Reference number  
DRS 343:2018  
© RSB 2018  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
343 
 
Second edition  
2018 -mm-dd 
 
Banana based alcoholic beverages — 
Specification  
 
  DRS 343:2018  
©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2018  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 343:2018  
iii                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Requ irements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
4.1 Essential ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
4.2 Optional ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
4.3 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.4 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
6.1 Pesticide residues  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
6.2 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
6.3 Aflatoxin limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  5 
8 Weights and measures  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  5 
9 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
10 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
11 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  6 
 DRS 343:2018  
©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task o f technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 343 was prepared by Technical Co mmittee RSB/TC 031, Alcoholic beverages.  
This second edition  cancels and replaces the first edition (RS  343:2017 ), which has been technically revised.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Alcoholic beverages (RSB/TC 
031) in the preparation of this standard.  
Agashinguracumu Ltd  
ASCOM Ltd  
BUGANZA Wine Ltd  
CFRDTA Ltd  
COVAPROBA Ltd  
Enterprise Urwibutso  
GUBUCO Ltd  
IMPANO Products Ltd  
INEZA Ayurvedic  
INNOPRO Ltd  
Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK BIKA Ltd)  
Life Holistic Ltd  DRS 343:2018  
v                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Nsabimana Banana Wine Ltd  
SOGONGERA Ltd  
UWSS Ltd  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 343: 2018  
1                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Urwagwa — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda Standard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for banana based  
alcoholic beverages.  
This standard does not apply to urwagwa, banana wine and plant flavoured alcoholic  beverages.  
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 986.15 , Arsenic,  Cadmium,  Lead,  Selenium and zinc in human and pet foods.  
AOAC 999.1 0, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron and Zinc in, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry  
ISO 15 214, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
mesophilic lactic acid bacteria -- Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C  
RS 164, Honey — Specification  
RS CAC/RCP1, General Principl es of Food Hygiene  
RS CODEX  STAN 192 , General Standard for Food Additives  
RS EAS 104 , Alcoholic Beverages — Method of sampling and testing  
RS EAS 12 , Potable Water — Specification  
RS EAS 144 , Neutral spirit — Specification  
RS EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirem ents 
RS ISO 16050, Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxin B1, and cereals, nuts and derived products — 
Highperformance  liquid chromatographic method the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in  
RS ISO 16649 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
beta-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli -- Part 2: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using 5 -
bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide   
©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved                  2 
 RS ISO 17240, Fruit and vegetable products — Deter mination of tin content — Method using flame Atomic  
Absorption Spectrometry  
RS ISO 1842 , Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of pH  
RS ISO 21527 -1 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
yeasts and  moulds -- Part 1: Colony count technique in products with water activity greater than 0,95  
RS ISO 4832,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms — Colony -count technique  
RS 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  
RS ISO 6579 -1, Microbiology of the food chain —Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp.  
RS ISO 6888 -3, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coagulase -positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) -- Part 3: Detection and MPN 
technique for low numbers  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
banana based alcoholic beverage (BBAB)  
alcoholic beverage derived from the fermentation of ripe banana pulp or banana juic e obtained by any method 
and other safe agriculture products  
3.2 
extraneous matter  
includes inorganic matter such as sand, glass, metal, gravel, dirt, pebbles, stones, lumps of earth, clay and  
mud and organic matter such as chaff, straw, weed seeds and gra ins of crops, insects or insects fragments,  
rodent hairs or any other foreign matter  
3.3 
food grade packaging material  
packaging 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  DRS 343: 2018  
3                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 3.4 
banana juice  
unfermented but fermentable liquid obtained from the edible part of sound, appropriately mature and ripe  
banana fruit  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Essential ingredients  
The following ingredients shall be used  for the production of banana based  alcoholic  beverages:  
a) banana pulp or banana juice free from extraneous matter; shall constitute more of 50 % of the mixture to 
be fermented.  
b) Other safe plants products  
c) Potable water complying with RS EAS 12  
4.2 Optional ingredients  
The following ingredients may be used:  
a) BBAB may be fortified by the addition of Neutral spirit complying to RS EAS 144 or any other spirit 
complying with relevant standard  to the extent that meet the ethyl alcohol maximum limits in Table 1. Th is 
shall be declared on the label.  
b) Sugar or honey complying with RS CODEX STAN 212 and RS 164 respectively  
4.3 General requirements  
Banana based alcoholic beverage shall:  
a) be free from any harmful ingredients, substances, and any other contaminants injurious to  health or any 
extraneous matter; and  
b) have the characteristic taste and aroma of banana  
4.4 Specific requirements  
Banana based a lcoholic beverage s shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with test methods specified therei n.  
©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved                  4 
 Table 1 — Specific requirements for B BAB  
S/N Characteristic  Limits  Test method  
i.  Ethyl alcohol content, %, v/v, max  16.0 RS EAS 104  
ii.  pH  3.5 - 5.0 RS ISO 1842  
iii.  Total suspended solids %, m/v, max  5.0  
 
 
RS EAS 104  iv.  Total acidity, g/ L, max.  12.0 
v.  Total sugar as invert sugar g/l  max 45 
vi.  Volatile acids as acetic acid, g/L, max.  3.0 
vii.  Total sugar g/l max  35 
viii.  Methanol mg/l max  100 
5 Food additives  
Food additives complying with RS CODEX STAN 192 may be used.  
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Pesticide residues  
Banana based alcoholic beverages shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides as established 
by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for the ingredients used in the manufacture of  this product . 
6.2 Heavy metals  
Banana based alcoholic beverages shall not c ontain heavy metals in levels exceeding the limits indicated in 
Table 2.  when tested in accordance with test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants in Banana based alcoholic  
S/N  Heavy metal  Limit  Test method  
i.  Arsenic (as  As), mg/L, max.  0.01 AOAC 986.15  
ii.  Lead (as Pb), mg/L, max.  0.2 AOAC 999.10  
 iii.  Cadmium (as Cd) mg/L, max  0.1 
iv.  Tin (as Sn) mg/L max  150 RS ISO 17240  
6.3 Aflatoxin limits  
Banana based alcoholic  beverages  shall not exceed maximum limits for aflatoxin  given in table 3  when tested 
in accordance with test methods specified therein.  
S/N  Mycotoxin  Maximum limit, μg/kg  Test method  
i.  Total Aflatoxin  10 RS ISO 16050  DRS 343: 2018  
5                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 ii.  Aflatoxin B1  5 
7 Hygiene  
7.1 Banana based alcoholic beverages shall be manufactured and handled in a hygienic manner in 
accordance with RS CAC/RCP 1.  
7.2 When the alcohol is less than 10 %, Banana based alcoholic beverages shall comply with limits for 
micro -organisms given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with test methods specified there in. 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits for BBAB  
S/No.  Microorganism  Maximum limit  Test method  
i.  Total viable count, cfu/ml  102 RS ISO 4833 -1 
ii.  Escherichia coli , cfu/ml  Absent  RS ISO 16649 -2 
iii.  Salmonella spp  per 25 ml  Absent  RS ISO 6579 -1 
iv.  Staphylococcus  aureus  per ml  Absent  RS ISO 6888 -3 
v.  Lactic Acid Bacteria  Absent  ISO 15214  
vi.  Moulds, cfu/ml  102 RS ISO 21527 -1 
8 Weights and measures  
The volume and fill of Banana based alcoholic shall comply with national Weights and measures regulations  
9 Packaging  
9.1 Banana based alcoholic beverages shall be packaged in food grade packaging materials that shall 
mainta in the quality of the product including glass bottles, tin cans, aluminium foil and/or plastics certified by 
an accredited laboratory to be safe for packa ging alcoholic beverages . 
9.2 The contents of the products shall occupy not less than 90 % of the total volume capacity of the container  
10 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of RS EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and 
shall be legibly and indelibly marked:  
a) name of the product as “Banana Based Alcoholic Beverages”  
b) list of ingredients in descending order ; 
c) plant or plant parts used shall be declared;  
d) ethyl alcohol content ;  
©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved                  6 
 e) methanol content shall be declared;  
f) name and physi cal and postal address of manufacturer;  
g) net contents in millilitres or litres;  
h) Addition of Neutral s pirit or  any other spirit shall be declared;  
i) date of manufacture;  
j) expiry date, if alcohol content is less than 10%;  
k) storage  instruction s; and  
l) statutory war nings.  
11 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with RS EAS 104.  
 
 DRS 343: 2018  
7                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] RS 343: 2017 , Banana based alcoholic beverages —Specification  DRS 224:2018  
ICS 67.160.1 0 
 
 
©RSB 2018  - All right s reserved