ICS 67.100.3 0 
 
 Reference number  
DRS 50 -9: 2021  
© RSB 2021  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
50-9 
 
First edition  
2021 -XX-XX 
 
Cheese  — Specification  
Part 9: Goat cheese  
   
DRS 50 -9: 2021  
©RSB 2021 - 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 2021  
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 : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 799303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 50 -9: 2021  
iii                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4 Description  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 4 
5 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  4 
5.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  4 
5.2 Permitted ingredients ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  4 
5.3 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
5.4 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
6 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  5 
7 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  5 
7.1 Total Antibiotic residues ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  5 
7.2 Veterinary drugs and pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ...................  5 
7.3 Aflatoxin  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  5 
7.4 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 6 
8 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
9 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
10 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  6 
11 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 7 
 DRS 50 -9: 2021  
©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda 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 of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratifie d by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment  as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 50-9 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 004 on Milk and milk products . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard s: 
1) DKS 2679:2016: Goat cheese — Specification  
2) DKS 2191: 2015: Pasteurized goat milk — Specification.  
The assistance derived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
RS 50 consists of the following parts, under the general title Cheese  — Specification : 
 Part 1: General requirements  
 Part 2: Gouda cheese  
Part 3: Cream cheese  
 Part 4: Processed cheese  
 Part 5: Cheddar cheese  
Part 6: Cottage cheese  
 Part 7: Mozzarella cheese  
 Part 8: Paneer cheese  
Part 9: Goat cheese  
 
 
 DRS 50 -9: 2021  
v                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 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.  
Blessed Dairy Ltd  
CATAM Ltd  
Gasabo District  
Inyange Industries Ltd  
Ishyo Food Ltd  
La Fromagerie Ltd  
Mukamira Dairy Ltd  
National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA)  
Nyabihu TVET School  
Rwanda Inspectorate , Competition and Consumer Protection Authority ( RICA ) 
Soma Gacye Ltd  
World Food Programme Rwanda (WFP)  
Rwanda  Standards Board ( RSB) – Secretariat  
  DRS 50 -9: 2021  
1                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 Cheese  — Specification —Part 9: Goat cheese  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda Standard specifies requirements, sampling  and test methods for goat cheese intended for 
human consumption  or for further processing.   
This Standard applies  to goat cheese made from pasteurized goat's milk . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the applicati on 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 Produc ts by Microwave and Nuclear 
Magnetic Resonance Analysis  
AOAC 942.17,  Arsenic in food. Molybdenum blue method  
AOAC 999.10, Determination of Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in foods, Atomic Absorption 
Spectrophotometry after dry ashing  
ISO 1735, Cheese  and processed cheese products — Determination of fat content — Gravimetric method 
(Reference method)  
ISO 5534, Cheese and processed cheese — Determination of the total solids content (Reference method)  
ISO 5546, Caseins and caseinates — Determination of p H (Reference method)  
ISO 5943, Cheese and processed cheese products — Determination of chloride content — Potentiometric 
titration method  
ISO 6733, Milk and milk products — Determination of lead content — Graphite furnace atomic absorption 
spectrometric me thod  
ISO 8197, Milk and milk products — Sampling inspection by variables  
RS CAC/RCP 1, Code of practice — General Principles for food hygiene  
RS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
RS ISO 11290 -2, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of 
Listeria monocytogenes and of Listeria spp. — Part 2: Enumeration method   
©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved                  2 
 RS ISO 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of -
glucuronidase -positi ve Escherichia coli — Part 2: Colony -count technique at 44 °C using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-
indolyl -D-glucuronide  
RS ISO 4832, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony -count technique  
RS ISO 5 538, Milk and milk products — Sampling inspection by attributes  
RS ISO 5738, Milk and milk products — Determination of copper content — Photometric method (Reference 
method)  
RS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detectio n, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
RS ISO 6611, Milk and milk products — Enumeration of colony -forming units of yeasts and/or moulds — Colony -
count technique at 25 degrees C  
RS ISO 6732, Milk and milk products — Determination of iron content — Spectrometric method (Reference 
method)  
RS ISO 707 , Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1  
goat milk  
whitish, normal , clean and fresh secretions obtained by practically emptying the udder of a healthy goat, properly 
fed and kept, but excluding that got during the first seven days after kidding and free from colostrum  
3.2 
pasteuriz ation  
heat treatment proc ess applied to a product with the objective of eliminating possible health hazards arising 
from pathogenic micro -organism s associated with milk by heat treatment which is consistent with minimal 
chemical, physical and organoleptic changes in the product  
3.3 
pasteurised goat milk  
milk that has been subjected to pasteurization process as defined in 3.2 and chilled to 7 °C immediately, if 
retailed as such, this milk should be chilled to 7 °C and packaged without delay under conditions which eliminate 
contamina tion DRS 50 -9: 2021  
3                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 3.4 
goat cheese  
product obtained from goat milk, with or without added milk solids, by precipitation with  permitted acidulants 
and heating.   
3.4.1  
soft, unripened goat cheese  
have a tang (some much more so than others) and usually a moist, fresh curd texture, white in colour with mild 
tangy flavor. They are produced using lactic bacteria and no or very little addition of rennet. They are higher in 
moisture and have no rind.  
3.4.2 
soft, ripened goat cheese  
have a velvety -looking white surface mold (from Penicillium album) like cow's milk Camembert or Brie. The 
center if  creamy while the exterior is white mold. Others don’t get as soft and may look crumbly but will taste 
very smo oth. As the cheese ages, the white mold turns darker and brownish which can be trimmed off, if desired. 
Soft-ripened goat cheeses have a more complex flavor and aroma than unripened cheeses and with no soured 
smell  
3.4.3  
semi-soft, ripened goat cheese  
has white to off white body, smooth texture, with a typical sweet, clean goat and nutty flavor, free from strong, 
stale, rancid or foreign odours  
3.4.4  
firm, unripened goat cheese  
 are with a typical  sweet, slightly tangy flavor and a firm, buttery consiste ncy 
3.4.5  
hard, unripened or ripened goat cheeses  
firm textured and the curds are pressed. Aging matures and dries them.  
3.5 
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   
©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved                  4 
 4 Description  
Goat cheese is reserved to cheeses of diverse shape and weight, prepared with goat milk exclusively. Goat 
cheeses are categorized as unripened (fresh) cheese or ripened cheese. The texture of each is defined as soft, 
semisoft, firm, or hard. Fresh g oat cheeses are  white and creamy in colour with a typical goat cheese, mild and 
tangy flavour . 
5 Requirements  
5.1 Raw material s 
Milk obtained from goat milks complying with relevant Rwanda standards  
5.2 Permitted ingredients  
Permitted ingredients shall comply with relevant standards , be food grade  and include the following:  
a) acidulants complying with relevant standards ; 
b) spices (for flavoured goat only);  
c) Salt complying with  RS EAS  35 
5.3 General requirements  
Goat  cheese shall  be: 
a) free from dirty, surface discolor ation, insects and rodent contamination  and from adulterants ; 
b) white bloom rind, mould grown (Penicillium album , covering the whole surface, short growth, well -
spaced, no other mould ; 
c) fresh, typical of goat cheese ; and  
d) smooth, melting, homogeneous, firm, free of holes . 
5.4 Specific  requirements  
Goat cheese shall comply with specific requirements given in t able 1 when tested in accordance with test 
methods specified therein.  
Table 1 —Specific  requirements for goat  cheese  
S/N  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Milk constituent  minimum  
content:    
45% ISO 1735  
ii.  Milkfat in dry  matter  minimum  DRS 50 -9: 2021  
5                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 content:  
iii.  Dry matter  (Total Solids):  Depending on the fat in dry matter 
content according  to the table below  ISO 5534  
Fat in dry 
matter  
*content 
(m/m) :)  Corresponding minimum  
dry matter content  
(m/m ) 
Equal to 
or above  
45% but 
less than  
55%:  43% 
Equal to 
or above  
55% but 
less than  
60%:  48% 
Equal to 
or above  
60%:  51% 
iv.  Moisture  (vacuum  Oven), Max  65% ISO 5534  
v.  Salt % Max  <1% ISO 5943  
vi.  pH value  4.2-4.4 ISO 5546  
6 Food additives  
Food additives may be added in goat cheese in accordance with RS CODEX STAN 192.  
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Total Antibiotic residues  
Goat cheese shall not have more than 10.0 ppb total antibiotic residues as (beta lactam) content when tested 
according to AOAC 982.14, 15, 16, 17 and18, and AOAC 962.14, Beta-lactam Antibiotics in milk  
7.2 Veterinary drugs and pesticide residues  
Goat  cheese sh all comply with those maximum limits for pesticides and veterinary residue as provided by  Codex 
Alimentarius for the ingredients used in cheese manufacturing.  
7.3 Aflatoxin  
When tested in accordance with RS ISO 14501, the level of Aflatoxin M1, shall not exceed 0.50 μg/kg.   
©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved                  6 
 7.4 Heavy metals  
Heavy metal s shall not exceed limits given in table 2 when tested in accordance with test methods specified  
therein.  
Table 2 — Maximum limits of heavy metals  
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum limit mg/kg  Test method  
i.  Arsenic (As )  0.1 AOAC 942.17  
ii.  Lead (P b) 0.02 ISO 6733  
iii.  Mercury (Hg)  1.0 AOAC 999.10  
iv.  Copper (Cu)  5.0 RS ISO 5738  
v.  Zinc (Zn)  50 AOAC 999.10  
vi.  Tin (Sn)  250 AOAC 999.10  
vii.  Cadmium ( Cd) 1.5 AOAC 999.10  
viii.  Iron (F e), 0.5 RS ISO 6732  
8 Hygiene  
8.1 Goat  cheese shall be processed, packaged, stored and distributed under hygienic conditions complying 
with RS CAC/RCP 1 and RS CAC/RCP 57 . 
8.2 Goat  cheese  shall not exceed  microbiological  limits in Table 3 when tested in accordance with test 
methods specified t herein.  
Table 2 – Microbiological limits in goat  cheese  
S/N  Microorganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Salmonella spp  per 25g   Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1 
ii.  E. Coli , cfu/g  Absent  RS ISO 16649 -2 
iii.  Coliforms  cfu/g  10 RS ISO 4832  
iv.  Listeria monocytogenes /25g  Absent  RS ISO 11290 -2 
9 Packaging  
Goat cheese shall  be packaged in food grade  packaging materials  made of suitable material and shall be well 
sealed in order to prevent contamination of the contents during storage and transportation.  
10 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of RS EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall be legibly and 
indelibly marked:  
a) name of product as “Goat  cheese ”; DRS 50 -9: 2021  
7                ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 a) type of the goat cheese ; 
b) name and address of manufacturer;  
c) date of manufacture;  
d) date of expiry;  
e) list of ingredients;  
f) coagulating enzyme used;  
g) batch number ; 
h) storage conditions;  and  
i) country of origin.  
11 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 IS O 5538 when the sampling is purposely for inspection . 
 
 DRS 50 -9: 2021  
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