AFDC 22 (5279) P 3           
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Sausages — Specification  Part 1: R aw or Cooked r ed meat Sausages  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
                                                         
                                                                                                                                     
1 
 Sausages — Specification  Part 1: Red meat Sausages  
                         
 
0   FOREWORD  
 
Sausage  is a meat product obtained by stuffing meat  and associated ingredients  into casing. 
Sausage may be raw, cooked and /or smoked. It was found necessary to prepare this Tanzania  
standard  due to  an increased production and importation of Sausages  in Tanzania .  
 
This Tanzania  standard has been prepared to ensure  safety and quality  of Sausages  traded in 
the country.  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania , standard considerable assistance was drawn from KS 59-
1:2017 Sausage – Specification Part 1: Raw, cooked  red meat sausages and sausage  meat  
published by  the Kenya Bureau of Standards .  
 
In reporting, the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard, if the final 
value o bserved or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4 
(see clause 2).  
 
1.0 SCOPE  
This Tanzania  standard specifies requirements, methods of sampling and test for  red 
meat sausages from cattle, sheep, goats , pigs and other anima ls intended for human 
consumption.  
2.0 REFERENCES  
For the purpose of this Tanzania  standard, the following references shall apply. For 
dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest 
edition of the referenced standards  (including any amendments) applies:  
 
TZS 4 – Rounding off numerical values . 
TZS 76 – General method for determination of Arsenic silver diethyldithiocarmate photometric 
method.  
TZS 110 – Abattoir  design , Ante mortem and post mortem inspection of slaughter ed animals, 
fresh meat and processed meat products – Code of hygiene,  
TZS 118/ISO 4833 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of microorganisms – Colony -count technique at 30oC 
TZS 119 – Microbiology – Gene ral guidance for the enumeration  of coliforms – Most Probable 
Number technique (MPN).  
TZS 121, Microbiological examination for Clostridium botulinum  and Clostridium botulinum  
toxins  – Test method.  
TZS 122 – Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection 
of Salmonella spp.  
TZS 125 – 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 – Amendment 1: Inclusion of precision data.  
TZS 131 – Microbiology - General guidance for enumeration of yeast and moulds – Colony 
count technique at 25 ºC.  
TZS 458  Code of hygiene for meat processing plant.  
TZS 538 – Packaging and  labelling of foods.                                                                                                                                       
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 TZS 852 -2 – Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection 
and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes  - Enumeration method  
TZS 731 – Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for dete ction and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli  – Most Probable Number Technique . 
TZS 1760 /ISO 937  Meat and meat products – Determination of nitrogen content 
(Reference method) . 
Codex Stan 193 – Codex General Standard for Contaminants and T oxins in Food and F eed. 
TZS 949 -1 /ISO 21528 -1, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal methods 
for the detection and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae – Part 1 – Detection and enumeration 
by MPN technique with pre -enrichment .  
TZS 949-2/ISO 215 28-2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal methods 
for the detection and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae – Part 2 – Colony count method.   
TZS 1761/ISO 1443  Meat and meat products – Determination of to tal fat content.  
ISO 1442 Meat  and meat products – Determination of moisture content (Reference 
method)  
ISO 936 Meat and meat products – Determination of total ash  
CAC/RCP 58 -2005, Code of hygienic practice for meat  
ISO 4833, Microbiology of foods and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal  method for the 
enumeration of microorganisms – Part 2: Colony count technique at 30 °C  
ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the 
detection of Salmonella spp.  
ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding s tuffs — Horizontal method for the 
detection and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli  — Most probable number 
technique  
Codex Stan 192, General standard for food additives  
  
3.0 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
For the purpose of this standard, the following te rms and definitions shall apply:  
  
3.1 meat  
all part of an animal that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for 
human consumption.  
 
3.2 meat product  
meat that has been subjected to processing irreversibly  modifying its organoleptic an d 
physi cochemical characteristic.  
 
3.3 food animals  
gazetted animals that are wholesome and fit for human consumption .  
 
3.4 ready to eat meat  
products that are intended for human consumption that do not necessar ily require 
further cooking . 
3.5 offal’s  
parts of an animal such  as blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen, thymus, 
tongue and tripe, but excludes meat flesh, bone and bone marrow .                                                                                                                                       
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 3.6 edible offal   
offal’s  that are fit for human consumption.  
3.7 flesh  
the skeletal m uscle of any sla ughtered animal  and any attached animal rind, fat, 
connective tissue, nerve, blood, blood vessels and skin .  
3.8 fresh meat  
meat that has not been subjected to any processing  other than chilling, freezing, 
vacuum -wrapping  or wrapping  in a controlled atmos phere .  
3.9 green weight  
the weight of the raw article before addition of other substances or before drying .  
3.10 minced meat  
boneless meat that has been reduced into fragments/particles .  
3.11 meat preparations  
fresh meat  or minced meat which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to 
it. 
3.12 other products of animal origin; co -products  
parts of animals that are unsuitable for human consumption when they are produced at 
the slaughterhouse, but which can later be processed for use in human f ood such as 
hides and skins (later processed into gelatine and collagen), sheep intestines processed 
into sausage casings, and omental fat processed into lard .  
3.13 by-products  
parts of a slaughtered animal which are not intended for human consumption .  
3.14 casing  
natural or artificial materials used to protect and or hold sausages  
 
3.15 sausage meat  
produc t of minced  pork, beef, chevon, mutton/ lamb or meat from suitable animals 
intended for red meat production, blended with or without spices and other  seasonings . 
3.16 sausage  
product obtained by stuffing meat  and associated ingredients like nuts, pulses and soya 
protein in casings and which may be fresh, fermented, cooked and/or smoked .  
3.17 meat content  
total amount of lean meat tissues and meat fa t in the sausage .  
3.18 fresh sausages /raw sausages  
sausages made from meats that have not been previously cured and require chilling or 
freezing and thorough cooking before eating .                                                                                                                                       
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 3.19 cooked sausages  
sausages made with fresh meats and then fully coo ked, intended to be either eaten 
immediatel y after cooking or refrigerated.  
3.20 smoked sausages  
sausages that are smoked and require to be refrigerated and cooked thoroughly before 
eating .  
3.21 dry sausages  
cured sausages that have been fermented and d ried and can keep for a long time .  
3.22 fermented sausages  
sausages that have undergone microbiological fermentation and curing . 
 
3.23 food grade material  
material that  is free from substances that are hazardous to human health and may be 
permitted to c ome in contact with food . 
 
4.0 REQUIREMENTS   
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 Raw materials   
a) Raw materials approved red meat  shall be wholesome and fit for human 
consumption and free from objectionable odours, flavours and blood clots, 
bones, tendons and any other  contamination.  
b) Natural and edible collagen casings shall be wholesome, fit for human 
consumption,  and free from defects such as holes, blisters, lacerations, 
parasitic, yeasts and fungal infestations and salt burns.  
c) All meat,  including minced meat and me at preparations, used to produce 
sausages shall meet the requirements for fresh meat. Such meat shall have 
come from approved abattoirs/slaughterhouses and stamped with a health 
mark. The abattoirs/slaughterhouses shall comply with the  requirements in 
TZS 110. 
d) Where fish is used as an ingredient, it shall be fit for fish for human 
consumption and conforming to relevant standards.  
 
4.1.2  The following types of meat shall not be used in the production of sausages:  
a) genital organs of either female or male animals, except testicles;  
b) urinary organs, except the kidneys and the bladder;  
c) cartilage of the larynx, the trachea and the extra -lobular bronchi;  
d) eyes and eyelids;  
e) the external auditory meatus;  
f) horn tissue; and  
g) Scraps or waste that is inedible or unfit for h uman consumption such as meat 
containing bone fragments and skins shall not be used.                                                                                                                                       
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 4.1.3 Curing ingredients  
Ingredients may be used in curing of meat for sausage manufacture in accordance with 
Codex Stan 192 . 
 
4.1.4  Spices and seasonings  
Spices and seasonin gs used for sausage manufacture shall be fit for human 
consumption and conform to relevant standards.  
4.1.5  Water  
Water used in the preparation of sausages shall conform to TZS 789/ EAS 12.  
4.1.6 Optional ingredients  
The following ingredients may be used in preparation or manufacture of sausages 
provided they are fit for human consumption:  
a) other products of animal origin;  
b) edible starch;  
c) cereals and cereal products;  
d) milk and milk products;  
e) sucrose, invert sugar, dextrose (glucose), lactose, maltose, gluco se syrup 
(including corn syrup);  
f) water soluble, aromatic hydrolyzed protein;  
g) vegetable protein products; and  
h) eggs and egg products.  
 
4.1.7  Food additives  
The food additive s may be used in the sausages  and shall  be in accordance with the 
Codex Standard GSFA 1 92.  
 
4.1.8  Red meat sausages ;  
4.1.8.1  Fresh sausages  
a) shall be prepared from one or more kinds of fresh or frozen meat flesh,  
b) shall be chilled or frozen and thoroughly cooked before eating, and  
c) except for breakfast sausages, shall not contain edible offals a nd other products 
of animal origin such as collagen, gelatine and rendered animal fats.  
4.1.8.2  Smoked sausages;  
a) except for smoked pork sausages, shall contain no less than 65 % meat and not 
more than 30 % fat .  
b) shall contain no less than 65 % meat and n ot more than 35 % percent fat, and  
c) shall be smoked with only hard wood or other non -resinous materials.  
d) To facilitate chopping or mixing, water, or ice may be used in an amount not to 
exceed 3 % of the total ingredients used.  
 
 
                                                                                                                                      
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 4.1.8.3  Cooked sausages  
a) Cooked sausages shall be prepared from one or more kinds of raw or cooked 
meat, seasoned and cured using one or more of the curing agents. They may 
or may not be smoked.  
b) Such products may contain raw or cooked edible offals and other products of 
animal or igin individually or in combination, not in excess of 15 % of the total 
ingredients.  
c) The finished products shall not contain more than 30 % fat.  
d) Water or ice, or both, may be used to facilitate chopping or mixing or to 
dissolve the curing ingredients but  the sausage shall contain no more than 10 
% of added water.  
 
4.1.8.4  Dry sausages  
a) Dry sausages shall be not more than 60 % of the green weight.  
b) Semi dry sausages shall be not more than 70 % of the green weight.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Red meat sausages  shall c omply with the requirements specified in Table 1.  
 
Table 1: Specific  requirements for r ed meat sausages  
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Test methods   
(See clause 2 )  
Raw Cooked  
1.  Total meat , %, min  50 65  
2.  Fat, %, max.  30 30 TZS 1761  
3.  Moisture , %, ma x. 53 53 ISO 1442  
4.  Total ash, %, max  3 - ISO 936  
 
4.3 Food additives  
The permitted additives  that may be added into Sausages  shall be used to  the level prescribed 
below . 
a) Sulphur dioxide, maximum 450ppm;  
b) Sodium nitri te maximum 200 ppm;  and 
c) Permitted food  colours.   
 
Note:  If there will be changes in the codex standards regarding the use of food 
additives in sausages/meat  the new codex guidelines will prevail.                                                                                                                                       
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5.0 CONTAMINANTS  
 
5.1 Raw or cooked red meat sausages  shall comply with the requirements on maximum 
limits for heavy metals as prescribed  in Table 2 . 
 
Table 2 : Heavy metals  requirements  
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Test Method  
1.  Mercury (Hg) , mg/kg, max.  0.03 ICP/AAS  
2.  Lead (Pb) , mg/kg, max.  0.1 TZS 268  
3.  Arsenic (As) , mg/kg, max.  0.1 TZS 76  
4.  Cadmium (Cd), mg/kg, max.  0.05 ICP/AAS  
5.  Zinc (Zn) , mg/kg, max.  5.0  ICP/AAS  
6.  Iron (Fe) , mg/kg, max.  5.0  ICP/AAS  
7.  Copper (Cu) , mg/kg, max.  0.4  ICP/AAS  
8.  Tin (Sn) , mg/kg, max.  250  ICP/AAS  
 
5.2 Veterinary drug residues  
Raw or cooked red meat sausages  shall com ply with the requirements on maximum 
allowable veterinary drug residue limits as prescribed in the CAC/MRL 2.  
 
6.0 HYGIENE  
6.1 Raw or cooked red meat sausages  shall be prepared under strict  hygienic 
conditions according to TZS  458 (See clause 2).  
 
6.2 On testing , the sausages  shall not contain microbiological count exceeding the 
requirements prescribed  in Table 3 . 
 
Table 3: Microbiological requirements for  red meat sausage  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Method of test (see clause 2)  
1. Total plate coun t, cfu/g , max.  104  TZS 118  
2. Enterobacteriaceae , max.  102 TZS 949 (Part 1 or 2)  
3. Salmonella spp  /25 g  Absent  TZS 122  
4. Escherichia coli, MPN/g  Absent  TZS 731                                                                                                                                       
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 5. Listeria monocytogenes  Absent  TZS 852 (Part  2) 
6. Clostridium botulium  Absent  TZS 12 1 
7. Staphylococcus aureus, cfu/g  Absent  TZS 125 (Part 1 ) 
8. Yeast/moulds, cfu/ml , max.  102 TZS 131  
 
7.0 SAMPLING AND TESTS  
 
7.1 Sampling  
Sampling of the raw or cooked red meat sausages  shall be done according to ISO 
17604  (See clause 2).  
7.2 Tests  
Testing of this product shall be done according to test methods prescribed in Table 1 ,2 
and 3.  
 
8.0 PACKAGING , MARKING  AND LABELLING  
 
8.1 Packaging  
In addition to the packaging and labeling requirements prescribed in TZS 538 (see clause 2) , 
sausages shall not be ex posed to direct sun or rain.  
8.2 Marking and l abelling  
Sausages  shall be marked and labeled in accordance with TZS 538 (see clause 2). In addition, 
each container shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following information:  
 
a) Name of the product (of me at used) as appropriate ;  
b) Country of origin ; 
c) Declaration as either “raw”,” cooked” “smoked’’;  
d) Declaration of method of drying;  
e) Declaration of preservatives used;  
f) Name and physical address of the manufacturer;  
g) Net Weight content ;  
h) List of ingredients;  
i) Batch  or code number;  
j) Date of manufacture  shall be clearly shown on the container;   
k) Expiry date shall be clearly shown on the container;  
l) Instructions for use and storage;  
m) The language on the label shall be “Kiswahili” or Kiswahili and English. 
Additional  langu age may be used depending on the designated market.  
 
8.3 The container may also be marked with TBS Certification Mark.  
NOTE  – The TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the manufacturers only 
under license  from TBS. Particulars of conditions under wh ich the licen ses are 
granted may be obtained from TBS.  
 
                                                                                                                                      
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