DEAS 953:2019  
ICS nn.nnn.nn  
© EAS 2019                                                                                                                               First Edition 2019   
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Dressed poultry — Specification  
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY   
                                                                                                        DEAS 953: 2019  
ii © EAC  2019  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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© East African Community  2019  — All rights reserved  
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                                                                                                    DEAS 953:2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  iii 
 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 e xchanged 
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 Nat ional 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 co mments 
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 .  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 953:201 9 
 
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  1 
 Dressed poultry — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African  Standard specifies requirements , methods of sampling and test for dressed  poultry. It 
applies to birds domesticated for 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 reference s, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 38; Labelling  of pre -packaged foods — Specification  
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
Codex Stan 192, General standard f or food additives  
CAC/MRL 2 , Maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs in food   
CAC/GL 50,  General guidelines on sampling  
CAC/RCP 58,  Code of hygienic practice for Meat1 
EAS 12, Potable water — Specification  
EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
EAS 805, Use of nutritional and health claims — Requirement  
EAS 804, Claims on foods — Requirements  
Codex Stan 193, General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed  
ISO 11290 -1, Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for the detect ion and enumeration of Listeria 
monocytogenes and of Listeria spp.  
ISO 17294 -2, Water quality -- Application of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP -MS) -- Part 
2: Determination of selected elements including uranium isotopes  
ISO 4833, Microbi ology of foods and animal feeding stuffs ─ Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms – Part 2: Colony count technique at 30 °C   
                                                                                                        DEAS 953: 2019  
2 © EAC  2019  – All rights reserved  
 ISO 4833 -1, Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms -- Part 
1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique  
ISO 5961,  Water quality -- Determination of cadmium by atomic absorption spectrometry  
ISO 6579 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella 
spp.  
ISO 10272 -1, Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for detection and enumeration of 
Campylobacter spp. -- Part 1: Detection method  
ISO 17604,  Microbiology of the food chain -- Carcass sampling for microbiological analysis  
ISO 6633,  Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of lead content -- Flameless atomic 
absorption spectrometric method  
ISO 6637,  Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of mercury content -- Flameless atomic 
absorption method  
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   
ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
ISO 7937, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
Clostridium perfringe ns — Colony count technique  
OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code   
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply / the terms and definitions 
given in … and the following apply.  
3.1  
poultry  
birds  domesticated for  human consumption  including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea -fowls, quail or 
pigeons, Pheasant, Emu, Ostrich  
3.2 
carcass  
body  of a bird after dressing.  
3.3 
dressing  
progressive separation of a slaughter bird into a carcass , other  edible and inedible parts.  
                                                                                                    DEAS 953:2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  3 
 3.4  
food grade material  
materials that are free from substances that are hazardous to human health and may be permitted to come in 
contact with food  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Live poultry  
The poultry shall be subjected to ante -mortem and post -mortem inspection.  
4.2 Transportation of live bird  
The transportation of live poult ry should comply with hygienic requirements specified in CAC/RCP 58 and OIE 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
4.3 Dressed poultry  
Dressed poultry shall be:  
a) properly bled and dressed carcass of live poultry slaughtered in licensed and inspected premises;  
b) suitably scalded and all pin -feathers and body hairs removed; and  
c) eviscerated, head  and feet removed.  
The carcass shall then be suitably chilled as re quired in Clause 5.  
The carcass should be dressed by folding back the wings and introducing the legs through the abdominal 
opening cut through the vent opening.  
Each carcass inspected and passed as fit for human consumption shall bear an approval stamp on the sticker 
attached to the package.  The carcass shall not show any evidence of deterioration, discoloration or any slimy 
appearance on storage.  
5 Types  and grades  of dressed poultry  
5.1 Types  
Dressed poultry shall be of the following two types:  
a) Type  A chilled dressed poultry, in which the carcass shall be chilled so that the temperature of the deepest 
portion of the flesh near the bone shall be 1 °C to 4 ˚C; and  
b) Type B frozen dressed poultry, in which the chilled carcass shall be individually pac kaged  in food grade 
materials  and shall be frozen solid at –18 °C. The giblets shall be removed and frozen separately, if 
necessary.  
5.2 Grades  
Depending upon the characteristics as given in table 1, dressed poultry shall be of two grades, namely Grade 
1 and Grade 2.  
 
  
                                                                                                        DEAS 953: 2019  
4 © EAC  2019  – All rights reserved  
  
 
Table 1 — Grading characteristics for dressed poultry  
No. Characteristics  Grade 1  Grade 2  
1 Conformation  Free of deformities that detract from its 
appearance or that affect the normal 
distribution of flesh. Slight deformities, such 
as slightly curved or dented breastbones and 
slightly curved backs may be present.  Slight abnormalities, such as curved or 
crooked, breastbone, crooked back or 
misshaped legs or wings, which do not 
materially affect the distribution of flesh or the 
appearance  of the carcass or part.  
2 Fleshing  The breast is moderately long and deep and 
has sufficient flesh to give it a rounded 
appearance with the flesh carrying well up to 
the crest of the breastbone along its entire 
length.  The breast has a substantial cov ering of flesh 
carrying up to the crest of the breastbone 
sufficiently to prevent a thin appearance.  
3 Fat covering  The fat is well distributed so that there is a 
noticeable amount of fat in the skin in the 
areas between the heavy feather tracts.  The f at under the skin is sufficient to prevent a 
distinct appearance of the flesh through the skin 
especially on the breast and legs.  
4 Defeathering  Free of pin feathers, diminutive feathers, and 
hair which are visible to the inspector or 
grader.  Not more than an occasional, protruding pin 
feather or diminutive feather shall be evident 
under a careful examination.  
5 Cuts and tears  Free of cuts and tears on the breast and 
legs.  The carcass may have very few minor cuts and 
tears.  
6 Discolouration  Disco louration due to bruising shall be free of 
clots. Flesh bruises and disclourations of the 
skin, such as, „blue back ‟ are not permitted.  Discolouration due to bruising shall be free of 
clots. Moderate areas of discolouration due to 
bruises in the skin or flesh such as „blue back‟ 
are permitted.  
 
Ungraded dressed poultry shall be that which does not fall within the re quirements of Grades 1 and 2 of this 
standard but is not rejected.  
6 Food additives  
Food additives , if used  in dressed poultry shall comply with Codex Stan 192 . 
7 Contaminants  
7.1 Heavy metals  
Dressed poultry shall conform to maximum levels for heavy m etals as specified in Table 2.  
 
                                                                                                    DEAS 953:2019  
© EAC 2019  – All rights reserved  5 
 Table 2 - Maximum limits  of heavy metals contaminants  
S/No.  Contaminants  Maximum limits  
ppm  Test method  
i) Arsenic (Ar)  0.1 ISO 17294 -2 
ii) Lead (Pb)  0.1 ISO 6633  
iii) Cadmium  0.03 ISO 5961  
iv) Mercury  0.01 ISO 6637  
  
7.2 Veterinary drug residues  
Dressed poultry  shall comply with the maximum drug residue limits specified in CAC/MRL 2 . 
7.3 Pesticide residues  
Dressed poultry shall comply with the maximum pesticide residue limits as specified by the Codex  
Alimentarius Co mmission.  
8 Hygiene requirements  
8.1 In addition to CAC/RCP 58  dressed poultry  shall be produced, processed, handled and s tored in 
accordance with EAS 39.  
8.2 The dressed poultry shall comply with the microbiological requirements given in Table 3. 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits for dressed poultry  
S/No.  Microorganism  Requirement  Test Method  
(i) Total plate  count , cfu/g , max.  105 ISO 4833 -1  
(ii) Staphylococcus aureas, cfu per g, max.  102 ISO 6888 -1  
(iii) Escherichia Coli, CFU, per g, max.  102 ISO 7251  
(iv) Salmonella, per 25 g, max.  Absent  ISO 6579  
(v) Clostridium perfringes  Absent  ISO 7937  
vi) Listeria monocytogens  Absent   ISO 11290 -1 
vii) campylobacter  in 25 g  Absent  ISO 10272 -1 
9 Packaging  
Dressed poultry shall be packaged in food gra de containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological, and organoleptic qualities of the product.  
10 Labelling  
Each carcass inspected and passed as fit for human consumption shall bear an approval stamp on a label  
attached to the pa ckage. In addition to the requirements of EAS 38 , the following labelling requirements shall apply 
and shall be legibly and indelibly labelled .  
  
                                                                                                        DEAS 953: 2019  
6 © EAC  2019  – All rights reserved  
 a) Type and grade of dressed poultry;  
b) Name of the manufacturer  and physical address;  
c) Country of origin;  
d) Batch or code number;  
e) Net weight and gross weight;  
f) Date of production / packaging;  
g) Storage condition; and  
h) Date of expiry;  
11 Sampling  
Sampling s hall be in accordance with the provisions of CAC/GL 50 for general sampling and ISO 17604 for 
microbiological analysis . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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© EAC 2019 – All rights reserved  
  
 Bibliography  
International Commission on Microbiological Specification for Foods ( ICMSF) book 8 -2011