FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS EAS 186
First Edition
2011-mm-dd
 
 Reference numbe r
FDUS EAS 186: 2011
© UNBS 2011
  
Toilet soap — Specification 
 FDUS EAS 186: 2011 
i i                 ©  U N B S  2011 - All rights reserved 
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations 
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2011 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
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permission from UNBS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to 
The Executive Director 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
P.O. Box 6329 
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Uganda 
Tel: 256 41 505 995 
Fax: 256 41 286 123 
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
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 FDUS EAS 186: 2011 
© UNBS  2011 - All rights rese rved                iii National foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry  of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327, of the Laws of U ganda. UNBS is mandated to co-ordinate the elaboration 
of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex A limentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agr eements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a gi ven field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academician s, manufacturers, governme nt and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committ ee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council. 
This Final Draft Uganda Standard, FDUS EAS 186: 2011 , Toilet soap  — Specification, is identical with  and 
has been reproduced from an Ea st African Standard, EAS 186: 2011 , Toilet soap — Specification,  and is 
being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
This standard was developed by the Chemicals and env ironment Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 
5).  
Wherever the words, “East Africa Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard."  EAS 186:2011
ICS 71.100.40
 
© EAS 2011 Second Edition 2011  
 
       
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Toilet soap — Specification 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
 
 
       
  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
HS 3401.11.0000 EAS 186:2011  
 
Table of contents 
 
1 Scope ....................................................................................................................... .................. 1 
2 Normative re ferences ........................................................................................................ ......... 1 
3 Defini tions ................................................................................................................. ................. 1 
4 Requir ements ................................................................................................................ ............. 2 
4.1 General r equireme nts ...................................................................................................... .......... 2 
4.2 Chemical characteristics .................................................................................................. .......... 2 
5 Packing and marking .................................................................................................................. 3 
5.1 Packing ................................................................................................................... ................... 3 
5.2 Marking ................................................................................................................... ................... 3 
6 Sampling and inspection ..................................................................................................... ....... 3 
6.1 Sampling .................................................................................................................. .................. 3 
6.2 Inspection ................................................................................................................ ................... 3 
6.3 Preparation of test samples ............................................................................................... ........ 3 
7 Compliance with  the standard ................................................................................................ .... 4 
Annex A (informative)  Text ure and stability test ............................................................................. ....... 5 
Bibliogr aphy .................................................................................................................. .......................... 6 
 
ii © EAS 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 186:2011  
 
Foreword 
 
Development of the East African Standards ha s been necessitated by the need for harmonizing 
requirements governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are 
exchanged within the Comm unity will be removed.  
 In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner States have enacted an East African 
Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology an d Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make 
provisions for ensuring standardization, quality as surance, metrology and testing of products 
produced or originating in a third country and traded in the Community in order to facilitate industrial 
development and trade as well as helping to protect the health and safety of society and the 
environment in the Community. 
 
East African Standards are formulat ed in accordance with the proc edures established by the East 
African Standards Committee. The East Afri can Standards Committee is established under the 
provisions of Article 4 of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, t ogether with the representatives from the private 
sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circ ulated to stakeholders 
through the National Standards Bodies in the Pa rtner States. The comments received are discussed 
and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the 
Community.  
 
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides t hat “Within six months of the declaration of an 
East African Standard, the Partner States shall adopt, without deviation from the approved text of the 
standard, the East African Standard as a nationa l standard and withdraw any existing national 
standard with similar scope and purpose”. 
 
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 Community 2011 — All rights reserved
* 
East African Community  
P O Box 1096  
Arusha, Tanzania  
Tel: +255 27 2504253/8 Fax: +255-27-2504481/2504255 
E-Mail: eac@eachq.org 
Web: www.eac.int 
                                                 
* © 2011 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by an y means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs.  
 
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved iii EAS 186:2011  
 
 
Copyright notice 
This EAC document is copyright-protected by EAC . While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development proc ess is permitted without prior permission 
from EAC, neither this document nor any extr act from it may be reproduced, stored or 
transmitted in any form for any other purpos e without prior written permission from EAC. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of selling it should be 
addressed as shown below or to EAC’s memb er body in the country of the requester: 
© East African Community 2011 — All rights reserved 
 
East African Community 
P.O. Box 1096 
Arusha, Tanzania 
 
Tel: +255 27 2504253/8 
Fax: +255 27 2504481/2504255 
 
E-mail: eac@eachq.org 
  Web: www.eac-quality.net; www.eac.int 
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be persecuted. 
 
 
iv © EAS 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 186:2011  
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved v  
Introduction 
 
This East African Standard has been prepared because of the need for standardizing the different 
types of toilet soaps being manufactured in the region. It is hoped that the standard will assist the production of toilet soaps of well defined types an d thus ensure their quality to purchasers within the 
East African region. This East African Standard has been produced to  guide manufacturers, importers 
and consumers on the quality of toilet soaps.  
 EAS 186:2011  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Toilet soap — Specification 
 
 
1 Scope 
 
This East African Standard specifies requirements for toilet soap. It does not apply to carbolic soap or 
specialty soaps such as medicated soap, transpar ent soap, floating soap, liquid soap or sea-water 
soap. 
 
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.  ISO 457,  Analysis of soap — Determination of Chloride content — Titrimetric method 
 ISO 456, Surface active agents — Analysis of soap s — Determination of free caustic alkali 
 
ISO 684,  Analysis of soap — Determination of Total free alkali  
 
ISO 685, Analysis of soap — Determination of alka li content and total fatty matter content 
 ISO 673, Analysis of soap — Determination of ethanol insoluble matter 
 
ISO 862, Surface active agents — Vocabulary  
 
ISO 1067, Analysis of soap — Determination of unsaponifiable, unsaponified and unsaponified 
saponfiable matter 
 
3 Definitions 
 
For the purposes of this standard terms and defin itions specified under ISO 862 and the following 
apply. 
 
3.1 
soap 
the product formed by the saponification or neutralizati on of fats, oils, waxes, rosins or their acids with 
organic or inorganic bases 
 3.2 
toilet soap  
a soap which is intended for use in bathing 
 3.3 saponification 
a chemical reaction permitting the separation of an este r into its constituent parts, acid and alcohol, or 
possibly phenol, by the action of a base, with the fo rmation of a salt from the acid. Saponification of 
fats produces soap.  
 3.4 
colouring matter any dyestuff that may be used to colour toilet soap 
 
3.5 
free caustic alkali 
it is the free (uncombined) c austic alkali present in a soap 
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved  1 EAS 186:2011  
 
3.6 
total fatty matter includes either the water-insoluble or ether soluble fatty matter under the specified conditions of test 
 
3.7 total free alkali 
the sum of the free caustic alkali and the free carbonate alkali contents 
 
4 Requirements 
 
4.1 General requirements 
 4.1.1 Texture, colour and odour  
Toilet soap shall be firm and of uniform texture and colour and shall be  free from objectionable 
(disagreeable) odour.  
 4.1.2 Ingredients  
It shall not cause skin irritation and shall have good lathering and cleansing properties. All ingredients 
used in the product shall be non-injurious to health. Perfumes and, colouring matter may be added.  
 
4.1.3 Texture and stability 
 
Toilet soap shall remain hard and smooth and shall also not crumble when tested in accordance with 
Annex A. 
 
4.2 Chemical characteristics  
 
The toilet soap shall comply with the requirements specified in Table 1. 
 
Table 1 — Chemical characteristics 
 
Characteristic Requirement Method of test 
Total free alkali content as Na 2O, % by mass, max 0.2 ISO 684 
Total fatty matter content, % by mass,  min 76.0 ISO 685 
Content of matter insoluble in ethanol, % by mass, max 2 ISO 673 
Free caustic alkali content as NaOH, % by mass, max 0.1 ISO 456 
Free fatty acids content as oleic acid, % by mass, max 0.3 — 
Chlorides content as NaCI, % by mass, max 0.8 ISO 457 
Unsaponified fatty matter content, % by mass, max 0.5 ISO 1067 
NOTE Allowance should be made for the loss of moisture of the soap on storage. The results for each of the above 
specified methods of test shall be corrected in relation to the specified minimum total fatty matter by means of the 
equation:  
 
matter fatty  total  actualmatter fatty  total  minimum   result   actualresult  Corrected×=  
 The corrected results shall be used to deter mine whether the product is up to standard.
 
 
2 © EAS 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 186:2011  
5 Packing and marking  
 
5.1 Packing  
 
The soap cakes shall be suitably wrapped to protect them from damage.  
 
5.2 Marking 
 
Each wrapped cake of toilet soap shall be marked with the following:   
(a) name of product, and the trade name or brand name, if any; 
 (b) manufacturer's name and address;   
 (c) batch identification; 
 
(d) Total Fatty Matter content (TFM); 
 
(e) net mass and 
 (f) country of origin. 
 
6 Sampling and inspection  
 
6.1 Sampling 
 In a single consignment, all packages (cartons) containing toilet soap cakes drawn from the same batch of production shall constitute a lot. For ascert aining the conformity of the lot to the requirements 
of this standard, tests shall be carried out on each  lot separately. The number of packages to be 
selected for drawing the sample shall be in accordance with Table 2.   
Table 2 — Scale of sampling 
 
Number of packages (cartons) in the lot 
N Number of packages (cartons) to be selected 
N 
4 to 15 
16 to 40 41 to 65 
66 to 110 
111 and above 3 4 5 
7 
10 
 6.1.1  The packages shall be selected at random, us ing tables of random numbers. If these are not 
available, the following procedure shall be applied:   
Starting from any package, count all the packages in one order as 1, 2, 3.... N, selecting every k 
th  
package, where k  is the integral part of N ÷ n.  
 6.1.2  From each package thus selected, draw at random an equal number of cakes so as to obtain 
a total mass of at least 2 kg.   
6.2 Inspection 
 Inspect the cakes selected for compliance with the requirements of 6.1  
6.3 Preparation of test samples 
 6.3.1 Composite sample  
 Weigh each cake separately (including any materi al that may have adhered to the wrapper), and 
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved  3 EAS 186:2011  
calculate the average mass. Keep one cake for the test in 4.1.3. Cut each of the remaining cakes into 
eight parts by means of three cuts at right angles to each other through the middle. Grate finely the 
whole of two diagonally opposite eighths of each spec imen. Mix the gratings and place in a clean, dry, 
airtight glass container.  
 6.3.2 Samples for testing  
Immediately after, take at one time all test sample s required for the tests in 4.2. Weigh out last the 
test sample required for determination of free al kali or acid content, and use it immediately.  
 
7 Compliance with the standard 
 The lot shall be deemed to comply with the require ments of this standard if, after inspection and 
testing, the requirements of Clause 4 are satisfied.  
 
 
4 © EAS 2011 — All rights reserved EAS 186:2011  
 
Annex A 
(informative) 
 
Texture and stability test 
 
 
 
When immersed in 1 L of distilled water for 1 h at 25 °C – 30 °C, toilet soap shall not show signs of 
disintegration, and when dried at room  temperature for 25 h thereafter, it shall not crumble, crack or 
break.  
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved  5 EAS 186:2011  
6 © EAS 2011 — All rights reserved  
Bibliography 
 
 
[1] EAS 31:1997, East African standard specification for laundry soap  
[2] MS 12:1980, Mauritian Standard specification for toilet soap   
[3] BS 1914:1995, Specification for toilet soap   
 
 
  
 EAS 186:2011  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
© EAS 2011 — All rights reserved