DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS DEAS 873 
First  Edition  
2015-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DEAS 873: 2015 
© UNBS 201 5 
  
Frozen tuna loins — Specification  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEWDUS DEAS 873:2015 
ii                © UNBS  2015 - 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 applicati on 
© UNBS 2015 
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© UNBS  2015 - All rights reserved                iii National foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amended.  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 Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement 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 given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee 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 Draft Uganda Standard, DUS DEAS 873: 2015, Frozen tuna loins — Specification , is identical with  and 
has been reproduced from an East African  Standard , DEAS 873: 2015, Frozen tuna loins — Specification , and 
is being proposed for adoption  as a Uganda Standard.  
Wherever the words, “ East African Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW DEAS 873: 2015 
ICS 67.120.30 
© EAC 2015                                                                                                                              First Edition 2015  
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
Frozen tuna loins — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS 873: 2015 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  ii 
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Violators may be persecuted DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS 873: 2015 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword 
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchange d 
within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community. 
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.  
DEAS 873 was prepared by the Technical Committee EASC/TC 003, Fish and fishery products . 
 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEWDEAS 873 : 2015    
 
© EAC 2015 – All rights reserved 
  
 Frozen tuna loins — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope 
 
This East African Standard specifies requirementsmethods of  sampling and  test for frozen tuna loins 
intended for human consumption. 
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. 
AOAC 952.13, Arsenic in food ― Silver diethyldibocarbamate method  
AOAC 972.23, Lead in fish ― Atomic absorption s pectrophotometric method  
AOAC 973.34, Cadmium in food ― Atomic absorption spectrophotometric method  
AOAC 983.20, Mercury (methyl) in fish and shellfish― Gas chromatographic method  
AOAC 977.13, Histamine in sea food — Fluorometric method 
CAC/GL 50-2004,  General guideline on sampling 
CAC/RCP 52 -2003, Code of practice for fish and fishery products  
EAS 12,  Drinking (potable water) — Specification  
EAS 38, Labelling of pre-packaged foods — Requirements 
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry ― Code of practice  
EAS 803, Nutrition labelling — Requirements  
EAS 805, Use of nutrition and health claims — Requirements  
ISO 4833-1, Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms — 
Part 1: Colony-count technique at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique  
ISO 6579, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella 
spp. 
ISO 6888 (all parts), Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration 
of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species)  
ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique 
ISO 11290 (all parts), Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the detection 
and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  2 
 ISO/TS 21872 (all parts), Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the 
detection of potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp.  
Terms and definitions 
 
3.1 
tuna 
members of the scombridae  family with species as indicated in Annex B. 
  
3.2  
loins  
large boneless fish meat cut from the dorsal and belly area of a whole tuna  
 
 
3.3  
whole tuna fish  
tuna fish as captured, un gutted 
 
3.4  
wholesome/sound 
free from physiological deterioration or adulteration/contamination, that appreciably affects quality of the fish  
 
3.5  
food grade material 
materials free from  hazardous substances to human health and permitted to come in contact with food  
 
3.6  
chuncks  
mixture of pieces of fish with dimensions of not less than 1.2 cm in each direction and in which the original 
muscle structure is retained  
 
3.7  
grated   
mixture of particles of fish that have been reduced to a uniform size and in which particles are discrete and do 
not comprise a paste 
 
3.8  
frozen fish blocks  
frozen fish packed in bulk containing more than one segment/piece in a unit  
 
3.9  
frozen  tuna loins  
tuna loins which has undergone freezing process and maintained at a core temperature of -18 °C or below 
during storage, transportation and distribution.  
 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements 
4.1.1  Raw material  
4.1.1.1 The tuna used to prepare the loins shall be; 
  
-clean, wholesome and sound. 
 
-fresh or frozen, suitable for human consumption. DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  3 
 4.1.1.2 Water used during processing shall comply with EAS 12. 
4.1.2 Finished product 
4.1.2.1 The frozen tuna loins shall be practically free from skin (except when presented and l abelled as ‘‘skin -
on” pack), scales, prominent blood streaks, blood -clots, bones, bruises, and red muscles known as red meat. 
 
4.1.2.2 The colour of the frozen tuna loins shall be characteristic of a particular species. 
 
4.1.2.3 Frozen tuna loins in its thawed state shall be free from mushiness, waterlogging or honey comb 
texture. 
 
4.1.2.4 Frozen tuna loins in its thawed state shall be free from off flavour and odour. 
 
 
4.1.2.5 Frozen tuna loins shall be stored in a suitable and clean cold storage, while maintained at a 
temperature of -18 °C or below. 
 
4.1.2.6 During transportation and distribution, frozen tuna loins shall be maintained at temperature of -18 °C or 
below. 
 
4.1.2.7 Frozen tuna loins may be presented as frozen fish block, chunks and grated. 
 
4.2 Specific requirements 
Frozen tuna loins shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1.   
Table 1 –  Specific requirements for frozen tuna loins 
S/N Parameter  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Histamine, mg /kg max  100 AOAC 977.13  
ii.  Total Volatile Bas e, 
Nitrogen,mg/kg,max  350 ANNEX A  
 
5 Hygiene 
The product shall be prepared and handled in accordance with EAS 39 and CAC/RCP 52 and shall comply 
with microbiological limits given in Table 2. 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for frozen tuna loins 
S/No.  Parameter  Maximum limit  Method of test  
1 Salmonella  in 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579  
2 Escherichia coli , MPN/g  Absent  ISO 7251  
3 Staphylococcus aureus , CFU/g  2 × 103 ISO 6888  
4 Total viable count, CFU/g  105 ISO 4833 -1 
5 Listeria monocytogenes  Absent  ISO 11290  
6 Vibrio spp.  Absent  ISO/TS 21872  
 
6 Contaminants  
Heavy metals 
Frozen tuna loins shall comply with the heavy metal limits given in Table 3. DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  4 
 Table 3 — Heavy metal limits for frozen tuna loins 
S/No.  Heavy metal  Maximum limit,  
mg/kg  Test method  
(i) Arsenic  0.1 AOAC 952.13  
(ii) Lead  0.3 AOAC 972.23  
(iii) Cadmium  0.3 AOAC 973.34  
(iv) Methyl mercury  0.3 AOAC 983.20  
 
7 Weights and measures  
The fill and the weight of the product shall comply with Weights and Measures regulations of the importing 
Partner State.  
8 Packaging  
Frozen tuna loins shall be packed in food grade containers which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological and organoleptic qualities of the product. 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.  
9 Labelling  
9.1 In addition to the requirements in EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and 
shall be legibly and indelibly marked: 
a) Name of product; 
 
b) Name and physical address of the processor; 
 
c) Batch number; 
 
d) Net content in g or kg; 
 
e) Form of presentation; 
 
f) Production date; 
 
g) Expiry date; 
 
h) Instructions of use; 
 
i) Condition of storage; and 
 
j) Country of origin. 
 
 
9.2 Nutritional labelling, nutrition and health claims may be made in accordance with EAS 803 and EAS 
805. 
9.3 Labelling  of non -retail containers  
 
Information on the above provisions shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, 
except that the name of the product, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer or 
packer as well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container. 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  5 
 However, lot identification, and the name and address of the manufacturer or packer may be replaced by an 
identification mark provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents. 
 
10 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with CAC/GL 50-2004. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  6 
  
 
Annex A 
(normative) 
 
Determination of total volatile bases and trimethylamine 
 
 
A.1 Principle of the method   
 
This method is based on a semi-micro distillation procedure. Extracts or solutions are made alkaline with 
sodium hydroxide. The bases are steam distilled into standard acid and back titrated with standard alkali. 
Formaldehyde is added to the neutralized mixture and the acid released is equivalent to the volatile bases 
other than trimethylamine. 
 
A.2 Procedure  
 
Weigh 100  0.5 of prepared sample into a homogenizer with 300 ml of 5 per cent m/v trichloroacetic acid. 
Run the homogenizer to obtain a uniform slurry, filter or centrifuge to obtain a clear extract. By pipette, transfer 
5 ml of the extract to a semi-micro distillation apparatus. Add 5 ml 2M sodium hydroxide solution. Steam distil. 
Collect in 15 ml 0.01M standard hydrochloric acid. Add indicator solution (1 per cent rosolic acid in 10 per cent 
v/v ethanol). Titrate to a pale pink end point with 0.01M sodium hydroxide. Add 1 ml 16 % m/v neutralized 
formaldehyde for every 10 ml liquid in the tildrafim flask. Titrate the liberated acid with 0.01M sodium 
hydroxide. 
 
A.3 Calculation  
 
Total base nitrogen    = 
g mgVW100/500 x )  3 ( 141  
 
Trimethylamine nitrogen   = 
g mgVW100/500 x ) (300 142  
 
where; 
 
V1 is volume standard acid consumed in the first titration; 
 
V2 is volume standard acid released for the second titration; 
 
W is water content of the sample mg/100 g. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD ON PUBLIC REVIEW 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  7 
  
 
 
ANNEX B 
(Informative) 
 
 
Tuna species (common name and scientific name) 
S/NO  Common name        scientific name  
 
1 Northern bluefin tuna  Thunnus thynnus  
2 Southern bluefin  Thunnus  maccoyii  
3 Albacore  Thunnus alalunga  
4 Big eye  Thunnus obesus  
5 Yellow -fin Thunnus albacares  
6 Longtail  Thunnus tonggol  
7 Skipjack  katsuwonus pelamis  
8 Little thunny  Euthynus alleteratus  
9 Black skipjack   Euthynnus lineatus  
10 Kawakawa  Euthynnus affinis (yaito)  
11 Bullet tuna  Auxis rochei  
12 Frigate tuna  Auxis thazard  
13 Atlantic bonito   Sarda sarda  
14 Pacific bonito  Sarda chiliensis  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bibliography 
 
KS 1642:2000, Specification for frozen tuna loins