PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT DRAFT UGANDA STANDA RD  
  DUS DEAS 892 
First  Edition  
2016-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS DEAS 892: 2016 
© UNBS 201 6 
  
Fresh sweet banana — Specification  
 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 892:2016 
ii                © UNBS  2016  - 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 2016 
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 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTDUS DEAS 892:2016 
© UNBS  2016 - 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 892: 2016, Fresh sweet banana  — Specification,  is identical with  
and has been reproduced from a Draft East African Standa rd, DEAS 892 : 2016, Fresh sweet banana  — 
Specification,  and is being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard. 
This standard was developed by the Food and agriculture  Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2). 
Wherever the words, “ East African Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
   DEAS  892:2016  
 
© EA C 2016                                                                                                                        First Edition 2016  
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fresh sweet banana  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 892:2016  
ii © EAC  2016 – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be persecuted  DEAS 892:2016  
© EAC 2016 – 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 exchang ed 
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 t herefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
DEAS ….  was prepared by Technical Committee EASC /TC 016  Horticulture  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 892:2016  
 
© EAC 2016  – All rights reserved  1 
 Fresh  sweet  banana  — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft East Africa Standar d specifies  the requirements and methods of sampling for fresh sweet banana, 
of Musa  spp, of the family Musaceae ; in an unripe or ripe state, to be supplied to the consumer.  Bananas 
intended for cooking only (plantains and East Africa highland ba nana) or industrial processing are excluded . 
NOTE  The commonly grown commercial varieties of sweet bananas are stated in Annex A.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application for this standard. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies;  
 
ISO 874 , Fresh fruits and vegetables – Sampling  
 
EAS 38 , Packaging, marking and labeling of foods  
CAC/RCP 53 -2003  Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables  
 
ISO 7558:1988 , Guide to the prepackaging of fresh fruits and vege tables  
 
ISO 6633:1984 Fruits, vegetables and derived produ cts -- Determination of lead content -- Flameless atomic 
absorption spectrometric method  
 
ISO 17240:2004 Fruit and vegetable products -- Determination of tin content -- Method using flame atomic 
absorption spectrometry  
 
ISO 7952:1994 Fruits, vegetables and  derived products -- Determination of copper content -- Method using 
flame atomic absorption spectrometry  
 
ISO 6636 -2:1981 Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of zinc content -- Part 2: Atomic 
absorption spectrometric method  
 
ISO 17239 :2004 Fruits, vegetables and derived products -- Determination of arsenic content -- Method using 
hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this standard the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 fresh sweet banana  
The mature fruit, being light green or red/purple  when unripe, marketed before and /or after ripening  for 
consumptio n. 
 
3.2 plantain   
2 © EAC  2016 – All rights reserved  
 cooking banana; distinctly recognized for its higher level of st arch content; commonly marketed while green in 
colour; normally not considered to be suitable for dessert even when ripened  
 
3.3 East Africa highland banana   
cooking banana; recognized for its low level of starch content; commonly marketed whil e green or yellow  in 
colour; normally not considered to be suitable for dessert even when ripened.  
 
 
3.4 physiological maturity  
The stage when the fruit reaches its largest diameter.  
 
3.5 cluster  
A group of attached bananas  from a split hand  
 
3.6 hand  
Group of bananas fingers attached to one piece of peduncle  
 
3.7 finger  
Means single banana .  
 
3.8 sound  
Not overripe, not soft and free from diseases or insect damage, or bruising or physical injuries affecting 
keeping qua lity of the fruit.  
 
3.9 
Food grade  packaging  material  
Any material which when it comes in contact with food or if the area near food is unlikely to contaminate food 
with harmful materials  
 
3.10 
firm 
not soft, flabby, or shriveled  
 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
Banana in all classes shall meet the following minimum requirements.  
 
(a) Whole (taking the finger as the reference).  
(b) Sound ; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as t o make it unfit for consumption is excluded.  
 
(c) Clean;  practically free of any visible foreign matter  
 
(d) Practically free of pests affecting the general appearance of the produce.   
 
(e) Practically free of damage caused by pests.  
 
(f) Free of abnormal  external moisture, excluding condensation following removal from cold storage and 
banana packed under modified atmosphere conditions.  
 
(g) Free of any foreign smell and/or taste  
 
 (h) Firm.  
 
(i) Free of damage caused by low temperatures.  
 
(j) Practically free of bruises.   
© EAC 2016 – All rights reserved  3 
  
(k) Free of malformation or abnormal curvature of the fingers.  
 
(l) With pistil removed  
 
(k) With the stalk intact, without bending, fungal damage or desiccation.  
 
In addition, hands/clusters must include;  
 
(i) A sufficient portion of  the crown of normal colouring, sound a nd free of fungal contamination;  and 
 
(ii) A cleanly cut  stalk, not beveled or torn, with no stalk fragments.  
 
 
4.1.2 The development and condition of the bananas  shall be such that enable them  to: 
 
(a) reach the appropriate stage of physiological maturity corresponding to the particular characteris tics of 
the variety , and  
 
(b) arrive in a satisfactory condition at the place of destination in order to ripen satisfactorily . 
4.2 Specific requirements  
 
4.2.1 Classification  
 
Bananas are classified in three classes; Extra class, Class I and Class II:  
 
4.2.1.1 "Extra" Class  
 
Bananas in this class shall be of superior quality.  They shall have the characteristics typical of the variety 
and/or commercial type.   The fingers shall be free of defects, with the exception of very slight superficial 
defects, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality and presentation in 
the package.  
 
4.2.1.2 Class I  
 
Banana in this class shall be  of good quality. They shall be characteristic of the variety.  The following slight 
defects of the fingers, may however be allowed provided these do not affect the general appearance of the 
produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the  package:  
 
i) Slight defect in shape and colour  
 
ii) Slight skin defects due to rubbing and other superficial defects not exceeding 2 cm2 of the total surface 
area.  
 
iii) The defects shall not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit.  
 
4.2.1.3 Class II  
 
This class covers banana which do not qualify for inclusion in the Extra class or Class I but satisfy the 
minimum requirements specified in clause 4.1.  The following defects, however, may be allowed provided the 
banana retains their essential cha racteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation.  
 
a) Defects in shape and colour, provided the product retains the normal characteristics of the banana  
 
b) Skin defects due to scraping, scabs, rubbing, blemishes or other causes no t exceeding 4 cm2 of the total 
surface area.  
 
The defects shall not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit.   
 
4.2.2 Size requirements   
4 © EAC  2016 – All rights reserved  
  
4.2.2.1 Sizing is determined by:  
 
a) The length of the edible pulp of the fruit, expressed in centimeters and meas ured along the convex 
face from the blossom end to the base of the peduncle  
 
b) The grade (girth), i.e. the measurement, in centimeter of the thickness of a transverse section of the 
fruit between the lateral faces and the middle, perpendicularly to the lo ngitudinal axis.  
 
4.2.2.2  The reference fruit for measurement of the length and grade is:  
 
a) For hands, the median finger on the outer row of the hand  
 
b) For clusters the finger next to the cut section of the hand, on the outer row of the cluster  
 
The m inimum length permitted is 14 cm with exception to apple banana and the minimum diameter  permitted 
is 2.7 cm. (see 4.2.2.1(b))  
5 Tolerances  
5.1 Quality tolerances  
5.1.1 Extra class  – Five percent by number or weight of banana not satisfying the re quirements of the class, 
but meeting those of class 1 or, exceptionally coming within the tolerances of that class.  
5.1.2 Class 1  - 10% by number of weight of banana not satisfying the requirements of class 1 but meeting 
those of class II, or, exceptional ly, coming within the tolerance for class.  
5.1.3 Class II  -10% by number or weight of bananas satisfying neither the requirements for class I nor the 
minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration render ing it 
unfit for consumption.  
 
5.2 Size tolerances  
 
For all classes: 10 per cent by weight of carrots not satisfying the requirements as regards sizing.  The roots 
may fall below the minimum size or exceed the maximum permissible difference for the class.  
 
5.3 Presentation  tolerances  
 
a)  The banana shall be presented in hands and clusters (parts of hands) of at least four fingers.  Bananas 
may also be presented as single fingers  
b) Clusters with no more than two missing fingers are allowed, provided the s talk is not torn but cleanly cut, 
without damage to the neighbouring fingers.  
c) Not more than one cluster of three fingers with the same characteristics as the other fruit in the package 
may be present per row.  
 
 
 
  
© EAC 2016 – All rights reserved  5 
 6 Contaminants  
6.1 Pesticide residues   
 
Banana shall comply with those max imum residue limits established by the Codex Committee on Pesticide 
Residues for this commodity.  
 
 
6.2 Metal contaminants  
 
When tested in accordance with ISO 6633 , the Lead content in fresh avocado shall not exceed 0.1 mg/kg.  
7 Hygiene  
It is recommended that the produce covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared and handled in 
accordance with  CAC/RCP 53 -2003 . 
 
8 Packaging  
 
8.1 Banana shall be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.  The food grade pack aging 
material used inside the package shall be clean and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or 
internal damage to the produce.  The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade 
specifications is allowed, provid ed the printing or labelling has been done with non -toxic ink or glue.  Packages 
must be free from any foreign matter and the material shall be recyclable.  
8.2   Bananas shall also be packed in containers in accordance with ISO 7558 .  
8.3 The contents of each package shall be uniform and consist exclusively of bananas of the same origin, 
variety and/or commercial type, and quality.  The visible part of the content of the p ackage must be 
representation of the entire contents.  
9 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of the EAS 38 , the following specific provisions apply fo r each package; legibly 
and indelibly marked.  
 
i) Name, postal and physical address of the packer or dispatcher.  
ii) Name of the produce (banana)  as “Fresh sweet banana” ; including variety or commercial type.  
iii) Origin of the produce – Name of the produc ing country, region and district or where g rown.  
Harvest date  
iv) Commercial specification i.e. banana in fingers (when appropriate), class and expressed as minimum 
length and maximum grade.  
 
v) Net weight (kg).  
 
vi)  Ide ntification  code  and/or batch number . 
 
vii) storage instructions  
 
 
10 Sampling  
Representative samples of the banana shall be drawn as prescribed in ISO 874.   
6 © EAC  2016 – All rights reserved  
 Annex A  
(informative)  
Varieties  
The following are the commonly grown commercial varieties of banana.  
 
i. Dwarf Cavendish  
ii. Gian t Cavendish  
iii. Grand naine  
iv. Paz (Pazi)  
v. Robusta (Robusta)  
vi. Gros Michel/Jamaica  
vii. Williams  
viii. Silk/ Apple banana  
ix. FHIA 
 
 
 
 
  
© EAC 2016 – All rights reserved  7 
 Bibliography  
CODEX STA N 205-1997  AMD 1:2005 , Codex standard for bananas  
    
 
© EAC 2016 – All rights reserved