.5 - 4.75 RS ISO 1842  
5 Food additives  
Food additives which may be used in processing Ubushera shall comply with RS CODEX STAN 192  
6 Hygiene  
6.1 Ubushera shall be handled, processed, packaged, stored and distributed under hygienic conditions 
prescribed in the RS CAC/RCP 1.  
6.2 Ubushera shall not exceed microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with test 
methods specified therein . 
Table 2— Microbiological limits for Ubushera  
S/N Microo rganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
1.  Total plate count, cfu/ml  102 RS ISO 4833 -1 
2.  Salmonella spp,  per 25 ml Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1 
3.  E. coli, cfu/ml  Absent  RS ISO 16649 -2 
4.  Staphylococcus aureus, cfu/ml Absent  RS ISO 6888 -1  
©RSB 2021  - All rights reserved                  4 
 5.  Yeast and Moulds cfu/ml  100  RS ISO 21527 -2 
 
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Pesticide and veterinary drugs residues  
Ubushera shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs 
limits set by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
7.2 Heavy metals  
Ubushera shall not contain heavy metals in levels exceeding the limits indicated in Table  3 when tested in 
accordance with test methods therein.  
Table 3 — Heavy metals in Ubushera  
S/N Heavy metals   Maximum limits  
(mg/l)  Test method  
1.  Arsenic  0.01  AOAC 952.13  
2.  Lead  0.2 AOAC 999.11  
3.  Cadmium  0.1 
7.3 Aflatoxin limits  
Ubushera shall not contain aflatoxins in levels exceeding the limits given in Table 4 when tested in 
accordance with test methods specified therein.  
Table 4 — Limits for aflatoxins  
S/N Type  Maximum limits  
(μg/l) Test method  
1.  Total aflatoxins  10 RS ISO 16050  
2.  Aflatoxin B1  5 
8 Packaging  
Ubushera shall be packaged in suitable food grade packaging materials that shall not affect the quality of the 
product  
9 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of RS EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and 
shall be legibly and indelibly marked:  DRS 496: 2022 
5                ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 a) name of the product as “Ubushera”;  
b) name and physical address of manufacturer;  
c) list of ingredients;  
d) food additives used;  
e) net content;  
f) date of manufacture;  
g) expiry date;  
h) instructions for use;  
i) storage instructions; and  
j) statutory warnings.  
10 Sampling  
Sampling of Ubushera shall be done in accordance with RS EAS 104  DRS 496: 2022  
 
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