i          KENYA STANDARD     DKS 2844 : 2018  
                      ICS 67.120.10  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Fresh coarsely ground meat products - 
specification  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      PUBLIC REVIEW  DRAFT, OCTOBER  2018  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©KEBS 2018          First Edition 2018  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
         ©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved  ii  
KENYA ST ANDARD     DKS 2844 : 2018  
                      ICS 67.120.10  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Fresh coarsely ground meat products - 
specification  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      PUBLIC REVIEW  DRAFT, OCTOBER  2018  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©KEBS 2018          First Edition 2018  
 
 
  
iii           
TECHNICAL COMM ITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee.  
 
Ministry  of Health - food safety  unit 
Kenya  Industrial  Research  and Development  Institute  
National  Public  Health  Laboratory  
Government  Chemist s Department  
Farmer’s Choice  (K) Ltd. 
University  of Nairobi  — Department  of Food  Science,  Nutrition  and Technology  
Consumer  Information  Network  
Kenchic  (K) Ltd. 
Kenya  Meat  Commission  
Directorate  of Livestock  Production  
Directorate  of Veterinary  Services  
Kenya  Nut Company - Morendat  farm 
Meat  Training  institute  
Kenya  Bureau  of Standards  — Secretariat  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya standards shall be regularly reviewed. Suggestions 
for improvement to published standa rds, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2018  
 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyr ight 
subsi sts in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of  
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in  writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
  
         ©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved  iv KENYA STANDARD         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
    Fresh coarsely ground meat products - specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 6023 50, Fax: (+254 020)  604031  
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Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
Tel.: (+ 254 041 ) 229563, 2309 39/40   Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396        Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555  
Fax: (+ 254 041 ) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
v           
Forewo rd 
 
This Kenya  Standard  was prepared  by the Meat  and Poultry  Products  Technical  
Committee  under  the guidance  of the Standards  Projects  Committee,  and it is in 
accordance  with the procedures  of the Kenya  Bureau  of Standards.  
 
The demand for minimally processed and processed meat products such as minced meat, 
meat balls, meat burgers, meat rolls and ground kebabs that are i ntended for further 
cooking before consumption has increased tremendously over the years.  
In order to assure the general public of the safety and  quality  of these  categories of 
products, it has been found necessary to develop this standard. It is envision ed that this 
first edition of the standard will go a long way in safeguarding public health and enhance  
food safety . 
 
During  the preparation  of this standard,  reference  was made  to the following  documents:  
 
The Food,  Drugs  and Chemical  Substances  Act, Cap 254 of the Laws  of Kenya.  
 
International  Commission  on Microbiological  Specifications  for Foods  - Micro -
organisms  in Foods,  Book  8. 
 
 
. 
  
©KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved        1  
KENYA STANDARD           
 
 
Fresh coarsely ground meat products  - specification  
 
1. Scope  
 
This standard  prescribes  the quality  and safety  requirements,  methods  of sampling  
and test of fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products . These  include , but not limited  to, 
meat  balls,  patties,  meat  burgers,  meat  rolls and ground  kebabs  that are intended  
for further  processing  before  consump tion. 
 
 
 
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  (includin g any 
amendments)  applies . 
 
I. Food,  Drugs  and Chemical  Substances  Act Cap 254.  
II. Public  Health  Act CAP 242  
III. Meat  Control  Act, Cap.  356 of the Laws  of Kenya,   
IV. KS EAS 39 - Hygiene  in the food and drink  manufacturing  industry  - Code  of 
practice.  
V. KS 2761  code  of practice  for meat  hygiene  
VI. KS EAS 35 potable  water  specification  
VII. KS EAS 12 potable  water  specification   
VIII. Codex  Stan192  codex  general  standard  for food additives   
IX. KS ISO 4833 -1: Microbiology  of the food chain  -- Horizontal  method  for the 
enumeration  of microo rganisms  -- Part 1: Colony  count  at 30 degrees  C by 
the pour plate  technique  
X. KS ISO 6888 -1: Microbiology  of food and animal  feeding  stuffs  -- Horizontal  
method  for the enumeration  of coagulase -positive  staphylococci  
(Staphylococcus  aureus  and other  species ) -- Part 1: Technique  using  
Baird -Parker  agar medium  
XI. KS ISO 6579 : Microbiology  of the food chain  -- Horizontal  method  for the 
detection,  enumeration  and serotyping  of Salmonella  -- Part 1: Detection  of 
Salmonella  spp. 
XII. KS ISO 16654:2001/Amd.1:2017(en)Micro biology  of food and animal  feeding  
stuffs  — Horizontal  method  for the detection  of Escherichia  coli O157  
AMENDMENT  1: Annex  B: Result  of interlaboratory  studies  
XIII. KS ISO 11290 -1: Microbiology  of the food chain  -- Horizontal  method  for the 
detection  and enume ration  of Listeria  monocytogenes  and of Listeria  spp. -- 
Part 1: Detection  method  
XIV. ISO 10272 -2: Microbiology  of the food chain  — Horizontal  method  for 
detection  and enumeration  of Campylobacter  spp. — Part 2: Colony -count  
technique  
XV. KS EAS 38  Labelling  of pre-packaged  foods  — General  requirements  
XVI. KS 2763  Meat  speciation  - Method  of test  DKS 2844:2018  
         ©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved  2 XVII.  Bristish  standards  EN14332,  14627,  14082,  14083,  14084   
XVIII.  Association  Of Official  Analytical  Chemists  AOAC  999.10,  999.11,  973.34,  
986.15,  971.21   
XIX. Codex  Alimentarius  Commissio n CAC/MRL  2 
  
3. Definitions  
 
3.1. Meat:  All parts  of an animal  that are intended  for and have  been  judged  as safe 
and suitable  for human  consumption  
3.2. Ground  meat:   Boneless  meat  finely  or coarsely  chopped  by a meat  grinder  or 
chopping  knife  leading  to its reduc tion into fragments  
3.3. Minimum  meat  content:  The minimum  permissible  amount  of meat  together  with 
fats and connective  tissue  for a particular  species .  
3.4. Maximum  fat content:  The amount  of fat permissible  in a meat  mixture  for a 
particular  species .  
3.5. Patty: Disc-like meat  products  formed  from ground  meat .   
3.6. Fillers:  These  are mostly  plant  substances,  low in protein  and high in 
carbohydrates  that are used  in increasing  the product  volume.   
3.7. Binders:  agents  that are mixed  homogenously  in the processing  to help in the 
structural  consistency  of the meat  product.   
 
 
4. Requirements   
 
4.1. General  requirements  
 
4.1.1.  The meat  from which  the product  is prepared  shall be of a quality  suitable  for 
human  consumption  and free from objectionable  odours .   
  
4.1.2.  The product  shall be prepared,  handled  and delivered  under  hygienic  
conditions.   
4.1.3.  The product  shall be prepared  in a facility  which  is complying  with KS EAS 
39. 
 
4.2. Raw material  requirements  
 
4.2.1.  Meat   
Meat  shall be derived  from animals  slaughtered  in a hygienically  managed  slaughter  
house complying  with KS 2761.  
   
4.2.2.  Optional  Ingredients   
 
All optional  ingredients  used  shall be of food grade  quality  and conform  to applicable  
Kenyan  Standards.    
 
4.2.2.1.  Fillers  and binders  
4.2.2.1.1.  carbohydrates  such  as but not limited  to meal,  flour or starch 
prepared  from grain ,  potato  or sweet  potato;  bread,  biscuit  rusk or 
bakery  products;   
4.2.2.1.2.  proteins  such  as milk powder,  skim milk powder,  butter  milk 
powder,  caseinate,  whey  powder,  egg protein,  dried  blood  products,  DKS 2844:2018  
 
©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved      3 vegetable  protein  products;   
 
4.2.2.2.  Sucrose , invert  sugar,  dextrose  (glucose),  lactose,  maltose,  glucos e 
syrup  (including  corn syrup).  
4.2.2.3.  Spices,  seasonings  and condiments  complying  with respective  Kenya  
Standards.   
4.2.2.4.  Salt complying  with  KS EAS 35 
4.2.2.5.  Water  complying  with KS EAS 12  
4.2.2.6.    Food  additives  used  in the fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products  shall 
be in accordance  with the Food,  Drugs  and Chemical  Substances  Act, 
Cap.  254 of the Laws  of Kenya  and Codex  GSFA .  
 
5. Essential  Composition  and Quality  Requirements  
 
Fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products  shall comply with the requirements  in Table  1. 
 
Table  1— Compositional  Requirements  for fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products.  
 
SL No.  Characteristic  Limit for final 
product (raw),%  Test Method  
I.  Total meat Content, Min.  50  
 
KS 166  II.  Fat Content, Max.  30 
III.  Total  Ash, Max.   3.0 
 
 
6. Hygiene  requirements   
 
6.1. Fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  shall be prepared,  handled  and stored  in accordance  
with the appropriate  sections  of KS EAS 39 and  KS 2761   
 
6.2. All workers  shall use appropriate  personal  protective  equipment  that does  not 
contaminate  the product.  
 
6.3. All workers  shall undergo  a food handlers  test before  their deployment  and every  
so often  as per   the Public  Health  Act Cap 242 and Food,  Drugs  and Chemical  
substances  Act Cap 254. 
 
6.4. Necessary  precautions  shall be taken  to prevent  incidental  contamination  of the 
product  from soiled  and/or  dirty equipment  or from persons  suffering  from injuries.  
 
6.5. All equipment  coming  into contact  with raw material  or product  in the course  of 
manufacture  shall be kept clean.  
 
6.6. Adequate  supply  of running  potable  water  that complies  with EAS 12 and/or  
steam/boiling  water,  brushes,  and other  equipment  necessary  for proper  cleaning  
of machinery/equipment  shall be available.  
 
6.7. The equipment  shall be cleaned,  sanitised  and/or  disinfected  using  an appropr iate 
food grade  agent  or with hot water  at a temperature  above  82 ºC. 
 DKS 2844:2018  
         ©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved  4 7. Safety  requirements  
 
7.1. Microbiological  limits  
Fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  shall comply  with the microbiological  requirements  given  in 
Table  2  
 
Table  2: Microbiological  limits  for fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products  
 
SL No. Micro -organism  Max.  limits  Test method    
1)  Aerobic  colony  count  – 
cfu/g   <107 KS ISO 4833  
2)  E. coli O157:H7 Absent  in 25 g KS ISO 16654  
3)  Coagulase  positive  
Staphylococcus  aureus ,  
cfu/ g 103 KS ISO 6888 -1 
4)  Salmo nella  ssp  Absent  in 25 g KS ISO 6579  
5)  Listeria  monocytogenes  Absent  in 25 g KS ISO 11290 -1 
6)  Campylobacter - for 
poultry  products   Absent  in 25 g ISO 10272 -2: 
 
8. Veterinary  drug  residues  
 
The products  covered  by this standard  shall comply  with the maximum  residue  limits  
specified  in CAC/MRL  2- Maximum  Residue  Limits  for Veterinary  Drugs  in Food.  When  
analyzed  by the appropriate  approved  methods,  the products  shall not contain  any 
antibiotics  above  the approved  limits.   
 
9. Limits  for heavy  metal  contaminants  
 
Fresh  coarsely  ground  meat  products  shall not contain  heavy  metal  contaminants  in 
excess  of the limits  given  in Table  3 when  tested  by methods  mentioned  therein . 
 
Table  3: Limits  for heavy  metal  contaminants  
 
SL No.  Contaminants 
limits  Maximum limits  
Ppm  Test methods  
I.  Arsenic (Ar)  0.1 AOAC 986.15 EN14332, 14627  
II.  Lead (Pb)  0.1 AOAC 999.10, 999.11, 986.15 
EN14082, 14083,14084  
III.  Cadmium (Cd) 0.05 AOAC 986.15, 999.11,973.34 EN 
14082,18083,14084  
IV.  Mercury (Hg) 0.03 AOAC 971.21  
 
*Note: where a risk assessment in dicated the possibility of occurrence of other heavy 
metal contaminants not listed, then the product shall be tested.  
 
10. Meat  identification  
 DKS 2844:2018  
 
©KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved      5 The identification/isolation  of meat  species  shall be done  according  to KS 2763  or any 
other  validated  test method.  
 
11. Packaging  and labeling  
 
11.1.  Packaging  
 
Packaging  shall be done  in food grade  packaging  materials  that protect  the product  
from any physical,  microbiological,  chemical  or any other  type of contamination  during  
handling,  storage  and distribution.   
 
The packages  shall be able to withstand  the rigors  of handling  and transportation  and 
shall not be exposed  to direct  sun or rain. 
 
For the burgers,  food grade  separators  shall be used  in layer  packing  of patties.   
 
11.2.  Labelling   
 
Labelling  of packages  shall be done  in accordance  with the requirements  stipulated  in 
EAS 38, Labelling  of pre-packaged  food and shall include  the following:  
a) Description  /Name  of the product  as appropriate   
b) List of ingredients  in descending  order  
c) Allergens  declaration   
d) Name,  location  and address of manufacturer  
e) Net weight,  in metric  units   
f) Declaration  as “raw”  product  
g) Declaration  of minimum  meat  content   and maximum  fat content  by % 
h) Date  of manufacture  
i) Expiry  date 
j) Batch  number  
k) Instructions  for use (must  inform  the end-user to cook  the product  for e 
recommended  period  of time before  consumption)  
l) Storage  conditions  and temperature  of storage  
m) Country  of origin  or “Made  in Kenya”  for locally  manufactured  products.