DEAS 1126 -2: 2023  
ICS 67.230  
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                            First Edition  2023  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fortified Processed Cereal Based Foods (FPCBF)  —Specification —-Part 
2: For persons of 5 years and above  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1126 -2: 2023  
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                            First Edition  2023  
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© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  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 exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee (EASC) mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards (EAS).  The Committee is  composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations in the community.  
East African Standards are developed through Technical Committees that ar e representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
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 Principles and procedures for develop ment of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological adv ances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 018, Nutrition and Foo ds for 
Special Dietary Uses . 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
DEAS 1126  consists of the follow ing parts, under the general title Fortified Processed Cereal Based Foods 
(FPCBF)  — Specification  
Part 1: for persons of 6 to 59 months  
Part 2 : for persons of 5 years and above   
 Introduction  
Food fortification is one of the most effective health interventions that currently exist to address micronutrient 
malnutrition. Three major types of fortific ation have been recognized. Those are mass fortification, targeted 
fortification and market -driven fortification.  
Main methods of food fortification are named so as to indicate the procedure that is used in order to fortify a 
certain  food type. Those are b io fortification (breeding crops to increase their nutritional value, which can 
include both conventional selective breeding, and modern genetic modification); commercial and industrial 
fortification (flour, rice, oils common cooking foods); home fortifica tion for example vitamin D drops and 
synthetic biology for example the addition of probiotic bacteria to foods.  
The public health benefits of fortification include but are not limited to prevention or minimization of the risk of 
occurrence of micronutrient  deficiency in a population or specific population groups and contribution to the  
correction of a demonstrated micronutrient deficiency in a population. Typical foods fortified include cereals 
and cereal based products (mainly wheat and maize flours); milk  and milk products; fats and oils; infant 
formulas and various beverages.  
For instance, women have increased nutrient needs while pregnant and breastfeeding. Adequate intake of 
micro - and macro -nutrients during this time is critical both to support women’s  own health, and to put their 
children on a trajectory for healthy growth and development. Undernourished women are at greater risk for 
allcause maternal mortality, and their infants are more likely to be born small for gestational age (SGA). SGA 
infants are at greater risk of neonatal and post -neonatal mortality, and are more likely to be stunted than 
infants born at an appropriate weight for gestational age. Balanced energy protein supplementation, 
containing up to 25 % of the total energy from protein, is considered an important intervention to prevent 
adverse perinatal outcomes in malnourished women. Balanced energy protein supplementation reduces the 
incidence of SGA by 34 % and the risk of stillbirths by 38 %, and increases mean birth weight by 73 gra ms; 
these effects are more pronounced among underweight women.  
This “Fortified Processed Food” is suitable for children aged five years and above, adults  and elderly. The 
product specification aligns with the requirements of a balanced energy protein suppl ement for pregnant and 
breastfeeding women. The recommended Fortified Processed Cereal Based Food (FPCBF) formulation is 
designed to supplement women’s diets in order to make a significant contribution towards the increased 
macro - and micro -nutrient requir ements of pregnancy and breastfeeding.  The recommended intake of 
balanced energy -protein supplements in pregnancy is 350 Kcal - 500 Kcal per day, which would be provided 
in 100 g - 130 g of “Fortified Processed Food”. The same quantity of FPCBF  would provi de a significant 
contribution towards women’s increased energy requirements when breastfeeding  (675 Kcal per day).  
Fortified Processed Cereal Based Foods (FPCBF) may include but not limited to the following categories:  
a) Fortified Processed Cereal Based Food s which are or have to be prepared for consumption with milk 
or other suitable liquids;  
b) Fortified Processed Cereal Based Foods with an added high protein food which are or have to be 
prepared for consumption with water or other suitable protein -free liquid ; 
c) Products  which are to be used after cooking in boiling water or other suitable liquids; and  
d) Rusks, paste  and biscuits which are to be used either directly or, after pulverization, with the addition 
of water, milk or other suitable liquids ; 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved   
Forti fied Processed Cereal Based Foods (FPCBF) —Specification — Part 
2: For persons of 5 years and above   
1 Scope  
This Draft East Africa n Standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for Fortified 
Processed Cereal Based Food (FPCBF) inten ded for  special dietary uses of  persons of 5 years and above . 
This standard excludes fortified composite flour EAS 1024, composite flour EAS 782 , Ready to Use 
Therapeutic Foods  DEAS  1127,  Processed Cereal foods for  old infants and  young children DEAS 72.  
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 2001.0 4, Official method for the determination of Fumonisins B1 and B2 in corn and corn flakes  
AOAC 944.02 , Official method for the determination of Iron in flour, Spectrophotometr ic method  
AOAC 965.33 , Official method for the determination of Peroxide value  
AOAC 984.27 , Official method for the determination of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, 
phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc in infant formula  
AOAC 986.18 , Determin ation of Deoxynivalenol in wheat, gas chromatographic method  
AOAC 992.04 , Official method for the determination of Vitamin A in milk and milk infant formula  
AOAC 999.11 , Determination of Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in Foods. Atomic Absorption 
Spectrophotometry  
AOAC Ba 9 -58, Official method for the determination of urease activity of soya and soybean product  
CODEX STAN 193 , General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed  
CODEX STAN 73 , Standard for Canned Baby Foods  
CODEX STAN 74 , Standard for Processed Cereal -Based Foods for Infants and Young Children  
ISO 15141 -1; Foodstuffs — Determination of ochratoxin A in cereals and cereal products — Part 1: High 
performance liquid chromatographic method with silica gel clean up  
ISO 16050 , Foodst uffs —Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products —High-performance liquid chromatographic method  
ISO 21527 -2, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
yeasts and moulds —Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0,95  
ISO 24333;  Cereals and cereal products — Sampling  
ISO 5498,  Agricultural food product — Determination of crude fiber content  — General method   
 CAC/GL 21,  Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria 
Related to Foods  
CAC/GL 23 , Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims  
CAC/RCP 1 , General Principles of Food Hygiene  
EAS 38 , Lab eling of pre -packaged foods combined  
EAS 803 , Nutritional labeling — Requirements  
ISO 11085,  Cereals, cereals -based products and animal feeding stuffs —Determination of crude fat and total 
fat content by the Randall extraction method  
ISO 15214,  Microbiolog y of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
mesophilic lactic acid bacteria —Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C  
ISO 16649 -1; Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta -
glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli —Part 1: Colony -count technique at 44 degrees C using membranes 
and 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl beta -D-glucuronide  
ISO 20483,  Cereals and pulses —Determination of the nitrogen content and calculation of the crude pro tein 
content —Kjeldahl method  
ISO 2171;  Cereals, pulses and by -products — Determination of ash yield by incineration  
ISO 6579 , Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella 
spp. 
ISO 6888 -1, Microbiology o f 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  
ISO 712, Cereals and cereal products —Determination of m oisture content —Reference method  
ISO 7932, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs —Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
presumptive Bacillus cereus —Colony -count technique at 30 degrees C.  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this docum ent, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
Special dietary uses  
foods which are specially processed or formulated to satisfy particular dietary requirements which exist 
because of a particular physical or physiological condition and/or specific diseases and disorders and which 
are presented as such.1 The composition of these foodstuffs must differ significantly from the composition of 
ordinary foods of comparable nature, if such ordinary foods exist (Ref: CXS 146)  
3.2 
Fortified Processed Cereal Based Foods (FPCBF)  
processed cereal based foods to  which micronutrients have been added specifically to provide additional 
nutrients which are either lacking or are present in insufficient quantities in the diet   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  3.3 
fortification  
practice of deliberately adding micronutrient(s) that is vitamins and minera ls (including trace elements) in a 
food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal 
risk to health”  
3.4 
essential micronutrient  
any micronutrient, which is needed for growth and development  and the maintenance of healthy life, that is 
normally consumed as a constituent of food and cannot be synthesized in adequate amounts by the body.  
3.5 
fortificant  
compound which contains essential micronutrient intended to be added to a food”  
3.6 
diluent  
suitable, inert, edible food -grade carrier of micronutrients for the preparation of premix’  
3.7 
Fortification premix  
Blend of fortificants and diluents formulated to specified  and determined amount of micronutrients  
3.8 
extraneous matter  
organic matter ori ginating from food plants and/or their products other than the designated product  
3.9 
foreign matter  
organic and inorganic materials (such as sand, soil, glass) other than extraneous matter in the designated 
product.  
3.10 
immunocompromised people  
people ha ving an impaired immune system and particularly vulnera ble to opportunistic infections  
4 Raw materials  
Fortified Processed cereal -based foods for persons of 5 years and above shall be prepared primarily from one 
or more milled cereal products, such as whea t, rice, barley, oats, rye, maize, millet, finger millet, bulrush millet 
sorghum and buckwheat  complying with the relevant East African Standards which shall constitute not less 
than 25 % of the final mixture on dry weights basis.  
5 Optional ingredients  
The following options ingredients may be used and shall comply with relevant standards   
a) pulses, legumes; and starchy roots;  
b) oil seed flours and oil seed protein products;  
c) animal source foods;  
d) fats and oils excluding partially hydrogenated fats and oils;  
6 Requirements  
6.1 General requirements  
FPCBF shall be:   
 a) free from live insects;  
b) free from extraneous matter and foreign matter;  
c) have no rancid or musty odour or flavour;  
6.2 Specific requirements  
6.2.1 FPCBF shall conform to the specific requirements specif ied in Table 1.  
 
 
Table 1 — Specific requirements for FPCBF for persons of 5 years and above  
S/N  Parameter  Requirement  Test method  
i.  Moisture content, %, by mass, max.  7.0  ISO 712  
ii.  Protein, m/m flour (N x 6.25), %, Min. Total energy  14  AOAC 981.10  
iii.  Fat, %, m/m Min.  4 ISO 11085  
iv.  Crude fiber, m/m%, Max.  4  ISO 5498  
v.  Acid insoluble ash, %, by mass on dry matter  
basis, max.  0.4  ISO 5985  
vi.  Urease index, pH units, Max.  0.20  AOAC Ba 9 -58  
 
6.2.2 Micro -nutrient content of FPCBF shall conform to  the specific requirements for vitamin and minerals in  
specified in Table 2.  
Table 2 —Additional specific requirements on micronutrients  
Nutrients  400kcl per 100g dry product  
Units  Av, RDI  Min (30% of RDI)  Max (60% of RDI)  
Vitamin A  mcg 658.3  217.3  395 
Vitamin D3  mcg 8.0 2.6 5 
Vitamin K 1  mcg 59.0  19.5  35 
Vitamin B1  mg 1.3 0.4   
Vitamin B2  mg 1.4 0.4   
Niacinamide  mg 16.3  5.4   
Panthotenic 
Acid  mg 5.8 1.9   
Vitamin  B6  mg 1.6 0.5   
Biotin  mcg 31.3  10.3    
Folic acid  mcg 475.0  156.8    
Vitamin B1 2 mcg 2.5 0.8   
Vitamin C  mg 51.7  17.1    
Iodine  µg 183.3  60.5  110  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  Iron mg 27.3  9.0 16 
Zinc mg 11.9  3.9 7 
Calcium  mg 1133.3  374.0  680 
Magnesium  mg 223.5  73.8  134 
The minimum was calculated based on 30% of RDI while the maximum was based on 60% RDI  
 
6.2.3 Testing for micronutrients shall be conducted using any internationally recognized test methods  
 
7 Fortification requirements  
7.1 Fortificants  
Fortificants for use shall be stable compounds conforming to specifications in any internationally recogn ized 
documents including but not limited to the following:  
a) British Pharmacopoeia (BP);  
b) Food Chemical Codex (FCC);  
c) Merck Index (MI);  
d) United States National Formulary (NF);  
e) European Pharmacopoeia (Ph Eur);  
f) United States Pharmacopoeia (USP); or  
g) FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).  
7.2 Fortification premix  
The fortificants shall be mixed with diluents or carriers as appropriate to form a premix. Diluents or carriers  
shall conform to USP, BP, Ph Eur, NF, MI, FAO/WHO, or FCC requirements   
8 Food additive s  
Only the food additives CODEX STAN 192 may be used in FPCBF to maximum limits given in those 
standards  
9 Hygiene  
9.1 Fortified processed Foods shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with the provisions 
of appropriate sections of EAS 39.  
9.2 The product shall comply with microbiological limits in Table 2.  
Table 2 — Limit of microorganisms in FPCBF  
S/N  Microorganisms  Maximum levels  Test methods  
Non-instant FPCBF  Instant FPCBF 
(ready to eat)  
i.  Total viable count CFU/ g, 
max.  10 000  500 ISO 4833  
ii.  Coliforms CFU /g. max.  10  Absent  ISO 4832   
 iii.  Salmonella spp in 25 g, max.  absent  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
iv.  Escherichia Coli  CFU/ g, 
max.  Less than 10 Less than 10  ISO 16649 -2  
v.  Staphylococcus aureus  CFU/ 
g, max.  Less than 10  Less than 10  ISO 6 888-1  
vi.  Bacillus cereus  CFU/ g, max.  absent  Absent  ISO 7932  
vii.  Yeasts and moulds CFU / g. 
max.  100  100 ISO 21527 -2  
viii.  Clostridium perfringens  
CFU/g max  absent  Absent  ISO 7937  
10 Contaminants  
10.1 Heavy metals  
Heavy metals in processed cereal -based fo ods for persons of 5 years and above shall not exceed the limits 
given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with test methods specified therein.  
Table 3— Heavy metal maximum limits  
 
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum limit (mg/kg)  Test method  
i.  Lead  0.2 AOAC 999.11  
ii.  cadmium  0.1 
 
10.2 Pesticide residues  
Fortified Processed cereal based foods shall comply with the maximum residue limit establi shed by the codex 
Alimentarius C ommission for this commodity . 
10.3 Antinutritional factors  
10.3.1  Fortified Processed cereal -based foods shall be processed such that they are practically free from 
anti-nutritional factors which may present a hazard to health or compromise nutrient absorption of the food.  
10.3.2  When cassava is used, the cyanide content in the product shall not b e more than 10 mg/kg when 
tested in accordance with EAS 744.  
10.3.3  When sorghum is used, the tannin content in product shall not be more than 0.3 % when tested in 
accordance with ISO 9648.  
10.3.4  When soybean is used, the trypsin inhibitor content shall not be more than 5 mg/g when tested in 
accordance with ISO 14902 and the urease activity shall not exceed 0.3 mg N/g/min when tested in 
accordance with ISO 5506.  
10.4 Mycotoxins  
FPCBF shall conform to those permissible mycotoxin limits established in Table  4. 
Table 4 — Permissible mycotoxin limits  
 
S/N  Parameters  Limits  Methods of test  
i.  Total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2), 
µg/kg  5 RS ISO 16050  
ii.  Aflatoxin B1, µg/kg  3  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  iii.  Fumonisin, µg/kg  2 000  AOAC 2001.04  
iv.  Ochratoxin A, µg/kg  5 RS ISO 15141 -1 
v.  Deoxynivalenol (DON), mg/kg  0.2  AOAC 986.18  
 
11 Packaging  
11.1 FPCBF shall be packaged in food grade, material; which will safeguard the hygienic and product quality 
attributes.  
11.2 Each package shall be securely closed and easily re -closable during use . 
12 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38 and EAS 803, each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked 
with the following:  
a) name of the product as Fortified processed Cereal Based Food;  
b) type of fortificants;  
c) serving instruction  
13 Methods  of sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the CXC GL 50  
  
 Bibliography  
[1] ECSA, Manual of methods for determining micronutrients in fortified foods; www.a2zproject.org/ - 
a2zorg/pdf/Manual_Foods.pdf  
[2] FAO/WHO (2004) Reference nutrient intake  or INL 98 from FAO/WHO Vitamins and Mineral requirements 
in Human Nutrition. 2nd Edition. ( for all micronutrients except copper, manganese and phosphorus)  
[3] Black et al., Maternal and child underweight and overweight in low -income and middle -income co untries. 
Lancet series: Published online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140 -6736(13)60937 -X. June 6, 2013. 
(“Lancet 2013 MCN1”)  
[4] FAO Food and Nutrition Technical Report Series, Human Energy Requirements: Report of a Joint 
FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Rome, 17 -24 October 2001.  
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 1126 -2: 2023    
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights re served