KENYA STANDARD       DKS 2849  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Moringa leaf products — Code of practice  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KEBS 201 8         First Edition 201 8 
 
 
 
 
 DKS 2849          
 
ii                     © KEBS 2018  — All rights reserved    
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
Ministry of Health  
Agriculture and Food Authority ( AFA) — Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute  
Government Chemist ʼs Department  
Jomo Kenyatta University  of Agriculture and Technology — Department of Food Science and Technology  
Healthy -U Ltd . 
Gold Crown Beverages  
Consumer Information Network  
Pharmacy and Poisons Board  
Kili Naturals  
Melvin Marsh Internationals  
Moringa f or Life — EPZ Ltd . 
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 improvements to published standards, addressed to t he Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 201 8 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130  of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya  Standards and exc ept as provided under Section 25  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 Man aging Director . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD   DKS 2849  
 ICS 67.220.10   
iii                     © KEBS 2018 — All rights reserved   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Moringa leaf products  — Code of practice  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020) 604031  
E-Mail: info@keb s.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org   
 
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, 230939/40  Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396        Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555  
Fax: (+254 041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  
 DKS 2849          
 
iv                     © KEBS 2018  — All rights reserved    
Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was developed by the Technical Committee on Herbal Drinks  under the guidance of 
the Standards P roject s Committee, and it is in accordance with the p rocedures of the Kenya Bureau  of 
Standards .  
 
This Kenyan Standard is a national code of practice for the production of Moringa oleifera leaf products. The 
standard outlines the recommended codes of practice for the Moringa leaf products Industry.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following documents : 
 
GS 999: 2009, Ghanaian standard for Medicinal Plants - Code of practice for the production of 
Moringa leaf products .  
 
South African Standard SANS 1683:2015 - Moringa  
 
Kenya Go od Agricultural Practices  
 
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970  
 
WHO guidelines for assessing quality of herbal medicines.  
 
Food, Drugs and Chemical Substance Act, CAP 254 of the laws of Kenya.  
 
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistan ce derived from these  sources.  
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD         DKS 2849  
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved                      1  
 
 
Moringa leaf products — Code of Practice  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This Kenya Standard  provides guidance for production and hygienic processing of quality and safe moringa 
(Moringa oleifera)  leaf products .  
 
This standard  applies t o moringa leaf products  which are dehydrated either by natural drying and/or artificial 
drying.   
 
2 Normative r eferences  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this d ocument. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
KS EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
 
KS 137, Methods for sampling food and animal feedstuff s 
 
KS 2235 , Handling of herbal medicines — Code of hygiene  
 
SANS 1683, Moringa  
 
Methods of test for the soil  
 
3 Terms and d efinitions  
 
For the purposes of this document , the following terms and definition s apply.  
 
3.1 
traceability  
the ability to trace and track history, use or location of moringa leaf product by means of recorded 
identification  
 
3.2 
dehydration  
is the removal of moisture by natural and/or artificial means . 
 
3.3 
milling  
grinding of dry moringa leaf or leaves excluding the main stalk  
 
3.4 
sampling  
collective sample taken randomly from a lot during a conformity check  and inspection  
 
4 Requirements  
 
Moringa leaf products shall be processed from moringa leaves harvested from moringa plants that meet the 
following requirements.  
 
4.1 Cultivation  
 
Cultivation of the moringa plant shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Good Agricultural  DKS 2849  
            
                              © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  2 Practices (GAP) for Kenya .  
 
4.1.1  Site s election  
 
The moringa farm shall not be sited in areas wher e heavy metals are likely to be present and in areas with 
toxic soils such as near garages, refuse dumps and mining areas . 
 
The moringa plants shall be cultivated on soil that meets the requirements  for heavy metals given in T able 1.  
 
Table 1 — Requirement s for soil  for moringa plants  
 
S/N Heavy metal  Limit (mg/kg)  
 
i) Chromium (Cr)  200 
ii) Lead (Pb)  200 
 
NOTE  The above list is not exhaustive, additional heavy metals can be tested for enhanced quality assurance.  
 
4.1.2  Planting material  
 
The Moringa pla nts shall be cultivated using healthy seeds, cuttings and/or seedlings.  
 
4.1.3  Agrochemicals  
 
In the cultivation of moringa , synthetic agrochemical shall be avoided. Only natural or equivalent methods of 
soil enrichment are recommended, such methods includ e manuring, composting etc. The manure applied 
shall be devoid of human faeces and be thoroughly composted prior to application.  
 
Natural pest control methods and/or bio -pesticides are recommended for use as needed. If synthetic 
pesticides are suspected to  have been used, soil and plant analyses shall be conducted.  
 
4.2 Harvesting and t ransportation of moringa leaves  
 
4.2.1  Harvesting  
 
Moringa leaves shall be harvested fresh. Dry, wrinkled, yellowing and/or pest damaged leaves shall not be 
included.  
 
Moringa leaves shall not be placed directly on the ground after harvesting.  
 
4.2.2  Transportation  
 
4.2.2.1  Freshly harvested  moringa leaves shall be transported loosely in clean and well -ventilated 
containers that do not allow for change in the quality and com position of the harvested leaves.  
 
Appropriate transportation is done during the cooler hours of the day to prevent exposure to direct sunlight 
and heat degradation.  
 
4.2.2.2  Dried moringa leaves shall be transported in clean and dry  containers  that do no t affect the quality 
and composition of the leaves.  
 
4.3 Preparation and p rocessing of moringa leaves  
 
4.3.1  Hygiene  
 
Moringa leaf products shall be prepared and handled in hygienic conditions in accordance with KS EAS 39 
and the Public Health A ct. 
 
To en sure the safety of moringa , it is necessary that employees handling the moringa are medically                        DKS 2849  
 
 
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved          
     3 
 examined and certified as fit to work in a food  processing plant . 
 
The staff shall be adequately trained in hygiene and hygiene practices . 
 
4.3.2  Cleaning  of mori nga leaves  
 
Freshly harvested moringa leaves may be pre -treated by soaking for 3 min in 1% saline solution or other 
food grade sanitizing solution. The pre -treated leaves shall be allowed to drip dry and then transferred to the 
drying area.  
 
4.3.3  Drying o f moringa leaves  
 
In drying, the leaves shall be protected from direct sunlight since drying in the sun will leach out the essential 
nutrients. Moringa leaves shall be evenly spread out to dry on clean net/mesh trays in the shade or in a 
drying chamber.  
 
Moisture content after drying should not exceed 10%.  
 
NOTE  Too high a temperature is known to negatively affect the quality of moringa . For artificial drying, i t is recommended that 
moringa leaves be dried  between 50  ºC - 52 ºC until the recommended moistur e content of 10% or below is achieved.  
 
4.3.4  Milling of moringa leaves  
 
Dried moringa leaves shall be milled into powder using an appropriate equipment such as stainless steel 
hammer mill installed in a clean and enclosed environment with appropriate dust  containment measures.  
Coarse particles may be separated using  a mechanical sieving machine fitted with stainless steel mesh and 
re-milled. Mesh size shall be between 0.2 mm and 1.5  mm. 
 
4.4 Handling and storage of processed moringa leaves  
 
4.4.1  Handling  
 
All persons handling and processing moringa leaves for production shall comply with personal hygiene 
requirements stated in 4.3.1.  
 
4.4.2  Storage  
 
The dried moringa leaf powder is packed into clean, single -use bags and sealed. This is enclosed in a 
seco ndary packaging  and sealed  to maintain freshness and dryness prior to use at the production floor.  
 
4.5 Processing and p ackaging of moringa leaf products  
 
4.5.1  Personal hygiene  
 
All persons involved in processing and packaging of moringa leaf products sha ll comply with personal 
hygiene requirements stated in 4.3.1 . 
 
4.5.2  Personnel  
 
i)   Local experts responsible for the field collection shall have formal or informal practical education and 
training in plant sciences and have practical experience in fieldw ork. 
  
ii)  They shall be responsible for training any collectors who lack sufficient technical knowledge to 
 perform the various tasks involved in the plant collection process.  
 
iii)  They are also responsible for the supervision of workers and the full d ocumentation of the work 
performed.  
 
iv)  Field personnel shall have adequate botanical training, and be able to identify moringa  oleifera .  
  DKS 2849  
            
                              © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  4 v)  Local experts shall serve as knowledgeable links between non -local people and local communities 
and collectors . All collectors and local workers involved in the collection operation shall have 
sufficient knowledge of the species targeted for collection and be able to distinguish target species 
from botanically related and/or morphologically similar species. Collec tors shall also receive 
instructions on all issues relevant to the protection of the environment and the conservation of plant 
species, as well as the social benefits of sustainable collection of moringa  oleifera .  
 
vi)  The collection team shall take meas ures to ensure the welfare and safety of staff and local 
communities during all stages of moringa oleifera  leaf sourcing and trade. Appropriate protective 
clothing, including gloves, shall be worn when necessary.  
 
4.5.3  Production  
 
All persons involved in processing and packaging of moringa leaf products shall ensure that they adhere to 
good manufacturing practices , safety procedures , Occupational Safety and Health A ct (OSHA ) and follow 
production protocols at all times.  
 
4.5.4  Additives and preservatives  
 
In the processing of moringa leaf products, additives and artificial preservatives shall not be used.  
 
4.5.5  Processing conditions  
 
Moringa leaf products shall be processed under controlled temperatures. The processing temperature and 
humidity shall be wel l monitored and recorded.  
 
5 Packaging  
 
Moringa leaf products shall be packaged in clean, dry and opaque containers made of materials which do not 
affect the quality of the product. The packaging shall be done in such a manner as to allow the moringa leaf 
powder to retain its freshness over the shelf life period. Each unit package shall be properly sealed to 
prevent the leakage of the contents and the absorption of moisture.  
 
NOTE  Food or p harmaceutical grade material is used, and information is available from packaging material suppliers.  
 
6 Labelling  
 
Labelling of moringa  shall be done in accordance with the requirements on labelling KS EAS 38 . The 
moringa leaf products shall be tested regularly to ensure values presented conform with the product 
specific ation on the label.  
 
7 Sampling  
 
Sampling for moringa  shall be done in accordance with KS 137.