Reference number  
DRS 359-1: 2017  
© RSB 2017  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
359-1 
 
First edition  
2017 -mm-dd 
 
Spirulina  products  — Specification  
Part 1:  
Ground spirulina  
  DRS 359-1: 2017  
©RSB 2017  - 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 2017  
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 reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 252 586103/ 582945  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 359-1: 2017  
iii                ©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.3 Particle size  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  2 
5 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
5.1 Heavy metals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
5.2 Pesticide and veterinary drugs residues  ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
6 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  4 
9 Method of sampli ng ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  4 
 DRS 359-1: 2017  
©RSB 2017  - 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 of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adop ted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 359-1 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 019, TC Food additives . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
CODEX STAN 192, Codex General Standard for food additives  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
RS 359 consists of the following parts, under the general title Spirulina product s — Specification : 
 Part 1: Ground spirulina  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Food additives (RSB/TC 019) in 
the preparation of this standard.  
Spirulina cooperative  
MINIMEX  
SHEKINA ENTERPRIS  
University of Rwanda – College of Agriculture and veterinary Medicine ( UR-CAVM ) 
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 359-1: 2017  
v                ©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved  
 Introduction  
Spirulina is a blue green alga used as human and animal food or nutritional supplement made primarily from 
two species of cyanobacteria: Arthrospira pl atensis and Arthrospira maxima.  
The cell walls of Spirulina are similar to that of Gram -positive bacteria, since they consist of glucosamines an d 
muramic acid associated with peptides. Although not digestible, these walls are fragile and make the cell 
content readily accessible to digestive enzymes. This is a major advantage in comparison to organisms with 
cellulosic cell walls like yeast and chlo rella. A number of features from the nutritional standpoint have been 
demonstrated: a balanced protein composition, and the presence of rare essential lipids, numerous minerals 
and even vitamin B12.  
It grows naturally in the alkaline waters of lakes in wa rm regions. It exists in the form of tiny green filaments 
coiled in spirals of varying tightness and number, depending on the strain.  
 DRS 359-1: 2017  
1                ©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved  
 Sprulina product  — Specification  — Part 1: Ground spirulina  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda Standards specifies the requirements, methods of test and sampling of ground spirulina . 
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 reference d document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS EAS 82,  Determination of Acid insoluble ash  
RS ISO 5498,  Agricultural food products — Determination of crude fibre content — General method  
ISO 16634 -2, Food products — Determination of the total nitrogen content by combustion according to the 
Dumas principle and calculation of the crude protein content — Part 2: Cereals, pulses and milled cereal 
products  
RS ISO 7305 , Milled cereal products — Determination of fat acidity . 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
spirulina  
blue-green algae  (cyanobacterium ) of the genus Spirulina : processed as a valuable source of proteins and 
other nutrients  spirulina dried and  prepared as a food or food additive, which is a rich source of many vitamins 
and minerals  
3.2 
foreign matter  
organic and inorganic materials (such as sand, soil, glass) other than extraneous m atter in the designated 
product  
3.3 
filth 
impurities of animal origin, including dead insects .  
©RSB 2017  - All rights reserved                  2 
 4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
Ground Spirulina  shall be :  
a) free from filth;  
b) free from abnormal flavours  and odours ; 
c) practically free of any visible foreign and extraneous matter ; 
d) safe and suitable for human consumption ; and 
e) have color of blue -green algae . 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Spirulina shall:  
a) have a blue -green colour and with a range of pH of 7 -9; 
b) have a smell of seaweed ; 
c) comply with the requirements in Table 1. 
Table 1 — Compositional requirements  
S/N Characteristics  Requirement  Method of test  
i.  protein  content  % m/m min  50 ISO 16634 -2 
ii.  Moisture content, % by mass, 
max.  10 RS ISO 712  
iii.  Lipids % m/m max  7 ISO 7305  
iv.  Fiber content % m/m  3-7 RS ISO 5498  
v.  Total ash, % m/m  8-13 RS EAS 82  
4.3 Particle size  
Not less than 9 0 % shall pass through a 0.60 -mm sieve . 
 DRS 359-1: 2017  
3                ©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved  
 5 Contaminants  
5.1 Heavy metals  
The product  shall be free from heavy metals in amounts set in Table 2.  
Table 2 — Limits for metal contaminants  
S/N Heavy m etals Maximum Limits  
mg/kg  Method of Test  
i.  Copper  2.0 RS ISO 3094  
ii.  Lead  3 RS ISO 6633  
iii.  Arsenic  1 RS ISO 6634  
iv.  Mercury  0.1 RS ISO 6637  
v.  cadmium  2.0 RS ISO 3094  
5.2 Pesticide and veterinary drugs residue s 
Spirulina  shall conform to those maximum residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius  Commission 
for the ingredients used in the preparation of this product.  
6 Hygiene  
6.1 Spirulina  shall be manufactured in premises complying with the hygienic require ments stipulated in RS 
CAC/RCP  1. 
6.2 Spirulina  shall conform to microbiological limits in Table 3 . 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits  
Microorganisms  Maximum limit  Method of test  
Total viable  count, CFU/g, max.  104 RS ISO 4833 -1 
Escherichia. coli, CFU/g , max absent  RS ISO 16649 -1 
Salmonella cfu/25 g absent  RS ISO 6579  
Staphylococcus aureus cfu /g max.  absent  RS ISO 6888 -1 
Yeast and moulds cfu/g max.  100 RS ISO 21527 -1 
7 Packaging  
7.1 Spirulina  shall be packaged in containers, which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, technological, 
and organoleptic qualities of the product.   
©RSB 2017  - All rights reserved                  4 
 7.2 The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances, which are safe and suitable 
for their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the 
product.  
8 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements o f RS EAS 38, the labelling shall include the following:  
a) the name of the product as “ ground spirulina ”, 
b) list of ingredients,  
c) net contents , 
d) name , location and address of the manufacturer shall be declared , 
e) country of origin  shall be declared , 
f) lot or batch number , 
g) manufacture date, 
h) best before , 
i) storage instructions , and  
j) instruction for use . 
9 Method of sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with RS ISO  24333 . 
 DRS 359-1: 2017  
ICS 67.220 
 
 
©RSB 2017  - All right s reserved