ICS nn.nnn.n 
 Reference number  
DRS 50 -8: 2020  
© RSB 2020  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS
50-8
First edition
2020-XX-XX
Paneer cheese  — Specification  
   
DRS 50 -8: 2020  
©RSB 2020  - 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 2020  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without  
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
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Website: www.rsb.go v.rw 
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 50 -8: 2020  
iii                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
4.2 Permitted ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 2 
4.3 Compositional requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..3 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...3 
7 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....3 
8 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 4 
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 4 
10 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 5 
11 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 5 
 DRS 50 -8: 2020  
©RSB 2020  - 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 o f technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment  as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 50 -8 was prepared by Technical C ommittee RSB/TC 004 on Milk and milk products . 
In the preparation of this standard, there was no reference  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on  Milk and milk products  (RSB/TC 
004) in the preparation of this standard.  
Rwanda  Standards Board ( RSB) – Secretariat  
  DRS 50 -8: 2020  
1                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 Paneer cheese  — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Committee Draft specifies requirements, sampling  and test methods for paneer cheese intended for 
human consumption . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application 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 926.08 , Rapid Determination of Moisture/Solids and Fat in Dairy Products by Microwave and Nuclear 
Magnetic  Resonance Analysis  
AOAC 999.10, Determination of Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in foods, Atomic Absorption 
Spectrophotometry after dry ashing  
CAC/RCP 1, Code of practice — General Principles for food hygiene  
RS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged fo ods — General requirements  
ISO 1735, Cheese and processed cheese products — Determination of fat content — Gravimetric method 
(Reference method)  
RS ISO 4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliform s — Colony -count technique  
RS ISO 5538, Milk and milk products — Sampling inspection by attributes  
RS ISO 707 , Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
ISO 8197, Milk and milk products — Sampling inspection by variables  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1  
Paneer cheese  
Soft, unaged product obtained from any variant of milk, with or without added milk solids, by precipitation with  
permitted acidulants and heating.   
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  2 
 3.2  
Whole paneer cheese  
Paneer cheese made from whole having as high as 3. 25% fat  
3.3  
Low fat paneer cheese  
Paneer cheese made from milk having as 0.51 - 2.70% fat  
3.4  
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 Categories of paneer cheese  
Paneer cheese shall be categorized as follow : 
a) whole paneer cheese  
b) low fat paneer  cheese  
5 Requirements  
5.1 Raw materi al 
Raw milk from cow or other mammals complying with relevant standard.  
5.2 Permitted ingredients  
4.2.1  Permitted ingredients shall comply with relevant standards , be food grade  and include the following:  
a) acidulants such as lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid , vinegar,  lemon juice  glucono delta lactone, sour 
whey  (this shall be heat treated to rend it microbiologically safe) ;  
b) spices and condiments (for flavoured paneer only);  
c) Milk solids  DRS 50 -8: 2020  
3                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 5.3 General requirements  
Paneer cheese shall:  
a) Free from dirty, surface discolor ation, insects and rodent contamination  and from adulterants  
b) Have a pleasant odour  and characteristic  mild acidic flavour  
c) Have a smooth texture, firm, cohesive and fungi  body  
5.4 Specific  requirements  
The paneer cheese shall conform to the compositiona l requirements as specified in the table  1; 
Table 1 —Specific  requirements for paneer cheese  
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Method of test  
Whole paneer cheese  Low fat paneer cheese  
i. Moisture, %, (max) by mass  60.0  60.0  AOAC 926.08  
ii. Milk fat, %, (m/m), dry matter basis ,  50.0 (min)  15.0 (max)  RS ISO 11870  
iii. Fat free dry matter content, %,min  50.0  50.0  ISO 1735  
iv. Titrable acidity  as lactic acid %, (m/m),  
max 0.50 0.50  RS ISO/TS 22113  
6 Food additives  
Food additives may be added in paneer cheese in accordance with RS CODEX STAN 192.  
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Veterinary drugs and pesticide residues  
Paneer cheese shall comply with those maximum limits for pesticides and veterinary residue as provided by  
Codex Alimentarius for the ingredients used in cheese manufacturing.  
7.2 Aflatoxin  
When tested in accordance with RS ISO 14501, the level of Aflatoxin M1, shall not exceed 0.50 µg/kg.  
8 Heavy metals  
The heavy metal requirements in the product shall comply with the limits in the Table 2.   
©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved                  4 
 Table 2 — Maximum limits of heavy metals  
S/N Quality  Requirements  Test methods  
i.  Lead  0.02 AOAC 999.10  
9 Hygiene  
6.1 Paneer cheese shall be processed, packaged, stored and distributed under hygienic conditions complyi ng 
with CAC/RCP  1 and CAC/RCP 57 . 
6.2 Paneer cheese  shall comply with microbiological requirements in Table 3 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits for paneer cheese  
S/N  Microorganism  Maximum limits  Test method  
i. Salmonella spp  per 25g   Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1 
ii. E. Coli , cfu/g, max.  Absent  RS ISO 11866 -1 
iii. Coliforms, max/g  10 RS ISO 4832  
iv. S.aureus cfu/g  102 RS ISO 6888 -1 
v. Listeria monocytogenes /25g, max.  Absent  RS ISO 11290 -2 
10   Labelling  
In additional to the requirements of RS EAS 38, labelling of Paneer cheese shall include the following:  
a) name of product as “Paneer cheese ”; 
b) name and address of manufacturer;  
c) date of manufacture;  
d) list of ingredients;  
e) coagulating enzyme used;  
f) date of expiry;  
g) instruction for use;  
h) batch number  
i) storage conditions;  
j) country of origin.  DRS 50 -8: 2020  
5                ©RSB 2020  - All rights reserved  
 11 Packagi ng 
The products shall be packaged in food grade containers made of suitable material and shall be well sealed in 
order to prevent contamination of the contents during storage and transportation.  
12 Sampling  
The Test samples shall be taken in accordance with RS ISO 707. In addition to the provision in RS ISO 707, 
sampling shall comply with ISO 8197 or RS ISO 5538 when the sampling is purposely for inspection . 
 DRS 50 -8: 2020  
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