DEAS 302: 2022 
ICS 21.060.20 
 
© EAC 2022                                                                                                                            Second  Edition 2022 
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Edible palm  kernel oil — Specification   
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 DEAS 30 2: 2022  
ii © EAC 2022– All rights reserved  
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 DEAS 30 2: 2022  
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
 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 develop and issue 
East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of r epresentatives 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 through the National Standards Bodie s in the Partner 
States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance 
with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to ke ep 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 .  
EAS 302 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/ TC/015, Oil Seeds , Edible Fats and Oils.  
This Second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (EAS 302:2000), which has been technically revised . 
 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 302: 2022 
 
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  1 
 Edible palm kerne l oil — Specification   
1 Scope   
This Draft East African standard specify the requirements, sampling and test methods for virgin and refined 
palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) intended for human 
consumption . 
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or a ll 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 (in cluding any amendments) applies . 
EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged  foods — Specification  
EAS 39, Code of practice for hygiene for food and drink manufacturing industries  
CXS 192 -1995, General Standard for food additives  
EAS 769, Fortified edible oils and fats — Specification  
EAS 804, Claims on foods —Requirements  
EAS 805 , Use of nutritional and health claims — Requirement  
ISO 660, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of acid value and acidity  
ISO 661, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Preparation of test sample  
ISO 662, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of moisture and volatile matter content  
ISO 663, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of insoluble impurities content  
ISO 2590, General method for determining of arsenic — Diethyldithiocarbamate photometric method  
ISO 3596, An imal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of unsaponifiable matter — Method using diethyl 
ether  
ISO 3657, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of saponification value  
ISO 3960, Animal and vegetable fats and oils 
  Determination of peroxide value — Iodometric (visual) endpoint 
determination  
ISO 3961, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of iodine value  
ISO 5555, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Sampling  
ISO 6320, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of refractive index  DEAS 302: 2022 
2 © EAC 2022– All rights reserved  
 ISO 6883, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of conventional mass per volume (litre weight 
in air)  
ISO 8294, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of copper, iron and nickel contents — Graphite 
furnace atomic absorption method  
ISO 10539, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of alkalinity  
ISO 12193, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of lead by direct graphite furnace atomic 
absorption spectroscopy  
ISO 15305, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of Lovibond colour  
3 Terms and defin itions   
For the purposes of this document, the following  terms and definitions apply . 
3.1  
edible palm  kernel  oil 
edible oil derived from the kernel of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis . 
3.2  
virgin palm  kernel  oil 
oil obtained, without altering the nature of the oil, by mechanical procedures, for example, expelling or pressing, 
and the application of heat only. It may have been purified by washing with water, settling, filtering and 
centrifuging only.  
3.3  
refined ( non–virgin) palm  kernel  oil 
palm kernel oil obtained, by mechanical procedures and/or solvent extraction and subjected to refining 
processes . 
3.4  
food grade packaging material   
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for the int ended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
Edible palm kernel oil shall:  
a) be free from adulterants, and any other foreign matter, separated water and added colouring 
substances;  
b) be free from rancid odour and taste ; and  
c) be free from admixture with other oils, when tested according to appropriate method . 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Edible palm kernel oil shall comply with requirements specified in Table 1.  when tested in accordance with the 
test methods specified therein.  DEAS 302: 2022 
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  3 
 Table 1  ― Specific requirement s for edible palm kernel oil  
S/No. Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Moisture and matter volatile at 105 o C, % 
m/m 0.2 ISO 662  
ii.  Insoluble  impurities,  % m/m 0.05 ISO 663  
iii.  Soap  content,  % m/m 0.005  ISO 660  
iv.  Relative  density  (40 oC/ water  at 20 oC) 0.899  – 0.914  ISO 10539  
v.  Refractive index (n D 40 1.448  – 1.452  ISO 6883  
vi.  Saponification  value  (mg KOH/g  oil 230 – 254 ISO 6320  
vii.  Iodine  Value  (Wij’s)  14.1 –21.0 ISO 6321  
viii.  Colour,  units  in a 133.35  mm (5.25 inch),  
Lovibond  cell,  Refined –  
max1.5 R  
Virgin – 
minimum 1.5R  
 ISO 3657  
ix.  Unsaponifiable  matter,  g/kg,  max.  10 ISO 3961  
x.  Acid Value,  mg KOH/g  oil, max.  refined oil 0.6  
virgin oil 4  ISO 15305  
xi.  Peroxide  Value,  meq peroxide  
oxygen/kg  oil, max.  10 ISO 3596  
xii.  Iron, mg/kg  Virgin  5 
Refined  1.5 Annex A  
xiii.  Copper,  mg/kg  Virgin  0.4 
Refined  0.1 ISO 3960  
4.3 Fortification  of edible palm  kernel  oil 
Edible palm  kernel oil may be fortified in accordance with EAS 769.  
5 Food additives  
5.1 Virgin or cold pressed palm  kernel  oils shall not contain food additives  
5.2 Refined palm  kernel  oil may contain  food additives as permitted in CXS 192  
6 Flavouring agents  
Flavouring used in refined edible  kernel  palm  oil shall comply with guidelines for use of flavourings CXG 66 -
2008.  DEAS 302: 2022 
4 © EAC 2022– All rights reserved  
 7 Hygiene  
Edible palm  kernel  oil shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with EAS 39.  
8 Contaminants  
8.1 Pesticide residues  
Palm  kernel oil shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission for this commodity.  
8.2 Heavy metal contaminants  
Edible palm  kernel  oil shall comply with the  maximum limits specified in Table 2.  
Table 2  ― Limits for heavy metal contaminan ts in edible palm  oil 
S/No.  Contaminant  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Lead, mg/kg  0.08 ISO 12193  
ii.  Arsenic, mg/kg  0.1 ISO 2590  
 
10 Packaging  
Edible palm  kernel  oil shall be packaged in food grade containers and sealed in manner to ensure the safety 
and quality requirements specified in this standard are maintained throughout the shelf life of the product.   
11 Labelling  
11.1 In addition to the labelling requirem ents in EAS 38 the name of the product shall be ‘ palm  kernel  oil’ and 
with the description as either:  
a) virgin,  
b) refined or non -virgin  
11.2   Health and nutrition c laims  
Where Health and nutrition claims  have been used, they  shall be done in accordance to EAS  804 and EAS 
805 
12 Sampling  
Sampling shall be carried in accordance with ISO 5555 and samples prepared for testing according to ISO 661.  DEAS 302: 2022 
© EAC 2022 – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex A  
(informative)  
 
GLC Fatty acid composition  
When required the fatty acid profile should be determined by Gas Liquid Chromatography. Ranges of fatty acids 
are given in Table A.1 for information  
Table A.1 — GLC fatty acid composition  
Carbon  
Configuration  
C6:0 
C8:0  
C10:0  
C:12:O  
 
C14:0  
C16:0  
C:16:1  
C18:0  
C18:1  
C18:2  
C18:3  
C20- 
C21:0  
Composition  % 
0.8 
2.4-6.2 
2.5-5.0 
45.0 – 55.0 
14.0-18.0 
6.5-10.0 
<0.2 
1.0-3.0 
12.0-19.0 
1.0-3.5 
  
0.2 
   
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 302: 2022   
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved