DEAS 1167 :2023  
ICS 65.080  
© EA C 2023                                                                                                                          First Edition 2023   
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
 
Organic fertilizer — Specification  
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 DEAS 1167 :2023  
ii © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
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Violators may be persecuted  DEAS 1167 :2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Stan dards 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 servi ces are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives o f the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner State s. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community.  
East African Standards 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 document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 020, Agriculture and 
agrochemicals.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1167 :2023  
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  1 
 Organic fertilize r — Specification  
  
1 Scope  
This draft East African Standard specifies requirements, methods of sampling and test for organic fertilizers.  
 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. Fo r dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
AOAC 2006.03,  Arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, lead, molybdenum, nickel, and selenium in ferti lizers — 
Microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma -optical emission spectrometry  
ISO 6598 , Fertilizers — Determination of phosphorus content — Quinoline phosphomolybdate gravimetric 
method  
ISO 8157 , Fertilizers , soil conditioners and beneficial su bstances — Vocabulary  
ISO 8397 , Solid fertilizers and soil conditioners — Test sieving  
ISO 10390 , Soil quality — Determination of pH  
ISO 10694, Soil quality — Determination of organic and total carbon after dry combustion (elementary 
analysis)  
ISO 4831  – Microbiology – General guidance for the enumeration of coliforms – Most Probable Number 
technique (MPN).  
ISO 6579 -– Microbiology of food and animal feeding st uffs – Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella 
spp. 
ISO 7251 – Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection and enumeration of 
presumptive Escherichia coli – Most Probable Number Technique.  
ISO 5315 , Fertilizers – Dete rmination of Total Nitrogen Content – Titrimetric method after distillation   
AOAC 965.08, Water (free) in fertilizers — Vacuum -desiccation   
ISO 17184, Soil quality — Determination of carbon and nitrogen by near -infrared spectrometry (NIRS)  
ISO 5318, Fertil izers — Determination of potassium content — Potassium tetraphenylborate gravimetric 
method  
ISO 7899 -2, Water quality — Detection and enumeration of intestinal enterococci — Part 2: Membrane 
filtration method  
ISO 14820 -1, Fertilizers and liming materials - Sampling and sample preparation - Part 1: Sampling  
 ISO 148 -2, Fertilizers and liming materials - Sampling and sample preparation - Part 2: Sample preparation  
ISO 7409, Fertilizers  -Marking - Presentation and declarations  
ISO 11265 , Soil quality — Determi nation of the specific electrical conductivity   
2 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this standard, the terms and definitions in ISO 8157  and the following apply.  
 
3.1 
biosolids  
organic material from sewage and related materials recycled , composted  and treated for use as a fertilizer  
3.2 
blood meal  
 dried, powdered blood collected from livestock slaughterhouses used as a fertilizer  
3.3 
cottonseed meal  
milled cotton seeds used as a fertilizer  
3.4 
farmyard manure  
a decomposed mixture of livestock dung a nd urine with straws and litter used as bedding material and 
residues from the fodder fed to livestock  
3.5 
fish emulsion fertilizer  
a partially decomposed blend of finely pulverized fish  that guarantees supply of essential nutrient elements  
3.6 
green manur e 
Plants which are mainly succulent and leafy legume crop which are grown for a short duration and then 
ploughed in the same field and incorporated by ploughing.  
3.7 
natural mineral deposits  
Materials that are directly mined from mineral deposits and only subjected to physical processes such as 
crushing and drying. Examples of these materials may include: phosphate rock; gypsum; sulphate of 
potassium -magnesia that has been derived from ores that have been crushed, washed in water, dried and 
screened.  
3.8 
night soil  
human urine and faeces collected separately or mixed with flush water and amendments such as soil, ash and 
other organic matter  
 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  3 
 3.9 
organic matter  
biomass of animals and plants. For this reason, only products that are solely derived from plant and animal 
biomass may be identified or described as "organic".  
3.10 
sewage sludge  
a recycled product of sewage treatment plants  
3.11 
vermicompost  
product or process of composting using various worms such as earthworms to create a heterogenous mixture 
of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials  
3.12 
raw manure  
Undecomposed animal excreta used to fertilize the land  
 
 
4 REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1     General requirements  
4.1.1 For solid organic fertilizers:  
a) free of foreign matter and hard lumps  
b) particle  size for granular form not less than 90% of t he material shall pass through 5  mm IS sieve and 
shall be retained on 1 mm IS sieve. Not more than 5% shall be below 1 mm  
c) No chemical o r inorganic materials shall  be added to organic fertilizers  
d) be based on  animal and/or plant materials supplemented with only natural products  
 
4.1.2 For liquid organic fertilizers  
a) Biodegradable  
b) not contain any artificial colours  
c) not contain substances that are likely to be harmful or injurious to vegetation, animals, soil health,  
public health or the environment when used according to its intend use specified by the label;  
 
4.1.1 Manure  
organic fertilizer shall be:  
a) of uniform color  
b) homogenous  
c) free from foul smell  
d) free from pathogens.   
4 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 e) free from contaminants which include but not  limited to  residual hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, 
heavy metals shall not exceed the permitted levels.  
 
4.1.2  Raw manures  
All Raw manures shall be subjected to appropriate treatment. However, where they are used, the following 
conditions shall apply:  
 
a) Raw manures shall not be used as preplant or side dress fertilizers on vegetables that are eaten raw.  
b) Untreated dog, cat or pig manures and those derived from equines (donkey and horse family) shall 
not be used as these species share many parasites with h umans.  
c) Raw manure may NOT be applied to food crops within 120 days of harvest where edible portions 
have  soil contact.  
d) Raw manure may NOT be applied to food crops within 90 days of harvest where edible portions do 
not have soil contact (i.e., grain crops,  and most tree fruits.) contaminants.  
e) Untreated human wastes shall not be used as fertilizer  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Organic fertilizers shall conform to the composition requirements set out in Table 1  
Table 1: Composition requirements  
S/No.  Parameter  Limit  Method of test  
Solid  Liquid  
I pH in H 2O 6.0 – 9.0 6.0 – 
8.0 ISO 10390  
Ii Carbon: Nitrogen ratio  ≤ 20:1   ISO 17184  
Iii Moisture content, (solid) %, m/m  10-30  AOAC 965.08  
V Total Nitrogen, %, m/m, min.  1 1 ISO 5315  
Vi Dry matter content (solid), %, m/m, min.  70  AOAC 965.08  
Vii Organic carbon, %, m/m, min.  12 5 ISO 10694  
viii Total primary nutrie nts — N+P 2O5+K2O 
(solid and liquid organic fertilizer), %, 
m/m, min.  a) 5  5 ISO 5315 , ISO 6598 
and ISO 5318  
ix Electrical conductivity, mS/cm, max  5 20 ISO 11265  
a) When product processed to provide one or two nutrients, the sum of declared nutrients sh ould not 
be less than 5%  
 
 
5 Contaminants  
5.1   Heavy metal contamination in Organic fertilizers shall not exceed the limits given in table 2 when 
determined by the methods prescribed in AOAC 2006.03.  
 
 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  5 
  
Table 2 — Heavy metal contaminants limits  
S/No.  Parameter  Requirement in  
mg/kg  Test methods  
   solid  liquid  
i) Arsenic, As, max.  10.0   
   0.5  
ii) Cadmium, Cd, max.  5.0  
AOAC 2006.03     0.5 
iii) Mercury, Hg, max.  0.1 0.1  
     
iv) Chromium, Cr, max.  50.0 0.5  
     
v) Lead, Pb, max.  30.0 1.0  
     
 
 
6 Hygiene   
Organic fertilizers shall comply with the limits for pathogenic microorganisms specified in Table 3 when tested 
in accordance with the methods specified therein ; 
Table 3. — Pathogenic micro organism limits  
Microorganisms  Limit  Method of test  
E. coli MPN/g,  Absent  ISO 7251  
Salmonella spp in 25 g fresh 
mass  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
Faecal streptococci cfu/g  <500  Annex B  
Total coliforms cfu/g  5 x 102 ISO 4831  
Enterococci cfu/g    Absent  ISO 7899 -2 
 
 
7 Sampling and Testing  
Sampling and sam ple preparation of organic  fertilizers shall be carried out as prescribed in ISO 14820 -1 and 
ISO 148 20-2 respectively  
7.1 Sampling for laboratory analysis  
All finished products should be subjected to lot sampling for laboratory analysis using the following  procedure:  
 
For composite sampling of solid products:  
(1) Present to the inspector the production documents containing the number of bags per batch number and 
bag number.  
(2) The inspector will randomly select the bag number (See Table 4).   
6 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 (3) The selecte d bags will be emptied into a clean area. All contents of the selected bags will be thoroughly 
mixed.  
(4) Submit five kilograms (5 kg) of the composite sample to the laboratory.  
(5) Information relative to the sample taken must be accurate and complete to allow traceability of the 
sample back to the lot from which it was sampled.  
 
Table 4 — Required Number of Samples for Solid Products  
 
Number of bags* per batch  Bags to be sampled  
<50 2 
51 to 100  3 
101 to 300  8 
301 to 500  15 
501 to 1000  20 
More than 1 000 For every extra 100 bags sample 1 additional bag 
from 20  
* NOTE  1 bag = 50 kg  
 
 
For composite sampling of liquid products:  
(1) Present to the inspector the production documents containing the number of containers per batch number 
and container numbe r. 
(2) The inspector will randomly select the container number and subject the selected containers for analysis.  
(3) Information relative to the sample taken must be accurate and complete to allow traceability of the 
sample back to the lot from which it wa s sampled.  
Table 5 — Required number of samples for liquid products  
Number of containers* per batch  Containers to be sampled  
≤ 50 1 
51 to 100  2 
101 to 300  3 
301 to 500  4 
More than 500  5 
*NOTE: 1 container should be at least 1 L  
 
 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  7 
 7.2 sample preparation for laboratory analysis  
 
(a) For solid samples with uniform fineness   
Place sample on a clean piece of paper and mix thor oughly. Reduce sample to a quantity sufficient for 
analysis by quartering. Mix and store in air -tight container.  
 
(b) For organic liquid fertilizers  
For liquid fertilizers without suspended particles, stir the sample until it is thoroughly mixed before tak ing a 
sample.  
For liquid fertilizers with suspended particles, take a sample while mixing the material in order to obtain a 
representative sample.  
 
7.3    Testing   
Testing of the fertilizer shall be done as prescribed in the methods of analysis indicated i n respective test 
methods standards.  
 
8 Packaging and labelling  
8.1 Packaging  
The fertilizer shall be packaged in materials that are clean and non -defective that protects the product from 
physical, chemical and moisture contamination  or damage  and withstan d multiple stages of handling 
(transportation and storage).  
 
8.2 Labelling  
8.2.1  The following shall be legibly and indelibly marked in accordance with ISO 7409 in either English  or 
any other official language  with the following information;  
 
i.     Name o f the fertilizer i.e. Organic fertilizer (only if it conforms to this standard)  
ii. Name and address of the manufacturer/packer/importer  
iii.    Nutrient content  
iv. Carbon/Nitrogen ratio  
v. Organic matter content  
vi. Moisture content  
vii. Batch number  
viii. Production date and Expiry Date  
ix. Handling instructions  
x.    Directions for Use   
x.    Storage instructions  
xi.  product registration number  
xii.   Country of origin  
 
 
  
8 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Annex A  
 
(Informative)  
 
Substances that may be u sed as Fertilizers or Soil Condit ioners  
 
Substance  Description; Compositional requirements; Conditions of 
use 
Plant and animal origin   
Farmyard and poultry manure  Products comprising a mixture of animal excrements and 
vegetable matter (animal bedding).  
Indication of animal species.  
Comi ng from extensive farming, but if sourced from intensive 
farming or not sourced from organic pro duction systems, 
need recognition by the approved certifying organisation and 
shall be composted.  
Slurry or urine (not from human 
origin)  If not from organic farming sources, need recognition by the 
approved certifying organisation.  
Use after controlled fermentation and/or appro priate dilution.  
Factory farming sources not permitted.  
Indication of animal species.  
Composted animal excrements, 
including poultry  manure  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Indication of animal species.  
Dried farmyard manure and 
dehydrated poultry manure  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Indication of animal species.  
Coming from extensi ve farming, but if from intensive farming 
sources it must be composted.  
Guano  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Straw  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Composts from spent 
mushroom and dejecta of 
worms an d insects (vermiculture 
substrates)  The initial composition limited to products on this list.  
Composted or fermented 
organic household refuse  Organic vegetable and animal waste separated from 
household waste, which has been subjected to composting or 
anae robic fermentation for biogas production.  
Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
 
Composted or fermented plant 
residues  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Mixtures of plant matter which has been subjected to 
compo sting or anaerobic fermentation for biogas production.  
Products and by -products of 
animal origin from 
slaughterhouses & fish 
industries:  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
 blood meal  — 
 hoof meal  — 
 horn meal  — 
 bone meal or 
degela tinized bone 
meal  Heavy metal contamination monitoring necessary  
 fish meal  — 
 meat meal  — 
 feather, hair and   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  9 
 Substance  Description; Compositional requirements; Conditions of 
use 
"chiquette" meal  
 wool 
 fur 
 hair — 
 dairy products  — 
By-products of food & textile 
industries  Not treated with synthetic additives.  
Need reco gnition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Seaweeds and seaweeds 
products  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Directly obtained by — physical processes; extraction with 
water or acid and/or alkaline solution; and fermentation.  
Sawdust, bark and wood waste  From wood not chemically treated after felling.  
Wood ash  From wood not chemically treated after felling.  
  
Calcium lignosulfate  Recognized by the competent authority  
Naturally occurring biological 
organisms e.g. worms   
Peat Should not be extracted or treated using inorganic chemicals; 
permitted for seed, potting module composts.  
By-products of industries 
processing ingredients from 
organic agriculture  Need recognition by the approved certifying organisation.  
Night soil -faeces and material 
containing faecal matter  Subjected to either of the following treatments: composting, 
incineration/drying, anaerobic digestion and ammonia 
treatment  
Sewage Sludge  Subjected to anaerobic digestion/fermentation, composting or 
long-time tr eatments  
Human urine  Proper storage (based on the action of ammonia in 
combination with temperature.  
Stillage and stillage extract  Ammonium stillage excluded.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
10 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Annex B  
Determination of Fecal  streptococci  
 
1. Materials and Culture Media  
Prefer ably use commercially available medium. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for storing and discarding 
after preparation. If the medium must be prepared from basic ingredients, follow directions below.  
a. Azide dextrose broth:  
Beef extract ................. ....................................................................4.5 g  
Tryptone or polypeptone ..............................................................15.0 g  
Glucose.................................................................................. ..........7.5 g  
Sodium chloride, NaCl ...................................................................7.5 g  
Sodium azide, NaN3 .......................................................................0.2 g  
Reagent -grade water ............................. ..........................................1 L  
 
CAUTION: Sodium azide is a dangerous chemical requiring special attention and care. It is toxic and 
mutagenic. Take precautions to avoid contact with this compound. Azide also can form explosive compounds 
if it contacts metal pipes.  
 
Adjust pH so it is 7.2 _ 0.2 at 25°C after sterilization. If pH  
is out of range, adjust and retest pH; discard if pH remains out  
of range. The media described in this section are available  
commercially; follow manufacturer’s instru ctions for storage  
and disposal after preparation.  
 
b. Bile esculin azide agar:  
Yeast extract................................................................................ 5.0 g  
Proteose peptone No. 3...................................................... ......... 3.0 g  
Tryptone ......................................................................................17.0 g  
Oxgall ..........................................................................................10.0 g  
Esculin........................... .............................................................. 1.0 g  
Ferric ammonium citrate ............................................................ 0.5 g  
Sodium chloride .......................................................................... 5.0 g  
Sodium azide............................................................................... 0.15 g  
Agar.............................................................................................15.0 g  
Reagent -grade water ................................ .....................................1 L   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  11 
  
CAUTION: Sodium azide is a dangerous chemical requiring special attention and care. It is toxic and 
mutagenic. Take precautions to avoid contact with this compound. Azide also can form explosive compounds 
if it con tacts metal pipes.  
 
2. Presumptive Test Procedure  
Inoculate a series of tubes of azide dextrose broth with appropriate graduated quantities of sample. Use 
sample volumes of 10 mL or less. Use double -strength broth for 10 -mL inocula. The sample portions use d will 
vary in size and number with the sample character. Use only decimal multiples of 1 Ml. Incubate inoculated 
tubes at 35± 0.5°C. Examine each tube for turbidity at the end of 24 ±2 h. If no definite turbidity is present, 
reincubate, and read again at the end of 48 ±4 h.  
 
3. Confirmed Test Procedure  
After 24 or 48 h incubation, subject all azide dextrose broth tubes showing turbidity to the confirmed test for 
streptococci. Streak a portion of growth from each positive azide dextrose broth tube on bile e sculin azide 
agar (BEA). Invert and incubate the dish at 35 ± 0.5°C for 24 _ 2 h. Brownish -black colonies with brown halos 
confirm the presence of fecal streptococci. Then, transfer brownish -black colonies with brown halos to two 
tubes of brain – heart infu sion (BHI) broth: one with 6.5% NaCl and one without NaCl. If growth is observed 
when tube is incubated at 35 ± 0.5°C after 48±4 h (BHI broth with 6.5% NaCl) or 24 ± 2 h (BHI broth without 
NaCl), the colony is confirmed as a member of the Enterococcus genu s. The aforementioned procedure is 
expected to offer an acceptably accurate confirmation of the presense of the Fecal  Streptococci . However, 
more accuracy (≥90%) can be achieved by doing all of the following: observing gram -positive cocci, a 
catalase -negative reaction, growth on BHI agar at 10 ± 0.5oC, positive pyrrolidonylarylamidase (PYR) activity, 
and positive leucine aminopeptida se (LAP) reaction 3,4 using a commercially available test kit.  
 
4. Computing and Recording MPN  
Calculate the total fecal streptococci density from the number of confirmed positive cultures on bile esculin 
azide agar and corresponding positive tubes of BHI broth with 6.5% NaCl at 35±0.5°C after 48 ±4 h. Compute 
the combination of positive and negative tubes and record as the most probable number (MPN).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
12 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Annex C   
(Informative)  
Additional  guidelines  
 
a) Other claims — Any reference to the activity of a  product containing plant nutrients that is not 
generally  associated with its nutritional value must be substantiated with statistically significant 
efficacy data derived from field trials.  
 
b) Nutrient guarantees — Any product represented as a source of plan t nutrients must carry a 
guaranteed  analysis.  
 
c) Any product containing organic materials or plant nutrients may represent a potential hazard when 
misused. Thus, unnecessary blanket statements suggesting that the product is completely safe and 
non-toxic to h umans, animals or the environment must not appear on the label.  
 
d) Miscellaneous terms — Words, such as balanced and healthy, should be avoided as they are often  
misunderstood and consequently misleading.  
 
e) Also objectionable are comparatives such as best, su perior, and greener, as they imply a comparison 
without indicating the basis of this comparison  
 
f) Environmentally beneficial — Any product represented as "environmentally sound", etc. must 
identify the  rationale for the claim and list all ingredients in order to allow the consumer to determine 
the validity of the statement.  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  13 
 Bibliography  
 
 EAS 456, Organic production  standard.  
 KS 2290,  Organic fertilizer — Specification  
 
 WD TC -011-2022    
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved