DRAFT KENYA STANDARD   DKS 1485: 2018  
                                                            ICS 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flavoured Soft Drinks - Specification  
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  KEBS 2018      Second  Edition 2018KS 1485 : 2018  
ii         © KEBS — All rights reserved   
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
Delmonte Kenya Ltd  
Gonas Best Ltd  
Kenafric Industries  
Aquamist Ltd  
PATCO Industries Ltd  
Kevian Kenya Ltd  
Coca -Cola Central East and West Africa Ltd 
Victoria Juice Ltd  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)  
Government Chemist’s Department  
Consumer Information Network  
Jomo Kenyatta Universit y of Agriculture and Technology - Department of Food Science 
and Post -Harvest  Technolog y  
Agriculture and Food Authority  
Kenya Bureau of Standards - Quality Assurance  
Kenya Bureau of Standards - Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
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reviewed. Suggestions for improvements to published standards, addressed to the 
Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 Kenya Bureau of Standards, 20 17 
 
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 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 transmi tted by any means without prior permission in writing from the Managing 
Director . 
 
   DRAFT KENYA STANDARD                           DKS 1485 : 2018  
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Water - Based Flavoured Drink - Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
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  DRAFT KENYA STANDARD                           DKS 1485 : 2018  
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved     
 
 KS 1485 : 2018    
v © KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved   
 
NATIONAL FOREWORD  
 
 
This Kenya Standard was developed by the Technical Committee on Flavoured soft drink under the 
guidance of the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya 
Bureau of Standards.  
This standard covers all types of Flavoured soft drinks  made from water, permitted sweetening agents either 
nutritive or nonnutritive sweeteners used singly or in combination and permitted food additives, natural or 
synthetic colourings, flavouring emulsions, among other permit ted ingredie nts. F lavoured soft drinks shall be 
distinguished from carbonated soft drinks, fruit squashes, fruit juices fruit -based soft drinks and flavoured 
water through appropriate labelling.  
The standard stipulates the chemical, microbiological and other quality limits for flavoured  soft drinks.  
Labelling requirements of Water -Based flavoured drinks have been incorporated in this standard to prevent 
any misrepresentations of the products through, say, fruit pictorials on the labels.  
 
During the preparation of th is standard, reference was made to the following documents:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved     
 
Water Based Flavoured  drink -Specification  
 
 
1. Scope  
 
This Kenya Standard prescribes the requirements, methods of test  and methods of 
sampling  for water based flavoured drinks . 
 
1.2 Field of application  
 
This standard covers water based flavoured  drinks made from natural or synthetic colourings, 
natural and artificial flavourings, emulsions, water, sweetening agents and other optional permitted 
ingredients.  
 
2. Normative Reference  
 
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 edi tion of the referenced document (including any amendments) 
applies.  
 
KS 224:2017 - Fruit drinks and squashes - Specification  
KS 77 -2000 - soft fruit juice - Specification  
KS EAS 38: 2014 - Labelling of pre -packaged foods  
KS EAS 39: 2000 - Code of practice - Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry  
CODEX STAN 192 - General Standard for Food Additives  
KS EAS 29:2000 - Carbonated (beverages) soft drinks - Specification . 
KS EAS 12: 2014 - Potable Water - Specification  
KS EAS 770: 2012 - Fortified sugar — Specification  
KS 660:2007 - Guide to the safe use of food additives  
KS 1701 -2009 - Refined white sugar — Specification  
KS ISO 4831 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for the detection 
and enumeration of Colif orms -Most probable number techniques  
KS ISO 4832 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of coliforms - Colony -count technique   
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved    KS ISO 7251 - Microbiology of food and animal feeds - Horizontal method for the detec tion and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli - Most probable number technique  
KS 6561 -1- Fruits, vegetables and derived products - Determination of cadmium content - Part 1: 
Method using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry  
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)  
KS ISO 4833 -1- Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
micro organisms - Part 1: Colony count at 30°c by the pour plate technique.  
 
KS ISO 6579 -1- Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration 
and serotyping of salmonella - Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
 
KS ISO 17239 - Fruits, Vegetables and derived products - Determination of arsenic content - Method 
using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric  
 
KS ISO 17240 - Fruits and vegetable products - Determination of tin content - Method using flame 
atomic absorption spectrometri c 
 
KS ISO 12193:2004 - Animal and vegetable fats and oils - Determination of lead by direct graphite 
furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy.  
  
 
3. Terms, definitions and abbreviation  
 
For the purposes of this standard, the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1   Water Based flavoured  drinks  
 
shall be the concentrated or ready -to-drink products prepared from water, sweetening agents, natural, nature 
identical or artificial fruit flavourings, permitted colourings and other optional permitted ingredients  
 
3.2   Absence of defects  
these products shall be free from foreign material such as grit and dirt  
 
 
3.3 INS 
 
the International Numbering System used in identifying the approved food additive  
 
3.4 Portable Water  
 
shall be the product complying with KS EAS 12  
 
3.5 Food Ad ditive  
 
means any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally used as a typical  
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved    ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional addition of which to food for a 
technological (including organoleptic) p urpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, 
packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result 
(directly or indirectly), in it or its by -products becoming a component of or otherwise af fecting the 
characteristics of such foods. The term does not include contaminants or substances added to food for 
maintaining or improving nutritional qualities. ( general standard for fo od additives Codex STAN 192 ) 
 
3.6 Concentrated Products  
 
A concentrate is a form of substance wh ich does not have  the majority of its base solvent, water.  
 
3.7 Ready to drink -define  
 
Ready to drink are packaged beverages that are  those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption.  
 
3.8 hermetically sealed  
 
A hermetic s eal is the quality of a container or structure that is airtight (excluding passage of air, oxygen, or 
other gases).  
 
3.9 Uniform  
 
Not changing in form or character; remaining the same in all cases and at all time.  
 
4. Requirements  
 
4.1. General Requirements  
Flavoured soft drinks shall be prepared from portable water complying with KS EAS 12, Refined white sugar 
complying  KS 1701, KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods , permitted colourings, permitted 
flavourings and other optional permitted ingredients co ntained in the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances 
Act, Cap. 254 of the Laws of Kenya and CODEX STAN 192, General Standard for Food Additives. The 
mixing, processing and packaging of the Flavoured soft drinks shall be done in accordance KS EAS 39: 
Code of practice - Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry  
4.2. Degrees brix  
 
Water based flavoured drinks shall show a minimum reading of 30° Brix for the concentrated products and 
10° Brix for ready to drink products when measured at 20°C in accordance wi th the test methods stipulated 
in the Annex A of KS 224. Special dietary foods recommended for calorie reduced diet shall be foods that 
contain not more that 50% of the total calorie normally present in foods of the same class  
 
Note: For example, for a 50% reduce calorie drink, the brix will be 15° Brix and 5 ° Brix for the concentrated and ready to 
drink, respectively.  
 
 
4.3. For special dietary water based drinks sweetened exclusively with permitted non -nutritive 
sweeteners the requireme nts stipulated in 4.2 shall not apply.  
 
 
 
 
5. Essential composition and quality factors   
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved    5.1. Permitted Ingredients  
 
5.1.1.  Food Colors  
Only permitted food colours in accordance with the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act shall be 
applied and codex General Standard for Food Additives.  
 
5.1.2.  Sweetening Agents  
Sucrose, glucose (dextrose anhydrous) or fructose, natural sweeteners and any other nutritive permitted 
nutritive sweeteners can be used. Non -nutritive sweeteners are prohibited unless clearly declared as a 
product for special dietary uses.  
 
5.1.3.  Preservatives  
Only those preservatives permitted by the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act shall be applied and in 
amounts not exceeding the limits in KS 660 and Codex General Standard for Food Additives.   
 
5.2. General  requirements of finished products  
 
5.2.1.   The product s hall  
i)  have a uniform color  
ii) shall possess a good body,  
iii) shall be free from defects  
iv) shall possess normal characteristic taste and flavour.  
5.2.2.  Absence of toxic substances  
Water based flavoured drink  shall not contain any substances harmful or injurious  to health.  
 
6. Food Additives  
 
The use of food additives is justified only when such use has an advantage, does not present an 
appreciable health risk to consumers, does not mislead the consumer, and serves one or more of 
the technological functions set out by the ( Codex STAN 192 ). 
 
The product shall comply with the maximum  use levels stipu lated in the Codex STAN 192 , General 
Standard for Food Additives . Water based -flavoured drink shall contain permitted food additives in 
accordance with t he Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254 of the Laws of Kenya 
and Codex  STAN 192 ). 
 
7. Contaminants  
7.1. Limits for heavy metals contaminants  
 
Water based -flavoured drink in solid form shall not contain  heavy metal contaminants in exces s of the limits  
given in Table 1 .  
 
Table 1  – Limits for heavy metal contaminants in flavoured soft drink  
 
 
SL. No.  Contaminants  Maximum level  Test Method  
i)  Arsenic (As)  0.2 mg/kg  ISO 17239  
ii)  Lead (Pb)  0.3 mg/kg  KS ISO 9526  
iii)  Tin (Sn)  200 mg/kg  KS ISO 2447   
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved     
7.2. Other Contaminants  
The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall conform to those maximum levels for 
contaminants established by the Codex Alimetarius Commision for these products  
 
 
8. Hygiene  
 
8.1. Manufacturing Premises  
 
The product shall be manufactur ed in approved and licensed premises in accordance with the Food, Drugs 
and Chemical Substances Act, Cap. 254 and the Public Health Act Cap. 242 of the Laws of Kenya. The 
product shall also be prepared in accordance with the requirem ents of KS 05 -1500 - KS EAS 38.  
 
8.2. Microbiological Limits  
 
The product shall be free from pathogenic organisms and shall comply with the microbiologi cal 
limits stipulated in Table 2 .  
 
Table 2  – Microbiological limits for flavoured soft drink in solid form  
 
SL. No.  Micro -Organism  Limit  Test  Method  
i)  Coliforms,  per 100mL  Not detectable  KS ISO 4831 or 
KS ISO 4832  
ii)  Escherichia coli, per 25g, (cfu/g), 
max Not detectable  KS ISO 7251  
iii)  Yeast and moulds (cfu/g), max.  10 KS ISO 6881 -1 
iv)  Staphylococcus .aureas, per 25g  Not detectable  KS ISO 6881 -1 
v)  Shigella  per 25g  Not detectable  KS ISO 4833 -1 
vi)  Salmonella , per 25g  Not detectable  KS ISO 6579 -1 
vii)  Vibrio cholera , per 25g  Not detectable  KS ISO 6579 -1 
 
 
7 Packaging  
 
7.1 The product shall be packed in food -grade packaging  material which is inert, water proof 
and hermetically sealed.  
7.2 Where packaging has been done in cans, they shall be lacquered  
 
 
8 Labelling  
 
8.1 Labelling of flavoured  soft drink in solid form shall be done in accordance with the requirements on 
labelling KS EAS  38, Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, and CODEX STAN 1 -1985 - General Standard for the 
Labelling of Prepackaged Foods.  
 
Prepackaged food shall not be described or presented on any label or in any labelling in a manner that is 
false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any 
respect and shall include the following:  
 
i) Name of product such as “Orange flavoured drink” or “Lemon flavoured drink ”;   
© KEBS 2017  — All rights reserved     
ii) List of all ingredients shall be listed in descending order of ingoing weight (m/ m) and  it shall 
include specific names of additives and/or the INS number at the time of the manufacture of the 
food.  
 
iii)  Name, physical location and address of manufacturer;  
 
iv) Net Volume in ml or L ;  
 
v) Batch number;  
 
vi) Expiry date including day, month and year;  
 
vii) Country of manufacture or “Made in Kenya” for locally manufactured products;  
 
viii) Storage conditions;  
 
ix) Directions of use stating the recommended amount of the product that should be applied in a 
stated volume of potable water;  
 
x) Cautionary statement that “upon o pening a can of the product, contents should be consumed 
within a stated time period”  
 
9.2. Pictorial representations - Pictorial representations - The use of fruit pictorials in either 
form such as pictures, graphics are prohibited . 
 
9.3. Non- Nutritive sweeteners - The use of nonnutritive sweeteners shall necessitate the clear 
indication that the product is for special dietary uses.  
 
10.       Sampling  
 
The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall be tested using appropriate 
standard methods declared in this standard. Other tests may be performed as per the 
methods given in the latest edition of AOAC/Codex/ISO and other internationally 
recognized methods.