DRAFT EAST  AFRICAN  STANDARD  DEAS 781:2023  
ICS 67.060  
 
 
Biscuits  — Specification  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST  AFRICAN  COMMUNITY   
 
© EAC 2023  Second Edition  2023  
 
  
 
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 representati ve 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 
Bodies in the Partner States. The comments recei ved 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 keep pace with technological advances. Users o f 
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 014, Cereals, 
pulses and derived pro ducts.  
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (EAS 781: 201 2), which has been 
technically revised.  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of 
patent rights. EAC shall not be held r esponsible for identifying any or all such patent rights . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
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© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  ii  
  
 
  
                    DRAFT EAST  AFRICAN  STANDARD                                DEAS781:2012  
 
1. Scope  
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements sampling and test methods for biscuits 
intended for human consumption.  This standard  also covers wafer and cookies  
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.  
Codex Stan 192, General standard for food additives  
CODEX  STAN  193, Codex  General  Standard  for Contaminants  and Toxins  in Food  and Feed  
EAS 38, General  standard  for the labelling  of pre-packaged  foods  
EAS 39, Hygiene  in the food and drink  manufacturing  industry  – Code  of practice  
ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology  of food and animal  feeding  stuffs  — Horizontal  method  for the 
detection  of Salmonella  spp. 
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 degrees C using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology  of food and animal  feeding  stuffs  — Horizontal  method       for th e 
enumeration of yeasts and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with  water  
activity  less than or equal  to 0.95 
3. Terms  and definitions  
For the purposes  of this standard,  the following  terms  and definitions  shall apply  
3.1 
biscuit  
shaped baked flour confectionery product characterized by a crispy texture  
3.2 
cream  
Homogenous preparation of hydrogenated fat or bakery shortening, icing sugar,  permitted  flavours 
and food colours with or without addition of other ingredients.  
3.3 
plain  biscuits  
biscuits  which  are not filled or coated  
 
  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  6  
  
3.4 
coated  biscuits  
biscuits  glazed  with chocolate,  caramel  or any other  similar  ingredients  
3.5 
filled  biscuits  
biscuits  sandwiched  with a filling  of either  cream,  jam, jelly, caramel,  dried  fruits  or any 
other  filling  materials  singly or in combination  
3.6 
crackers  
biscuits  which  in general  show  a typical  flaky inner  layers;  may be fermented  or non-
fermented;  oil- dipped  or not and may be or may  not be sprinkled  with salt 
3.7 
wafer  
very thin, light,  crisp,  sweet  cookie  or cracker,  especially  one of a kind eaten  with ice cream  
 
  4 Types of Biscuits ; 
(i) Plain  
(ii) Filled  
(iii) Coated  
(iv) Cream  
 
Catergories  of Biscuits  
(i) Crakers  
(ii) Wafers  
(iii) Cookies  
5.0 Requirements  
5.1 Ingredients  
5.1.1 E ssential Ingredients  
The following essential ingredients shall be used  and shall comply with relevant East African 
standards   
a) flour;  
b) shortening,  edible  oil or fat; and © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  7  
 c) potable  water  
5.1.2 Optional  ingredients  
In addition to the essential ingredients in 5.1.1, the following ingredients but not limited  to the 
following may be used in the making of biscuits and shall comply with relevant East African 
standar ds ; 
a) cereals  and cereal  products;  
b) starch;  
c) oilseeds  and oilseed  products;  
d) milk and milk products;  
e) nutritive sweeteners ; 
f) fruit, vegetable  and related  products;  
g) spices  and condiments;  
h) cocoa  and cocoa  products;  
i) coffee  and coffee  products;  
j) tea and tea products;  
k) eggs;  
l) salt; 
m) leavening agent  
5.2 General requirements  
Biscuits  shall:  
a) be properly  baked  so that they are crisp,  have  uniform  texture  and are free 
from a burnt  taste   and appearance;  
b) have a typical flavour of well -baked biscuits”  
c) be free from any soapy  or bitter  after-taste;  and 
d) be free from fungal  and insect  infestation,  rancid  taste  and odour.  
5.3 Specific  requirements  for biscuits  
Biscuits  shall conform  to the requirements  as given  in Table  1. 
Table  1 — Specific  requirements  for biscuits  
S/N Parameter  Requirement  Method   test 
1 Moisture,  % by mass,  max.  6.0 Annex  A 
2 Acid insoluble  ash on dry basis,  % by mass,  
max.  0.1  Annex  B 
3 Acidity  of extracted  fat (as oleic acid),  % by 
mass,  max.  1.0 Annex  D 
 © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  8  
 6.0 Food  additives  
Food  additives  may be used  in the preparation  of biscuits  in accordance  with Codex Stan  192. 
7.0 Hygiene  
Biscuits  shall be manufactured  and handled  in accordance  with EAS 39. Biscuits  shall conform  to the 
limits  of microorganisms  in Table  2. © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  9  
  
Table  2 Limits  for microorganisms  in biscuits  
S/N Microorganisms  Limit  Test method  
1 Escherichia  coli, cfu/g   absent  ISO  16649 -2 
2 Salmonella  spp, per 25g,  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
3 Yeast  and Moulds,  per g, 
max 103 
[102 ] ISO 21527 -2 
 
8.0 Contaminants  
Biscuits shall  conform  to those  maximum  levels  of the Codex  General  Standard  for 
Contaminants  and Toxins  in Food  and Feed  (CODEX  STAN  193).  
9 Packaging  
Biscuits shall be packaged in food grade materials to safeguard the safety, hygienic, nutritional, 
organoleptic and technolo gical qualities of the product.  
10 Labelling  
10.1 The following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be legibly and indelibly 
marked in accordance with the requirements of EAS 38.  
a) common  name  of the product,  “Biscuits  and type/description  of biscuits ”; 
b) name  and physical  address  of the manufacturer/  distributor  and /or trade  name/  brand  
name;  
c) date of manufacture;  
d) list of ingredients;  
e) lot identification;  
f) expiry  date;  
g) country  of origin;  
h) net weight  in metric  units;  
i) storage  instructions;  
j) allergen declaration if any;  
k) instructions  on disposal  of used  package.  
10.2 When labelling non -retail packages, information for non -retail packages shall either be 
given on  the packages or in accompanying documents, except that the name of the product, 
lot identification  and the name  and address  of the manufacturer  or packer  shall appear  on the 
packages.  
11 Sampling  
The method  of drawing  representative  samples  of biscuits  and the criteria  for conformity  
shall be as prescribed  in Annex  C. © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  10  
  
 © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  11  
  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  12  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination  of moisture  
 
A.1 Apparatus  
 
A.1.1  Electric oven , maintained  at 105 °C ± 1 °C 
 
A.1.2  Moisture  dish, made  of porcelain,  silica,  glass  or aluminium  
 
A.1.3  Desiccator  
 
A.1.4  Analytical balance  
 
A.2 Procedure  
 
Weigh  accurately  about  5 g of the prepared  sample  (see C.3.3)  in the moisture  dish,  previously  dried  
in the oven  and weighed.  
 
Place the dish in the oven maintained at 105 oC ± 1oC for 4 h.  
Cool in the desiccator  and weigh.  
Repeat  the process  of drying,  cooling  and weighing  at 30-min intervals  until a constant  mass,  m, is 
obtained.  
 
A.3 Calculation  
Moist ure, percen t by mass , =  100M   m1
M  m2 

where  
 
M is the mass,  in grams,  of the dish with the sample  before  drying;  
 
m1 is the mass,  in grams,  of the dish with the  sample  after drying  to constant  mass;  and 
 
m2 is the mass,  in grams,  of the empty  dish.  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  13  
  
 
Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Determination  of acid insoluble  ash 
 
B.1 Apparatus  
 
B.1.1  Dish , silica  or porcelain  
 
B.1.2  Muffle  furnace , maintained  at 600 °C ± 20 °C 
 
B.1.3  Water  bath  
 
B.1.4  Desiccator  
 
B.1.5  Analytical balance  
 
 
B.2 Reagent  
 
Dilute  hydrochloric  acid, approximately  5mol/l,  prepared  from concentrated  hydrochloric  acid 
 
 
B.3 Procedure  
 
Weigh accurately about 10 g of biscuit powder (C.3.3.2) and transfer to a furnace at 600 °C ± 20 °C 
until light grey ash is obtained.  
 
Remove the dish from the furnace and allow it to cool to room temperature. Add 25 mL of hydrochloric  
acid to the dish, co ver with a watch glass and heat on a water bath for 10 minutes. Mix the contents  
with the tip of a glass rod and filter through Whatman filter paper No 42 or its equivalent wash the filter  
paper with water until the washings are free from acid when tested with blue litmus paper. Return the  
washed  filter paper  to the dish for ashing  in the muffle  furnace  as above.  
 
Cool the dish in a desiccator and weigh. Again ignite the dish for half an hour in the furnace, cool and  
weigh. Repeat this operation until the dish has a constant mass. Filter 25 mL of hydrochloric acid  
through a blank filter paper wash, ash and weigh it as in the case of acid insoluble ash. Subtract its  
mass  from the mass  of insoluble  ash in the sample.  
 
B.4 Calculation  
 
B.4.1  Acid insoluble  ash, percent  by mass  (A) 
100m1   m
m2 
 
where  
 
m is the mass,  in grams,  of the dish containing  acid insoluble  ash (see note);  
 
m1 is the mass,  in grams,  of empty  dish in which  the sample  is taken  for ashing;  and 
 
m2 is the mass,  in grams,  of the sample  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  14  
  
 
 
NOTE  The acid insoluble  ash mass  should  be corrected  for the blank  of filter paper,  if any. 
 
B.4.2  Acid insoluble  ash, percent  by mass  (on dry weight  basis)  
 
 
 
where  A  100 
 
 
100  M 
 
A is the acid insoluble  ash, percent  by mass  (B.4.1),  and 
 
M is the percent  of moisture  in the biscuit  sample.  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  15  
  
 
Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Sampling  of biscuits  
 
C.1 General  requirements  of sampling  
 
In drawing, preparing, storing and handling samples the following precautions and directions shall be  
observed:  
 
a) samples  shall be taken  in a protected  place  not exposed  to damp  air dust or soot;  
 
b) precautions shall be taken to protect samples, the lots being sampled, sampling instrument  
and containers  for samples  from adventitious  contamination;  
 
c) loose biscuit samples or representative small packs, shall be placed in airtight, clean and dry  
glass,  tin or aluminium  containers  of appropriate  size; 
 
d) samples  shall be stored  at room  temperature;  and 
 
e) each  container containing samples shall be sealed airtight and marked with full details of  
sampling,  such  as batch  or code  number,  name  of manufacturer  and other  relevant  
particulars.  
 
C.2 Scale  of sampling  
 
C.2.1  Lot 
 
All biscuit containers in a single consignment drawn from the same batch of manufacture shall  
constitute a lot. If the consignment is declared to consist of different batches of manufacture, the  
batches shall be marked separately and groups of containers in each batch shall constitute separate  
lots. Samples  shall be tested  from each  lot for ascertaining  the conformity  of biscuits  to the 
requirements  of specification.  
 
C.2.2  Sample  size 
 
The number of containers to be sampled from each lot shall depend on the size of the lot and be in  
accordance  with Table  2. 
 
C.2.3  Drawing  of sample  
 
Containers  shall be selected  at random  from each  lot and for this purpose,  random  number  tables  
shall be used.  
 
Starting from any container, count them as 1, 2 up to r and so on in one order, where r is equal to the  
integral part of value N/n. N being the total number of containers in the lot and rth number of container  
thus counted  shall be separated  until the required  number  of containers  is obtained  from the lot. © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  16  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table  2 — Number  of containers  to be selected  for sampling  
 
Lot size,  
N Sample  size,  
n 
Up to 50 2 
51-150 3 
151-300 4 
301-500 5 
501and  above  7 
 
C.3 Test samples  and referee  samples  
 
C.3.1  Drawing  samples  
 
Draw from each selected container, the required number of biscuit packets. These packets shall be  
opened and mixed. If the container is packed with loose biscuits, samples of required quantity shall be  
taken  from different  parts  of the selected  container.  
 
C.3.2  Preparation  of individual  sample  
 
From the selected containers, about 600 g of biscuits shall be taken from different parts of the  
container.  From  this about  300 g of biscuits  shall be taken  for testing  general  requirements.  This 300 
g of biscuits shall be divided into three equal parts, one for the purchaser, another  for the vendor and  
the third for the referee. These biscuit samples shall be packed in airtight dry containers and labelled  
with particulars  given  in C.1. 
 
C.3.3  Preparation  of composite  sample  
 
C.3.3.1  The composite sample shall be prepared from the remaining 300 g of  biscuits from each  
selected container, after the sample for general requirements is taken out as given in C.3.3.1.1 to  
C.3.3.1.3.  
 
C.3.3.1.1  Plain  biscuits  — Grind  the sample  as quickly  as possible.  
 
C.3.3.1.2  Coated and filled biscuits — The cream, caramel, chocolate, marshmallow, jam, jelly or 
any other  filling  between  biscuits  should  be removed  by gentle  scraping,  before  powdering  the 
sample.  
 
C.3.3.1.3  The removed fillers and coating materials should be ground to form homogenous mixture  
 
NOTE 1 Powdered part of the biscuits should be thoughroughly mixed with scraped fillers or coating that were 
removed during powdering  
  
NOTE 2 Biscuits  are highly  hygroscopic.  Therefore  preparation  samples  should  be done  very quickly,  
preferably  in a dry place.  
 
C.3.3.2  A small but approximately equal quantity of the material (see C.3.3.1) shall be taken  
from the powdered  sample  of each  selected  container  and mixed  thoroughly  so as to form a 
composite sample weighing not less than 200 g. This sample shall be divided approximately into three  
equal parts, one for the purchaser, another for the vendor and the third for the referee. These parts  
shall be transferred to clean, dry and airtight containers, which are then sealed with all the particulars  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  17  
 as given in C.1. The s ample in each such sealed container shall constitute an individual test sample.  
These  individual  samples  shall be separated  into three  identical  sets of test samples  in such  a way © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  18  
  
 
 
that each set has a sample representing each selected container (see Table 2). One of these sets  
shall be marked  for the purchaser,  another  for the vendor  and the third for the referee.  
 
C.3.4  Referee  sample  
 
Referee samples shall consist of a set of individual biscuit samples (see C.3.2) marked for general  
requirements, a composite sample (see C.3.3.2) and a set of individual test samples shall bear the  
seals  of the purchaser  and the vendor.  These  shall be kept at a place  agreed  to between  the two. 
 
C.4 Number  of tests  
 
C.4.1  Biscuits  selected  according  to C.3.2  shall be tested for  general  requirements.  
 
C.4.2  The test for moisture  shall be conducted  individually  on each  of the samples  constituting  a set 
of individual  test samples  (see C.3.3.2).  
 
C.4.3  Tests  for the determination  of acid insoluble  ash and acidity  of extracted  fat shall be 
conducted  on the composite  sample  (see C.3.3.2).  
 
C.5 Criteria  for conformity  
 
A lot shall be declared as conforming to the requirements of the specification for biscuit when the  
following  criteria  are satisfied:  
 
a) in the case  of general  requirements,  biscuits  shall satisfy  the requirements  as given  in 4.1; 
 
b) in the case of moisture, each of the test results as obtained from individual dual test samples  
(see C.4.2) shall  be less than or equal  to 6.0 % (see Table  1). 
 
c) for acid insoluble ash and acidity of extracted fat. the test results obtained from the composite  
sample  (see C.4.3)  shall be less than or equal  to 0.05 % and 1.0 % respectively  (see Table  
1). © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  19  
  
 
Annex  D 
(normative)  
Determination  of acidity  of extracted  fat 
 
D.1 Apparatus  
 
Soxhlet  apparatus,  with a 250 mL flat bottom  flask 
 
Analytical balance  
 
D.2 Reagents  
 
 
D.2.1  Petroleum  ether,  boiling  point  40 ° ° 
C – 80 C 
 
D.2.2  Benzene -alcohol -phenolphthalein  stock  solution  — To 1 L of distilled  benzene  add 1 L of 
alcohol  or rectified  spirit  and 0.4 g of phenolphthalein.  Mix the contents  well. 
 
D.2.3  Standard  potassium  hydroxide  solution, 0.05  mol/L  
 
D.3 Procedure  
 
Weigh  accurately  about  10 g of biscuit  powder  (D.3.3.2)  and transfer  it to a thimble  and plug it from 
the top with extracted  cotton  and filter paper.  Dry the thimble  with contents  for 15 min to 30 min at 100 
° 
C in an oven.  Take  the mass  of empty  Soxhlet  flask.  Extract  the fat in the Soxhlet  apparatus  for 3 h to 
4 h and evaporate off the solvent in the flask on a water bath. Remove the traces of the residual  
solvent by keeping the flask in a hot air oven for about half an hour and weigh. Cool the flask and add  
50 mL of mixed benzene -alcohol -phenolphthalein reagent and titrate hydroxide solution taken in a 10  
mL microburette.  
 
If the contents of the flask become cloudy, during nitration, add another 50 mL of benzene -alcohol - 
phenolphthalein reagent and continue titration. Make a blank titration of the 50 mL reagent. Subtract  
from the titre of the fat, the blank  titre. 
 
D.4 Calculation  
 
Acidity  of extracted  fat, (as oleic acid)  percent  by mass  = mv−×m4. 
 
where  
 
v is the volume of potassium hydroxide solution used in titration after subtracting the blank;  
m is the mass  in grams  of Soxhlet  flask containing  fat; and 
m is the mass  in grams  of empty  Soxhlet flask.  © EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  20  
   
 EAS 781:2012  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC  2012  — All rights  reserved