DEAS 1197 :2024  
ICS 65.160  
 
© EAC 2024                                                                                                                            First Edition 2024 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Tobacco and tobacco products  — General  requirements for p ackaging 
and l abelling   
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DRARFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS :2024 
 
© EAC 2024                                                                                                                            First Edition 2024 
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 © EAC 2024 – 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 are 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 dev elop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives 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 representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders thro ugh the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for develop ment of East African Standards.  
East African Standar ds 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 d ocument is Technical Committee EASC/TC 013, Tobacco and tobacco 
products.  
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 p atent rights.   
Tobacco and tobacco Products — General requirements for packaging and labelling  
1 Scope   
This draft East African Standard specifies general requirements for packaging and labelling of tobacco and 
tobacco products.  
2 Normative references   
There are no normative references in this document.  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard , the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
 
3.1 Container  
Any packaging of tobacco for delivery as a single item, whether by completely or partially enclosing the 
tobacco and includes wrappers. A container may enclose several units  or types of packages when such is 
offere d to the consumer   
 
3.2 Label  
Any tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other descriptive matter, written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed or 
impressed on, or attached to, a container of tobacco  
 
3.3 Labelling  
Any written, printed or graphic matter that is present on the label, accompanies the tobacco product , including 
health  warning   
 
3.4 Package  
Container  such as box, casket, tin, case, sack, receptacle, bag, wrapper (in its original form) or any other 
material in which an article of tobacco is placed or packed  
3.5 Batch/ Lot  
Definitive quantity of a commodity produced essentially under the same conditions  
3.6 Date  of manufacture /date  code  
Date  on which the tobacco  product was produced   
 
3.7 Smokeless tobacco pro ducts  
any tobacco products that are used by means other than smoking, and including chewing, sniffing, placing the 
product between the teeth and gum and application to the skin.  
 
3.8 T obacco product  
 
Any product made or derived from tobacco, that is inten ded for smoking, sucking, chewing, snuffing or by any 
other means  
 
3.9 Tobacco additives  
 
any substance, other than tobacco leaf and other tobacco plant parts, that is intentionally added to a tobacco 
product during manufacture in accordance with products specifications and is still present and having a 
function in the finished product. This includes flavors, preservatives, humectants and binders.”  
 
3.10 Promotion  
a representation, including an advertisement, whether direct or  indirect, including any commu nication of 
information about a product or service and its  price and distribution, that can influence or is likely to influence 
and shape attitudes , beliefs and  behaviour about the product or service, or that is intended to or has the © EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  effect of  inducing  consumers to use tobacco products, underestimate the dangers of tobacco  consumption, 
or create recognition of or goodwill for the tobacco manufacturer . 
 
4 General principles  
4.1 A package shall not be labelled by any means including a term, descriptor, t rademark,  picture,  figurative or 
other sign that is false, misleading, deceptive or likely to directly or indirectly create an erroneous impression 
about the products’ characteristics, heal th effect, hazards or emissions . 
4.2 Tobacco products packages shal l display text and /or pictorial health warning in accordance with  
respective partner states regulations.  
5      Packaging requirements  
Tobacco and tobacco products shall be packed in packaging materials that are  clean , dry , airtight, good 
condition, free f rom insects and fungal manifestations and shall be able to preserve the quality and integrity of 
products . 
6 Mandatory labelling of tobacco products  
6.1 Name of the product / brand name  
6.1.1  The name of the tobacco product  shall be declared on the label.  
6.1.2 The name shall indicate the true nature of the tobacco products and shall be specific and not generic.  
6.1.3  The product name sh all not cause confusion with the name of an existing tobacco products or mislead 
as to the composition of the product or th e use;  
6.1.4  The product name sh all not convey a promotional message with respect to its use or characteristics 
and/or the composition of the tobacco product.  
6.1.5  Product name sh all not be offensive or have an inappropriate connotation in any of the offi cial or native 
languages.  
6.1.6  “brand name” or “trade mark” may be used provided it accompanies name of the product.   
6.2 List of ingredients   
6.2.1  Nicotine present in the tobacco products shall be declared.  
6.2.2  Tobacco additive/ flavour  used shall be declared and shall be food grade complying to Codex Stan 192 
6.3 Net contents  
6.3.1  The net contents shall be declared in the metric system ("Systeme International" units) or number of 
products present in the packages.  
6.3.2  Declaration of the net content  shall be in accordance with the relevant national Weights and Measure 
legislations . 
6.3.3  Nicotine and/or tar content in the tobacco products shall be declared.  
6.4 Name and physical address  
The name and physi cal address of the manufacturer, packer, distr ibutor, importer, exporter of the tobacco 
products shall be declared.  
6.5 Country of origin  
6.5.1  The country of origin of th e tobacco product  shall be declared.  6.5.2  When a tobacco product undergoes processing in a second country, which changes its natur e, the 
country in which the processing is performed shall be considered to be the country of origin for the purposes 
of labelling . 
 
6.6 Health Warning  
6.6.1  Health warnings , messages and principal display areas on tobacco product packaging and labelling sh all 
be in accordance with respective partner states regulations.  
6.6.2  A health warning shall not be capable of being distorted, damaged, concealed, obliterated, removed or 
rendered unreadable when the package on which it is printed is opened.  
6.6.3  Health  warnings and messages shall appear on each unit packet and package of tobacco products, as 
well as on any outside packaging of such products.  
6.6.4Tobacco products shall bear the text of health warning and messages printed in bold  and easily legible 
font size, specified style and colour(s) that enhance overall visibility and legibility in accordance to the tobacco 
regulation of respective partner states.  
6.7 Lot/batch  Identification  
Each packaging  shall be embossed or otherwise  indelible  marked in code or in clear to identify the producing 
factory and the lot /batch  
6.8 Storage  instructions  
Any special conditions for the storage of the tobacco product shall be declared on the label.  
6.9 Instructions for use  
6.9.1  Instructions for use, where applicable, shall  be included on the label, as necessary, to ensure correct 
utilization of the tobacco products.  
6.9.2  Where the packaging is covered by a wrapper, the wrapper shall carry the necessary information or the 
label on the container shall be readily legible thro ugh the outer wrapper or not obscured by it.  
6.10 Language  
The language shall be English and/or any other official language used in the importing East African Partner 
State.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 © EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  Bibliography  
[1] Kenyan, The tobacco control Act, 20 07 
[2] Uganda, The t obacco control Act, 2015   
[3] United Republic of Tanzani a, The tobacco control Act, 201 4 
 DEAS 1197 :2024   
 
© EAC  2024  – All rights reserved