PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDAR D 
  DUS DARS  1224 
First  Edition  
2022 -mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DARS 1224:  2021  
 
© UNBS 2022  
   
Chicken meat — Carcasses and parts  
 
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  1224:  2021  
ii                © UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsib le for its correct application  
© UNBS 2022  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior  written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 7 333 2 50/1/2 
Fax: +256 41 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 
 
  PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DARS  1224:  2021  
© UNBS  2022  - All rights reserved                 iii National foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of t he Laws of Uganda, as amended. UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisati on for Standardisation (ISO);   
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standard s; and  
(c) the National Enquiry Poin t on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of represent atives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the com ments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Draft Uganda Standard , DUS DARS 1224:2021 , Chicken meat — Carcasses and parts , is identical with 
and is being reproduced from an African  Standard , DARS 1224:2021 , Chicken meat — Carcasses and parts , 
and is proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/  TC 214, Poultry and poultry 
products . 
Wherever the words, “African  Standard " appear, they shou ld be replaced by "Uganda Standard ". 
  
 
   AFRICAN 
STANDARD  DARS  
1224  
First Edition 2022  
 
 Reference No. DARS 1224: 2022  
ICS 67.120.30  
 
 
© ARSO 2022  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chicken meat — Carcasses and parts – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DARS 1224: 2022  
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  ii  
Table of contents  
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
3 Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 1 
4 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
5 Purchaser -specified requirements  ................................ ..................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.1 Additional requirements  ................................ .........................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.2 Code designation  ................................ ................................ ... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.3 Product/part  ................................ ................................ ...........  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.4 Refrigeration  ................................ ................................ ..........  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.5 Production history  ................................ ................................ .. Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.6 Quality level  ................................ ................................ ...........  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.7 Labelling information to be mentioned on or fixed to the marketing units of chicken 
carcases and parts  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  3 
5.8 Provisions concerning conformity assessment requirements Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5.9 Provisions concerning packing, storage and transport  ..........  Error! Bookmark not de fined.  
6. Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
7. Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 3 
7.1 Heavy Metal  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
7.2 Microbiologica l ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 4 
7.3. Veterinary drug residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
7.4 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  4 
8. Packagi ng ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  4 
9. Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  4 
10. Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  5 
11. Code for purchas er requirements for chicken meat  ..........................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
11.1  Definition of the code  ................................ .............................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
11.2  Example  ................................ ................................ .................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
12. Carcasses and Parts Descriptions  ................................ .............  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
12.1  Multilingual index of products  ................................ ................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
12.2  Chicken skeletal diagram explanation  ................................ ... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
7.3 Chicken meat parts  ................................ ................................  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Annex B (informative)  Codification system  ................................ ............  Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ............................  Error! Bookmark n ot defined.  
 
  DARS 1224: 2022  
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  iii Foreword  
 
The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) is an African intergovernmental organization 
established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Organization of 
African Unity (AU) in 1977. One of the fundamental mandates of  ARSO is to develop and harmonize 
African Standards (ARS) for the purpose of enhancing Africa’s internal trading capacity, increase 
Africa’s product and service competitiveness globally and uplift the welfare of African communities. The 
work of preparing A frican Standards is normally carried out through ARSO technical committees. Each 
Member State interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the 
right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, Regio nal Economic Communities 
(RECs), governmental and non -governmental organizations, in liaison with ARSO, also take part in the 
work.  
 
ARSO Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.  
 
The main task of techni cal committees is to prepare ARSO Standards. Draft ARSO Standards adopted 
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an ARSO 
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.  
 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of 
patent rights. ARSO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 
This African Standard was prepared by ARSO/TC 07, Meat, poultry, eggs and related products . 
 
 
 
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2021 — All rights reserved* 
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P. O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel. +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
  
                                                 
* © 2021 ARSO — All rights of exploitation reserved worldwide for African Member States’ NSBs.  DARS 1224: 2022  
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  iv  
Copyright notice  
 
This ARSO document is copyright -protec ted by ARSO. While the reproduction of this document 
by participants in the ARSO standards development process is permitted without prior permission 
from ARSO, neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or 
transmitted in any fo rm for any other purpose without prior written permission from ARSO.  
 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be 
addressed as shown below or to ARSO’s member body in the country of the requester:  
 
 
© African Organisation for Standardisation 2021  — All rights reserved  
 
ARSO Central Secretariat  
International House 3rd Floor  
P.O. Box 57363 — 00200 City Square  
NAIROBI, KENYA  
 
Tel: +254 -20-2224561, +254 -20-3311641, +254 -20-3311608  
 
E-mail: arso@arso -oran.org  
Web: www.arso -oran.org  
 
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators  may be prosecuted.  
 
 
 
  DARS 1224: 2022  
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  v Introduction  
 
The purpose of this standard is to facilitate trade at the wholesale level by better communicating product 
and packaging specifications for raw poultry products among buyers, producers, and traders. The trade 
descriptions provide concise word and picture descriptions of product composition and define a coding 
system to precisely specify product and packaging characteristics. The producer should certify that 
delivered product satisfies all product and packaging characteristics specified by the buyer. For 
additional assurance that delivered product will meet the purchaser's specified options, the buyer or 
seller optionally can use the services of a third party. When examinations are limited to final products, 
third parties will not normally be able to certify certain purchaser -specified options, specifically: 
production and feeding systems, slaughter system, and the adequacy of product labeling.  
 
This African Standard differs from CD -ARS 1213:2021 , Dressed poultry — Specification . CD -ARS 
1213:2021 provides detailed requirements and procedures for assessing product quality for commonly 
traded poultry products. Products that meet these requirements can be certified by an authoritative third 
party at the request of the  buyer or seller, as meeting a specific grade such as Grade A.  
 
 
In the elaboration preparation of this African Standard, references made to technical experts and 
International Standards are hereby acknowledged.  
 
 
 
 
 DARS 1224: 2022 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  1  
Chicken meat — Carcases and parts  
 
1 Scope  
 
This Draft African standard specifies the quality and safety requirements, methods  of sampling and test 
for raw chicken meat, carcass and parts intended for human consumption.  
 
This excludes products with added ingredients or “chicken preparations”  
 
2 Normative references  
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the app lication 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.  
 
AOAC 972.25 Official Method of Analysis of Lead in Foods - Atomic Ads orption Spectrophotometry  
 
CAC/MRL 2,  Maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs in food.  
 
ARS 56, Labelling of pre -packaged foods  — General requirements  
CAC/RCP 1, Recommended international code of practice — General principles of food hygiene  
 
ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms 
— Part 1: Colony count at 30 ˚C by the pour plate technique  
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumerat ion 
of coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Technique 
using Baird -Parker agar medium  
ISO 16654, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Escherichia coli 0157  
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 ˚C using 5 -
bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
Clostridium perfringens — Colony -count technique  
ISO 11290 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration 
of Listeria monocytogen es and of Listeria spp. — Part 1: Detection method  
ISO 10272 -1:2017, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of Campylobacter spp. — Part 1: Detection method  
ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp.  
 
ECE/TRANS/165, UNECE Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on 
the Special Equipment to be Used for Such Carriage (ATP) . 
 
3 Terms and Definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the definitions given in DARS 1219  shall apply.  
 
AFRICAN STANDARD  DARS 1224: 2022 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  2 4. Presentation  
 
Chicken carcases and parts shall be presented chilled or frozen.  
 
5 Quality Requirements  
 
5.1 General requirements  
 
All chicken meat must originate from chickens slaughtered in establishments regularly operated under 
the applicable regulations pertaining to food quality and safety. Carcasses and parts shall be intact, 
taking into account the following presentation:  
 
 
(a) Free from any foreign material (e.g. glass, rubber, plastic, metal1). 
 
(b) Free of foreign odours.  
 
(c) Free of faecal contamination.  
 
(d) Free of improper bleeding.  
 
(e) Free of viscera, trachea, oesophagus, mature reproductive organs, and lungs2. 
 
(f) Practically free of feathers and haemorrhaging3. 
 
(g) Free of freezer -burn.  
 
(h) Free of gall discoloration.  
(i) Free from bruises /d scratches  
(j) Free from dark breast meat  
 
5.2 Specific Requirement  
 
5.2.1  Degree of Boniness  
Boniness  code  Category  Description  
0 Not specified   
1  Bone -in  Product has no bones removed  
2 Partially boneless  Product has some, but not all bones removed  
3  Boneless  Product has all bones removed  
   
 
5.2.2  Skin Coding  
 
Chicken carcass and parts skin shall be coded as follows;  
 
Skin code  
(data field 3b) Category  Description  
0 Not specified   
1 Skin-on, colour not 
specified  Product with skin that is either whitish or yellowish in 
colour; white skin and yellow skin product shall not be 
mixed in the same lot without the consent of the buyer  
2  Skin-on, white skin  Product with skin that has a whitish colour (Figure 1)  
                                                 
1 When specified by the purchaser, meat items will be subject to metal particle detection.  
 
2 Unless these organs are inherent to the item specified.  
 
3 This can only be allowed if disclosed by the seller and as permitted by national legislation and by the quality or grade 
selected.  DARS 1224: 2022 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  3 3  Skin-on, yellow skin  Product with skin that has yellowish colour (Figure 2)  
4  Skinless  Product with all skin removed (Figure 3)  
   
 
Whole bird with white skin  Whole bird with yellow skin  Skinless whole bird  
   
Figure 1  Figure 2  Figure 3  
 
5.2.3  Chicken categorization  
 
Chicken Carcass and parts shall be categorised as follows;  
 
 
Chicken 
category code 
(data field)  Category  Description  
0 Not specified  it lacks any description to be placed under any category  
1 Very young chickens  Less than 4 weeks of age  
2 Young chickens  Less than 12 weeks of age, tip of sternum is flexible (not 
ossified)  
3 Roasters  Less than 12 weeks of age, tip of sternum is less flexible 
(partly ossified) than for young chicken category  
4 Capons 1  Surgically neutered chickens, less than 4 months of age  
5 Capons 2  Surgically neutered chickens, more than 140 days of age.  
6 Egg-laying hens  More than 10 months of age  
7 Breeding hens and  
roosters  More than 10 months of age  
   
   
 
 
5.2.4  Food additive  
 
Food additives, if used in chicken carcass and cuts shall comply with Codex Stan 92. 
  
5.2.5  Contaminants  
 
DARS 1224: 2022 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  4 5.2.5 .1 Heavy Metal s  
 
Chicken carcass and cuts shall not contain heavy metals contaminants in excess. Beef carcases and 
cuts shall not contain lead (Pb) in excess of 0.1 ppm when tested in accordance with AOAC 972.25.  
 
5.2.5 .2 Microbiological  limits  
 
Chicken carcass and cuts shall comply with maximum limits for microbial levels as specified in Table 2,  
 
Table 2 -Microbiological limits for chicken carcass and cuts  
 
S/No  Microorganism  Maximum limits  
 Test method  
i. Total plate count, cfu/g  105 ISO 4833 -1 
ii. Staphylococcus aureus , cfu/g  102 ISO 6888 -1 
iii. Escherichia coli , cfu/g  102 ISO 16649 -2 
iv. Salmonella spp , per 25g  Absent  ISO 6579  
v Clostridium perfringes spp    Absent  ISO 7937  
 
Campylobacter spp , per g the target is 103 
 
5.2.5 .3. Veterinary drug residues  
 
Chicken carcass and cuts shall comply with the maximum drug residue limits as specified in 
CAC/MRL 2.  
 
5.2.5 .4 Pesticide residues  
 
Chicken carcass and cuts shall comply with the maximum pesticide residue limits as specified in 
Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
6. Packaging  
 
Chicken carcass and cuts shall be packaged in food grade containers which will safeguard the 
hygienic, nutritional, technological and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
 
7. Labelling  
 
7.1 In addition to the requirements of ARS 56, e ach chicken carcass and cuts inspected and passed as 
fit for human consumption shall bear an approval mark on the label attached to the package. The 
following labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly and indelibl y labelled.  
1. Name of the product;  
2. type and grade of chicken carcass;  
3. slaughter facility identification number;  
4. name of the manufacturer and physical address;  
5. country of origin;  
6. batch or code number;  
7. net weight in metric units;  
8. storage conditions;  
9. best befo re date and  
10. National Standard Certification stamp (where applicable) Production and feeding systems 
(where applicable)  
11. Processing/packaging date (where applicable)  
12. Quality/grade/classification (where applicable)  
13. Slaughtering procedures (where applicable)  DARS 1224: 2022 
© ARSO 202 2 — All rights reserved  5 14. Chilling system (where applicable)  
7.2.1  Other product claims  
 
Other product claims may be listed on product labels as required by the importing country’s legislation, 
or at the buyer’s request or as chosen by the processor. If listed, such product claims shall be verifiable  
Examples of such product claims include th e following:  
 
 Country of birth  
 
 Country of raising  
 
 Country of slaughter  
 
 Countryof processing/cutting  
 
 Countryof packing  
 
 Country of origin: In this standard the term “country of origin” is reserved to indicate that birth, 
raising, slaughter, processing/cutting and packing have taken place in the same country  
 
Production and feeding systems  
7.1 Sampling  
 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the provisions of CAC/GL 50 for general sampling and ISO 
17604 for microbiological analysis.  
 
 
 
 
  
© ARSO 2022 — All rights reserved