AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
  
 
DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Minced meat products – Specification – Part 1: Beef  for burger , kebab, 
meat ball and meat loaf  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
                                                            AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
  
Minced meat pr oducts – Specification – Part 1: Beef for burger , kebab, 
meat ball and meat loaf  
 
0 FOREWORDS  
 
Beef for burger , kebab, meat ball and meat loaf are  warm,  chilled,  frozen minced beef 
which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it.  
 
This draft  Tanzania standard has been prepared to ensure that beef for burger , kebab, 
meat ball and meat loaf  manufactured or imported in the country meet the safety and 
quality  requirements  intended for human consumption .  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania stand ard assistance was drawn from TZS 997/EAS: 
2019  Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 1: Beef grades and cuts 
published by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards .  
 
In reporting, the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard,  if 
the final value observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in 
accordance with TZS 4 (see clause 2).  
 
1 Scope  
This draft Tanzania standard  prescribes the requirements, sampling and test methods 
for minced beef intended in making beef burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf .  
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
For the purpose of this finalized Tanzania standard, the following references 
shall apply. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition o f the referenced document (including any 
amendments) applies:  
 
TZS 789/EAS 12,  Potable water — Specification  
TZS 4, Rounding off numerical values.  
TZS 109, F ood processing units – Code of hygiene.  
TZS 118/ISO 4833, Microbiology of food and animal feeding s tuffs – Horizontal method 
for the enumeration of microorganisms – Colony -count technique at 30 oC. 
TZS 122 /ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of food and feeding staffs – Horizontal method for 
detection of Salmonella spp . 
TZS 123 /ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method 
for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens  – Colony -count technique.  
TZS 125 – 1/ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the enumeration of coagulase -positive staphylo cocci ( Staphylococcus 
aureus  and other species) – Part 1: Technique using Baird -Parker agar medium – 
Amendment 1: Inclusion of precision data   AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
 TZS 457:2020 Code of hygienic practices for spices and dried aromatic plants  
TZS 458:2016 Code of hygiene for me at processing plant  
TZS 538, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
TZS 731/ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and feeding -stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
detection and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia  Coli – Most Probable Number 
Tech nique  
TZS 852 -1/ISO 11290 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the detection and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes  – Part 1 – 
Detection method  
TZS 997/EAS 84 -1, Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 1: Beef grades 
and cuts  
ISO 17604 , Microbiology of the food chain – Carcass sampling for microbiology analysis  
ISO 10272 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for 
detection and enumeration of Campylobacter spp . – Part 1: Detec tion method  
Codex Stan 192,  General standard for food additives  
Codex Stan 193 , Codex general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed.  
TZS 2841/ISO 2917 , Meat and meat products – measurement of pH – preference 
method  
TZS 1761:2016/ISO 1443:1 973 Meat and meat products – Determination of total fat 
content  
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this standard , the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 meat  
parts of an animal that are intended for or have been judged as safe and  suitable for 
human consumption  
 
3.2 fresh meat  
meat that has not been subjected to any preserving process other than chilling, 
freezing, vacuum -wrapping and wrapping in a controlled atmosphere   
  
3.3 minced meat  
boneless  meat that has been reduced into  fragments/particles  
 
3.4 beef for burger , kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
Fresh (warm , chilled or frozen ) minced beef which  has had foodstuffs, seasonings or 
additives added to it .  
 
3.5 meat products  
products  resulting from the processing of meat or fro m the further processing of such 
processed products, so that the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the 
characteristics of fresh meat  AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
  
3.6 food grade material  
materials  that are free from substances that are hazardous to human health and ma y be 
permitted to come in contact with food  
 
4 Requirements   
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 Raw materials  
 Beef shall be derived from healthy animal  slaughtered and processed in 
approved facilities that shall comply with the requirements specified in TZS  458.  
 Minced beef shall be made from beef meat flesh. All meat, used to produce 
minced meat shall meet the requirements for fresh meat TZS 997.  
 Minced  beef shall  be free from objectionable odours, fecal contamination, and 
foreign matters which may be harm ful to consumers.    
 
4.1.2 Beef for burger , kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
 shall be ; 
 
 coarse mixture . 
 of characteristic aroma  and taste. 
 free from any evidence of deterioration, discoloration or any slimy appearance on 
storage.  
 
4.1.3 Storage and transp ortation  of beef for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat 
loaf 
 Products shall be kept in cold storage  (chilled (1 – 4 oC) or frozen below -18oC). 
 Storage time shall not exceed 12 months for frozen product s at -18 °C.   
 
 Vehicle(s) for products  transport shall  be equipped with cooling unit in the 
storage area at all time.  
 
4.2 Ingredients  
 Spices and condiments . 
 Portable water complying with TZS 789 . 
 Binder and extenders . 
 Permitted additive as per Codex Stan 192. 
.  
4.3 Specific Requirements  AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
 Beef for burger, ke bab, meat ball and meat loaf  shall comply with specific requirements 
stipulated in Table 1 . 
 
Table 1: Specific requirements for beef for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Method of tests  
1 Acid insoluble ash 
%m/m, max  1.5 TZS 34 -1  
2 Fat contents %, m/m, 
max 30 TZS 1761  
 
5 Hygiene  
   
5.1 Product  shall be produced, processed, packed, stored, transported and handled 
under good hygienic conditions according to TZS 45 8 (see clause 2) and TZS 109 (see 
clause 2) to prevent  contamination that may be harmful to consumer.  
 
5.2 Product  shall be free from pathogenic organisms and shall comply with the 
microbiological limits provided in Table 2 when determined by the methods shown 
alongside the Table.  
 
Table 2 Microbiological li mits for beef for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
S/No.  Microorganism  Limits,  
Max.  Test method  
i Total plate count, cfu/g  105 TZS 118  
ii Staphylococcus aureas , cfu/g  103 TZS 125 – 1 
iii Escherichia coli, cfu/g  102 TZS 73 0-2 
iv Escherichia coli 0157:H7 per 25 g  Absent  TZS 730 -3 
v Salmonella spp, per 25 g  Absent   TZS 122  
vi Clostridium perfringes  Absent   TZS 123  
vii Listeria monocytogens , per 25 g,  Absent  TZS 852 -1 
viii Campylobacter  spp. per 25 g  Absent  ISO 10272 -1 
 
6 Contaminants  
 
6.1 He avy metal s  
Product  shall not contain any heavy metal in excess of the quantities specified in Table 
3.  
Table 3 — Maximum limits of heavy metals  of beef for burger, kebab, meat ball and meat loaf  
S/No.  Heavy metals  Maximum limits  
ppm  Test method  
i Arseni c (As)  0.1 TZS 76  AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
 ii Lead (Pb)  0.1 TZS 268  
iii Cadmium (Cd)  0.03 AOAC 973:34  
iv Mercury (Hg)  0.01 AOAC 971: 21  
 
6.2 Pesticides and veterinary drug residues   
The maximum residual limits (MRLs) for pesticides and veterinary drug residues in  
product shall be as prescribed by C odex Alimentarius Commission.   
 
7 Sampling and method of tests   
7.1 Sampling  
Sampling of product  shall be do ne in accordance with ISO 17604.   
 
7.2 Methods of tests   
Samples  of product  shall be tested to ascertain conformity of the  product to the 
requirements of each specification by the methods described in the respective 
standards provided under Table 1, 2 and 3 of this standard . 
 
8 Packaging, marking and labeling   
8.1 Packing    
 Product  shall be packed in clean permitted food gr ade materials. The package 
shall be sealed tightly  and not be exposed to direct sun light or rain.  
 
 All packaging materials shall be durable during transportation. The materials 
shall not be torn or broken when keeping in low temperature and shall prevent 
product from absorbing objectionable odors from the environment.   
 
8.2 Marking and labeling  
The container shall be marked and labeled in accordance with TZS 538 (see clause 2). 
In addition, each container of product  shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the 
following information:  
 
a) Name of the product shall be beef for burger /kebab/meat ball/ meat loaf ;  
b) Name and address of the manufacturer/packer;  
c) Batch or code number;  
d) Net weight  in metric units ;  
e) Date of production;  
f) Expiry date;  
g) Storage  condition s; 
h) Country of origin;  
i) List of ingredients in ascending order.  AFDC 22 (276)  DTZS                                                                                                  
 
  
 
 
9.3 The container may also be marked with TBS Certification Mark.  
NOTE  – The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the 
manufacturers only under licence from TBS. Particulars of conditi ons under 
which the licenses are granted may be obtained from TBS.