PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS DEAS 83 
First  Edition  
2016-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DEAS 83: 2016 
© UNBS 201 6 
  
Fresh tomatoes — Specification  
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 83:2016 
ii                © UNBS  2016  - All rights reserved 
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2016 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to 
The Executive Director 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
P.O. Box 6329 
Kampala 
Uganda 
Tel: 256 417 333 2 50/1/2/3 
Fax: 256 414 286 123 
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 83:2016 
© UNBS  2016 - All rights reserved                iii National foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amended.  UNBS is mandated to co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Draft Uganda Standard, DUS DEAS 83: 2016, Tomatoes — Specification,  is identical with  and has been 
reproduced from a Draft East African Standard , DEAS 83: 2016, Tomatoes — Specification,  and is being 
proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard. 
This standard was developed by the Food and agriculture  Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2). 
Wherever the words, “ East African Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
   DEAS 83: 2016 
ICS 67.080  
© EAC 2016                                                                                                                           Second  Edition 2016  
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
Tomatoes — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY DEAS 83: 2006 
ii © EAC  2016  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice 
This EAC document is copyright-protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community 2016— All rights reserved 
East African Community  
P.O.Box 1096 
Arusha 
Tanzania 
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8 
Fax: 255 27 2504481/2504255 
E-mail: eac@eachq.org 
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be persecuted DEAS 83: 2016  
© EAC 2016  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents Page 
Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ ...................... 1 
2 Normative references  ................................................................ ................................ ............................ 1 
3 Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................................................ .............. 1 
4 Minimum  quality requirements  ................................ ................................................................ ............ 2 
5 Classification and sizes  ................................................................ ................................ ........................ 3 
5.1 Extra Class  ................................ ................................ ................................................................ ............. 3 
5.2 Class I  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ ..................... 3 
5.3 Class II  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ .................... 3 
5.4 Sizing  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ ...................... 4 
5.4.2 Tolerances  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ .................. 4 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................................................ ......... 4 
6.1 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................................................ ........ 4 
6.2 Metal contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................................................ ...... 4 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ ................... 5 
8  Unif ormity and packaging  ................................................................ ................................ ................... 5 
8.1 Uniformity  ................................ ................................ ...................................Error! Bookmark not defined.  
8.2 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ...................................Error! Bookmark not defined.  
9. Labeling  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ .................. 5 
10 Sampling  ................................ ................................................................ ................................ ................ 5 
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................................ 6  
. DEAS 83: 2006 
iv © EAC  2016  – All rights reserved  
 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.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community. 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
EAS 83 was prepared by Technical Committee EAS/TC 016 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 83:2016  
 
© EAC 2016  – All rights reserved  1 
 Fresh  tomatoes — Specification  
1 Scope 
This Draft East African Standard specifies requirements for fresh tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum ) of the 
family Solanaceae for direct human consumption.  
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. 
 
EAS 38, Labelling of pre-packaged foods — Specification 
EAS 39,  Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industries  
EAS 41, Fresh fruit and vegetable products – Sampling and method of test 
ISO 874, Fresh fruits and vegetables – Sampling  
ISO 6633, Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of lead content -- Flameless atomic 
absorption spectrometric method  
ISO 17240, Fruit and vegetable products -- Determination of tin content -- Method using flame atomic 
absorption spectrometry 
ISO 7952, Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of copper content -- Method using flame 
atomic absorption spectrometry 
ISO 6636-2, Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of zinc content -- Part 2: Atomic 
absorption spectrometric method 
ISO 17239, Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of arsenic content -- Method using 
hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry  Confo rmance  
3 Definitions  
For the purpose of this draft standard, the following definitions shall apply: 
3.1 
clean  
Free from dirt, dust, insect stains, traces of chemicals, or other foreign substances and material. 
3.2 
cloud (blotchy ripening ) 
Patches of tissues of  no definite pattern which fail to ripen normally.   
2 © EAC  2016  – All rights reserved  
 3.4 
green back 
Uneven distribution of green patches, which may be caused by physiological or pathological defects. 
3.5 
hard core 
A hard or solid area surrounding the core. 
3.6 
mature 
Fully developed or having a degree of ripeness that will ensure the completion of the ripening process after 
harvesting.  
3.7 
matured green 
The surface of the tomato is still green, the contents of the seed cavities have developed a jellied consistency 
and the seeds are fully developed. 
3.8 
damage 
Any defect or injury, which materially affects the appearance or storage quality of the vegetable. 
3.9 
diseases 
Any unhealthy condition caused by any fungus, bacterium, virus, pest or other cause and includes 
any fungus, bacterium, and virus or pest 
3.10 
similar varietal characteristics 
The tomatoes in any one lot are of the same type and colour. 
3.11 
diameter 
The greatest width measured in a line at right angles to the longitudinal section. 
3.12 
serious defects 
Surface blemishes of an aggregate area exceeding 15 per cent of the aggregate surface area of the 
tomatoes in the lot, or any deformities so serious as to cause a loss of over 20 per cent of the lot in the 
ordinary process of preparation for use 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements 
4.1 Tomatoes shall be  
a) clean, 
b) intact  
c) sound. 
d)  of similar varietal characteristics.  
© EAC 2016  – All rights reserved  3 
 e) free from foreign smell or taste. 
f) well formed according to variety. 
g) mature but not over-ripe or soft. 
h) free from disease, damage and decay. 
i) free from green backs, hard core, cloud and growth cracks. 
j) free from abnormal external moisture. 
4.1.2 The condition of the fresh tomatoes shall be such as enable them to: 
 
a) correspond to the particular characteristics of the variety, and 
 
b) withstand transport and handling;  
c) arrive in a satisfactory condition at the place of destination in order to ripen satisfactorily. 
 
4.2 Specific requirements 
4.2.1  Classification  
Fresh tomatoes shall be grouped into three classes: Extra Class, Class I and Class II. 
4.2.1 .1 Extra Class 
Tomatoes in this class shall be of superior quality. In addition to the minimum requirements as specified, the 
following shall apply: 
a) The tomatoes shall be firm. 
b) They shall have no defects. 
c) No green backs shall be allowed. 
d) A distinction is made between 'smooth' tomatoes and 'ribbed' tomatoes. The ribs shall not however extend 
for more than one-third of the peripheral distance between stalk and top. 
4.2.1 .2 Class I 
Tomatoes in this class shall be of good quality and shall comply with the requirements in 4.1. In addition the 
following shall apply: 
a) They shall be reasonably firm and without serious defects. 
b) They may have slight bruises. Healed or unhealed cracks and visible 'green backs' are excluded. 
c) A distinction is made between 'smooth' tomatoes and ‘ribbed’ tomatoes. The tomatoes shall  however be 
regular in shape. 
4.2.1.3  Class II 
This class shall comprise tomatoes of marketable quality, which do not qualify for inclusion in the other 
classes. They may have the following defects:  
4 © EAC  2016  – All rights reserved  
 a) The tomatoes may be irregular in shape. 
b) Healed cracks not more than 3 cm in length are allowed. 
c) slight green backs and hard core. 
4.2.2 Sizing 
The tomatoes shall be packed according to sizes specified in Table 1. 
Table 1 – Sizing for fresh tomatoes 
Size code  diameter (mm)  
0 ≤ 20 
1 ˂ 20 ≤ 25 
2 ˂ 25 ≤ 30 
3 ˂ 30 ≤ 35 
4 ˂ 35 ≤40 
5 ˂ 40 ≤47 
6 ˂ 47 ≤57 
7 ˂ 57 ≤ 67 
8 ˂ 67 ≤82 
9 ˂ 82 ≤102 
10 ˂ 102 
4.2.3 Tolerances  
The following tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed for tomatoes not satisfying the 
requirements of the class indicated on each package. 
a) Quality tolerance. In each container not more than 5 per cent of tomatoes (by weight or number) for Extra 
Class and not more than 10 per cent of tomatoes (by weight or number) for Class I and Class II shall be 
below the requirements specified for the particular class. 
b) Size tolerance. In each container not more than 10 per cent of the tomatoes shall fall into the size adjacent 
to that which is specified. 
6 Contaminants 
6.1 Pesticide residues  
Tomatoes shall comply with those maximum residue limits established by the Codex Committee on Pesticide 
Residues for this commodity. 
 
6.2 Metal contaminants 
When tested in accordance with ISO 6633, the Lead content in fresh tomat oes shall not exceed 0. 05 mg/kg.  
© EAC 2016  – All rights reserved  5 
 7 Hygiene  
Fresh tomat oes shall be prepared and handle d in accordance with CAC/RCP 53 -2003 . 
8  Packaging 
7.1 Fresh tomato es shall be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.  The food grade 
packaging material used inside the package shall be clean and of a quality  such as to avoid causing any 
external or internal damage to the produce.  The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing 
trade specifications is allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been done with non -toxic ink or glue.  
Packages must be free from any foreign matter and the material shall be recyclable.  
 
7.2   Fresh tomat oes shall also be packed in containers in accordance with ISO 7558. Every container shall be 
deep enough to take the whole length of an individual tomato without a ny damage to the crown. Vertical 
containers are recommended.  When non -compartmented containers are used, individual tomatoes shall be 
wrapped in clean materials and extra padding material shall be placed around, under and over them to make 
a firm pack. Th e material used inside the containers shall be new and non -toxic.  
7.3 The contents of each package shall be uniform and consist exclusively of fresh tomat oes of the same 
origin, variety and/or commercial type, and quality.  The visible part of the content of the package shall be 
representative of the entire contents.  
9. Labeling 
In addition to the requirements of the EAS 38; the following specific provisions apply for each package; legibly 
and indelibly marked. 
i) Name, postal and physical address of the packer or dispatcher 
ii) Name of the produce as " Fresh tomatoes ",  
iii) Name of the variety or commercial type. 
iv) Origin of produce 
v) Harvest date 
vi) Net weight (kg). 
vii) Size code 
viii) Class 
ix) Identification code and/or batch number  
x) storage instructions 
 
 
10 Sampling  
Representative samples of fresh tomatoes shall be sampled in accordance with ISO 874. 
  
6 © EAC  2016  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography 
[1] Codex standard for tomatoes (Codex stan 293-2008)  
[2] UNECE standard ffv-36 tomatoes  DEAS 83: 2016    
 
© EAC 2016 – All rights reserved