KENYA STANDARD           KS 1093: 2018 
                                                                                                                     
ICS 67.220.10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cardamon  powder  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 1093: 201 8 
                             KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  ii  
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 201 8             Third  
Edition 201 8 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
Ministry of Health — Public Health Department  
Government Chemist ’s Department  
Jomo Kenyatta University  of  Ag riculture and Technology  
Technical University of  Kenya — Department of Food and Beverage 
Production.  
Consumer Information Network  
Unilever (K) Ltd . 
Tropical Heat Ltd.  
Jomu Spice Firm  
Adamji Multi Supplies  
Top Foods EA Ltd.  
University of Nairobi — Departme nt of Food Technology & Applied Nutrition  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast with the progress in the industry, Kenya standards shall 
be regularly reviewed. Suggestions for improvement of  published standards are 
welcome and should be addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
  
 iii  
 
 
 
©Kenya Bureau of Standards, 201 8 
 
 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, 
Cap. 12 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 transmitted by any means wi thout prior 
permission in writing from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA STANDARD                        KS 1093: 201 8 
                              ICS 
67.220.10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 1093: 201 8 
                             KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  iv  
Cardamon  powder  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STAND ARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 
602350, Fax: (+254 020) 604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org  
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley 
Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Bo x 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               
 
 
Foreword  
 
This second edition of this Kenya Standard was prepared by the Spices and 
Condiments Technical Committee under the guidance of the Food Industry  
 v Standards Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya 
Bureau of Standards.  
 
Cardamon powder is one of the important and commonly used materials for 
spicing foods. The standard specifies the minimum requirements and test 
methods for cardamon powder.  
 
This Third edition of the standard  cancels and replaces the second edition 
which has been withdrawn.  It  incorporates a table on heavy metal contaminant 
limits, reviewed physical and chemical lim its and microbiological limits that refer 
to  reviewed test methods in line with updated harmonised test methods now 
used in the EAS and global markets.  
The standar d also incorporates a packaging clause that secures the integrity 
and safety of the product.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, references were made to the following 
documents:  
 
IS: 1907 - 1984  Specification for cardamon capsules and seeds.  
 
ISO 882 :1980  Specification for c ardamons . 
 
SLS 166:1980  Specification for cardamons.  
 
Acknowledgment is hereby made for  the assistance derived from th ese source s. 
 KENYA STANDARD          KS 1093 : 201 8 
KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved                                                                                                                     1  
 
Cardamon  powder— Specification  
 
1 Scope  
 
This Kenya standard prescribes the requirements for c ardamom powder.  
 
 
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.  
 
KS ISO 4832:, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method 
for the enumeration of coli forms — Part 3: Colony -count technique.  
 
KS ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Part 6: Horizontal 
method for the detection of Salmonella spp.  
 
 
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)  Part 1: Technique us ing Baird -Parker agar medium.  
 
KS ISO 16654, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs  —  Horizontal 
method for the detection of Escherichia coli 0157.  
ISO 16654:2001/Amd 1:2017  - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs  —  
Horizontal method for the detection of Escherichia coli 0157  
Annex B: Result of interlaboratory studies...  
 
KS ISO 6633, Fruits ,Vegetables and derived produc ts- Determination of lead 
content - Flameless atomic absorption Spectrometric Method.  
 
 KS ISO 6634, Fruits ,Vegetables and derived products - Determination of 
Arsenic Content - Silver diethlydithiocarbamate spectrophotometric Method.  
 
KS EAS 39 ---Code of hy gienic practice for food and drink manufacturing companies  
 KS 1093: 201 8 
 
     KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  2 KS ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of Aflatoxin B 1,and the total contents of 
Aflatoxins B 1, B2, G 1 and G 2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High performance 
liquid chromatographic met hod  
 
Codex Stan 193 --Codex Standard for Contaminants in food and feeds . 
 
Codex Stan 192 - Codex standard for Additives in Foods  
 
KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods.  
 
KS ISO 927:2009  Spices and condiments - Determination of extraneous matter and fo reign 
matter.  
ISO 927 :2009 Cor. 1 :2012  
 
 
KS ISO 948 –Spices and condiments -- Sampling  
 
KS ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of Aflatoxin B 1,and the total contents of 
Aflatoxins B 1, B2, G 1 and G 2 in cereals, nuts and derived products — High perform ance 
liquid chromatographic method  
 
Codex Stan 193 --Codex Standard for Contaminants in food and feeds . 
 
Codex Stan 192 - Codex standard for Additives in Foods  
 
 
KS ISO 6571, Spices, condiments and herbs — Determination of volatile oil cont ent 
(hydro distil lation method).  
 
KS ISO 928 -Spices and condiments -- Determination of total ash.  
 
 KS ISO 930 -Spices and condiments -- Determination of acid -insoluble ash.  
KS ISO 939: --Spices and condiments -- Determination of moisture content -- Entrainment 
method .  
 
KS ISO 2253 - Curry powder - Specification . 
 
ISO 15061:  --Water quality -- Determination of dissolved bromate -- Method by liquid 
chromatography of ions . 
 
           KS 1093: 201 8 
 
KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved    3  
 
 
    
 
 
3 Description  
 
Cardamon powder is the product obtained through grinding of clean dry 
cardamoms  (Elettaria cardamomum ) either as whole capsule, separated seeds 
or combination of both.  
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 Cardamon po wder is the product obtained through grinding of clean dry 
Cardamons  (Elettaria cardamomum ) either as whole capsule, separated seeds 
or combination of both.  
 
4.1.2 Cardamon powder shall be free from foreign matter and insect infestation. 
It shall be free f rom any added colouring matter, preservatives and adulterants.  
 
4.1.3 Cardamon powder shall be ground to such fineness that 99 % of the 
material passes through 300 -micron sieve.  
 
4.2 Physical and chemical requirements  
 
Cardamon powder shall comply with the  physical and chemical limits given in 
Table 1.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 1 — Physical and chemical limits for Cardamon  powder  KS 1093: 201 8 
 
     KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  4  
Sl No.  Characteristic  Limit  
 Test method  
i) 
 Moisture content, % , by 
mass, max . 10.0 
 KS ISO 939:  
ii) 
 
 Total ash, %by mass, 
max.on dry matter basis . 10.0 KS ISO 928  
iii) 
 Acid-insoluble ash, % by 
mass, max . on dry matter 
basis.  
 1.0 
 
 KS ISO 930  
iv) 
 Volatile oil, %, by mass, 
min. 1.5 
 KS ISO 6571  
v) 
 Extraneous matter  
 Negligible  KS ISO 927  
vi) Foreign matter  
 Nil 
 KS ISO 927 Cor. 1  
vii) 
 
 
 
 Starch % by mass, max.  
 
a)  By acid hydrolysis 
method  
 
b)  By diastase hydrolysis 
method   
 
50 ? 
 
40 ?  
 
KS ISO 2253  
viii) Test for lead bromate  Negative  ISO 1506  
 
4.3 Heavy metal contaminants  
 
Cardamon powder shall comply with the heavy metal contaminant s limits given 
in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Heavy metal contaminant s limits for cardamon  powder  
 
Sl 
No. Characteristic  Limit  Test method  
 
i) 
  
Lead as  Pb, mg/kg. 
max. 
  
2.5 
 KS ISO 6633            KS 1093: 201 8 
 
KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved    5 ii) 
 Arsenic as As , 
mg/kg, max.  
 0.5 
 KS ISO 
6634,  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.4 Microbiological limits  
 
Cardamon powder shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 3.  
 
 
Table 3 — Microbiogical limits for cardamom po wder  
 
Sl 
No Characteristic  Limit  Test method  
 
i) E. Coli  Shall be absent 
in 1 g  KS ISO 16654  
ii) Coli form , max.  Shall be absent 
in 1 g   
KS ISO 4832  
Iii ) 
 Yeast and 
moulds  103 per g  KS ISO 21527 -2 
 
iv) Salmonella  Shall be  absent 
in 25  g.  
KS ISO 65 79 
v ) Staphylococcus 
aureaus  Shall be absent 
in 1 g.  
KS ISO 6888 -1- 
3 
 
 
5 Hygiene  
 
Cardamon powder  shall be manufactured under hygienic conditions complying 
with  KS EAS 39, the Public Health Act, Cap. 242 Laws of Kenya, Food Drugs 
and Chemical Substa nces Act, Cap. 254 of the Laws of Kenya.  KS 1093: 201 8 
 
     KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  6  
5.1 Aflatoxins  
 
Cardamon powder  shall not have more than 10 ppb total aflatoxins and 5 ppb 
Aflatoxin  B1, when tested according to KS ISO 16050.  
 
6 Weights and measures  
 
6.1 Fill of the container  
 
 Fill of the contai ner shall comply with the Weights and Measures Act, Cap. 513 
of the Laws of Ken ya and conform to Cleaner Production Technology.  
 
 
 6.2 Aflatoxins  
 
Cardamon powder shall not have total aflatoxins exceeding 10 ppb and 5 ppb 
for Aflatoxin  B1 when tested accor ding to KS ISO 16 050. 
 
7 Environmental management   
 
Cardamon powder  shall be processed in an environment that conforms to 
Environment Management Coordination Act 1999 No.8 on environmental 
management and conform to Cleaner Production.  
 
 
 
8 Packaging and labelling  
 
8.1 Packaging  
 
8.1.1 Cardamon powder shall be packed in food grade materials that ensure 
product integrity and safety.  
 
8.1.2 Fill of the container shall comply with the Weights and Measures Act, Cap. 
513 Laws of Kenya.  
 
8.1.3 Disposal of used container and condemned cardamom shall comply with 
EMCA No 8 of 1999 of the Laws of Kenya on the disposal of liquid and solid 
wastes . 
           KS 1093: 201 8 
 
KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved    7 8.2 Labelling  
 
Labelling shall be done in accordance wi th KS 40, and shall include the 
following:  
 
i) name of the product ; 
 
ii) name, physical locat ion and address of manufacturer/ packer /importer ; 
 
iii) date of manufacturers;  
 
iv) net contents , in gm/kg;  
 
iv) batch/lot or code number ; 
 
vi) expiry date;  
 
vii) storage instructions;  
 
ix) instructions for use;  
 
viii) country of origin;  
 
x) instructions for disposal of packaging materials ; 
xi) Expiry Date  
xii) declaration of GMO status. . 
xiii) Irradiation Status  
   
 
 
9 Sampling  
 
 
Sampling shall be done according to KS ISO 948.