DEAS 1129 : 2023  
ICS 67.220.20  
 
© EA C 2023                                                                                                                               First Edition 2023  
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Natural cinnamon extract — Specification  
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 DEAS 1129 : 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  ii 
 Copyright notice  
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 DEAS 1129 : 2023  
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 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 throu gh 
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 Afri can Standards (EAS).  The Committee is composed of representatives 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 representative 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 Standar ds Bodies in the Partner 
States. The comments received 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 revie w, 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 .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Co mmittee EASC/TC 005, Food  additives . 
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 responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
  DEAS 1129 : 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  iv 
 Introduction  
Natural c innamon extract has a strong cinnamon aroma and taste s like fresh, ground cinnamon . Natural 
cinnamon extract is obtained from the bark of cinnamon species namely Cinnamomum verum, Cinnamomum 
zeylanicum, and Cinnamon aromaticum  by alcohol extraction . Natura l cinnamon extract is used in flavouring 
various food products such as ice creams, syrups, baked goods, mulled ciders and tea and coffee. Natural 
cinnamon extracts contain ethyl alcohol, water and cinnamon bark oil.  It may contain non -flavour  ingredients 
include propylene glycol.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1129 : 2023  
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  1 
 Natural cinnamon extract — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for natural cinnamon 
extract  obtained from the bark of cinnamon specie s namely  Cinnamomum verum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum 
or Cinnamon aromaticum  for use for use as a flavouring agent in food products . 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements 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 999.11, Determination of Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in Foods, Atomic Absorption 
Spectropho tometry after Dry Ashing  
CAC/GL 50, General guidelines on sampling  
Codex 193, General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
EAS 39, Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry  
CODEX STAN 107, General standard f or the labelling of food additives when sold as such  
ISO 4833 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms – Colony \-count technique at 30 °C 
ISO 6579 , Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of salmonella spp  
ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts 
and moulds — Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equ al to 0,95  
EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
ISO 16649 -1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta -glucuronidase -
positive Escherichia coli — Part 1: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using membranes and 5 -bromo -4-
chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
ISO 16050 , Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products — High-performance liquid chromatographic m ethod  
ISO 6637 , Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of mercury content -- Flameless atomic 
absorption method  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain ter minological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  2 
 3.1  
cinnamon spice  
spice  that is the cured, dried, and conditioned bark of Cinnamomum verum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum or 
Cinnamon aromaticum   
3.2  
natural cinnamon extract  
solution  of the sapid and odorous principles extractable s obtained  from cinnamon spice  
3.3  
food grade material  
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.  
4 Ingredient s 
4.1 Essential ingredient  
Cinnamon spice extractives, ethyl alcohol and water  complying with the relevant East African standards  
4.2 Optional Ingredients  
Natural cinnamon extract may contain one or more of the following optional ingredients and shall comply to the 
relevant standard:  
a) glycerine;  and 
b) propylene glycol ;  
5 Requirements  
5.1 General requirements  
Natural cinnamon  extract shall:  
a) have the  characteristic  aroma, flavour and colour; and 
b) not be mixed with any synthetic flavour material . 
 
5.2 Specific requirements  
Natural cinnamon extract flavour  shall comply with the physicochemical requirements in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Physicochemical  requirements for natural cinnamon extract  
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i Alcohol % (v/v), min  35 EAS 104  
ii pH 4 -  6.5 ISO 10523  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  3 
 6 Hygiene  
6.1 Natural cinnamon extract shall be prepared and packaged in premises built and maintained under 
hygienic cond ition in accordance with EAS 39 . 
6.2 The product shall comply with microbiological limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the 
test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for natural cinnamon extract  
S/N Microorganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i. Total viable count, Cfu/ ml 104 ISO 4833 -1 
ii. Yeast and moulds , cfu/ml 102 ISO 21527 -1 
iii. Salmonella spp in 25 ml Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iv. E. Coli, cfu/ml Absent  ISO 16649 -2 
 
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Pesticide residues  
Natural cinnamon extract shall comply with pesticide residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission for this commodity.  
7.2 Heavy metals 
Natural cinnamon extract shall comply with the maximum levels for the heavy metals given in Table 3 when 
tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 3 — Permitted maximum level of heavy metals in natural cinnamon extract  
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum limit  
mg/kg  Test method  
i. Lead (Pb)  3.0 AOAC 999.11  
iii. Arsenic (As)  1.0 AOAC 999.11  
iv Cadmium (Cd)  0.01 AOAC 999.11  
v Mercury (Hg)  0.01 ISO 6637  
 
7.3 Mycotoxin  
Natural cinnamon extract shall comply with mycotoxin limits of given in Table 4 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein.  
Table 4 — Mycotoxins limits for natural cinnamon extract  
S/N Mycotoxin  Maximum limit 
µg/kg  Test method  
i.  Aflatoxin B 1 5 ISO 16050  
ii.  Total aflatoxin  10 
  
  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  4 
  
98 Packaging  
Natural cinnamon extract shall  be packaged  in food grade  material  to safeguard  the safety,  hygienic,  nutritional 
and organoleptic  qualities  of the product.  
9 Labelling  
9.1 In addition to the requirements in CODEX STAN 107 , each package shall be legibly and indelibly 
labelled with the name of the product as “Natural cinnamon extract . 
9.2 The labelling shall be in English or any other official language used in the importing East African Partner 
State.  
10 Sampling  
Sampling  shall  be done  in accordance  with CAC/GL 50 . 
 DEAS 1129 : 2023    
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved