ICS 67.220.10                         DMS 1291:2016  
                          First edition  
   
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dehydrated green pepper ( Pipper 
nigrum  L.) – Specification 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE – This is a draft proposal and shall neither be used nor regarded as a Malawi standard 
  
  ICS 67.220.10                DMS 1291:2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dehydrated green pepper ( Pipper  
nigrum L.) – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the 
Malawi Bureau of Standards 
Moirs Road 
P O Box 946 
BLANTYRE 
 
 Tel:  +265 1 870 488 
Fax:  +265 1 870 756 
  E-mail:  mbs@mbsmw.org  
             Web-site:  www.mbsmw.org 
 
Price based on 4 pages 
© Copyright reserved  
 iTABLE OF CONTENTS 
  
Contents                                                                                                                                                     Page   
Foreword………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .. i 
Technical committee…………………………………………………………………………………… ……………….. i 
Notice………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  i 
Scope……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  1 
Normative references………………………………………………………………………………… ………………… 1 
Terms and definitions……………………………………………………………………………… …………………… 1 
Description………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …….. 2 
Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……. 2 
Hygiene…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .. 3 
Sampling………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… . 3 
Tests methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……… 3 
Packaging and labelling………………………………………………………………………… ……………………… 3 
Annex A  (informative)  – Recommendations relating to storage and transport conditions………………………. 4 
 
FOREWORD 
 
This draft Malawi standard has been prepared by MBS /TC 8, the Technical Committee on  Spices and 
condiments,  to provide requirements for dehydrated green peppe r.  
 
The standard is based on the International standard , ISO 10621:1997, Dehydrated green pepper (pipper 
nigrum L.) – Specification.  
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the informat ion. 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE 
 
This draft Malawi standard was prepared by MBS/TC 8 , the Technical Committee on Spices and condiment s, 
and the following companies, organizations and inst itutions were represented: 
 
Blantyre City Council; 
Blantyre District Health Office (Ministry of Health ); 
Blantyre ADD; 
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Reso urces (Bunda College Campus); 
Malawi Bureau of Standards; 
Nali Limited; 
Peoples Trading Centre; 
Rab Processors Ltd; 
Tajo Foods; and 
Unilever South East (Malawi) Ltd. 
 
 
NOTICE 
 
This standard shall be reviewed every five years, o r earlier when it is necessary, in order to keep ab reast of 
progress. Comments are welcome and shall be conside red when the standard is being reviewed.
 
 1 
      DMS 1291:2016 
DRAFT PROPOSAL  
 
Dehydrated green pepper ( Pipper nigrum  L.) – 
Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE 
 
This Malawi standard specifies the requirements for  dehydrated green pepper (Piper nigrum L.). 
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES 
 
The following standards contain provisions which, t hrough reference in this text, constitute provision s of this 
standard. All standards are subject to revision and , since any reference to a standard is deemed to be  a 
reference to the latest edition of that standard, p arties to agreements based on this standard are enc ouraged 
to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard indicated below. Informatio n on 
currently valid national and draft Malawi standards  may be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of Standard s. 
 
MS 19, Labelling of pre-packed foods – General standard; 
 
MS 21, Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic c onditions;  
 
MS 139, Spices and condiments – Determination of extraneous  matter and foreign matter content;  
 
MS 141, Spices and condiments – Determination of total ash;  
 
MS 918, Spices and condiments – Determination of moisture c ontent – Entrainment method;  
 
MS 919, Spices and condiments – Determination of acid-insol uble ash; 
 
ISO 948, Spices and condiments – Sampling;  and 
 
ISO 5522, Fruit, vegetables and derived products – Determinat ion of total sulphur dioxide content.  
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 
 
For the purposes of this standard, the following te rms and definitions shall apply: 
 
3.1  
broken berry 
berry that has been separated into two or more piec es 
 
3.2 
light berry  
berry that has reached an apparently normal stage o f development but the kernel does not exist 
 
3.3  
pinhead  
berry of very small size that has not developed 
 
3.4  
dark-coloured berry  
berry that has a colour darker than the normal colo ur of the green berry 
 
3.5  
discoloured berry 
berry that has a faded colour or patches of colour on it  
2 
  
4 DESCRIPTION 
 
The product is prepared from fresh green pepper ber ries of the plant Piper nigrum L. by removal of moi sture 
under controlled conditions. The berries should be of reasonably uniform size. 
 
 
5 REQUIREMENTS 
 
Note: Recommendation relating to conditions of storage an d transport are given in annex A. 
 
5.1 Colour 
 
The berries shall possess the characteristic colour  of green pepper of proper ripeness. 
 
5.2 Freedom from insects, moulds, etc. 
 
Dehydrated green pepper shall be free from live ins ects and moulds, and shall be practically free from  dead 
insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination visible to the naked eye (corrected, if necessary, for 
abnormal vision) or with such magnification as may be necessary in any particular case. If the magnifi cation 
exceeds x10, this fact shall be stated in the test report. 
 
5.3 Extraneous matter 
 
All materials other than green pepper berries, irre spective of whether they are of vegetable (e.g. ste m or 
leaves) or mineral (e.g. sand) origin shall form ex traneous matter. 
 
NOTE:  Light berries, pinhead or broken berries are not c onsidered as extraneous matter. 
 
The extraneous matter, when determined by the metho d specified in MS 139, shall not exceed 1 % (m/m). 
 
5.4 Defective berries 
 
The maximum limit for defective berries including d iscoloured, dark-coloured, light and broken berries  and 
pinheads shall be 7 % by mass when determined after  physical separation. However, the content of dark-
coloured berries shall be not more than 4 %. 
 
5.5 Rehydration properties 
 
The dehydrated green pepper shall reconstitute to a  good quality product and shall possess a tender te xture 
with the characteristic pungent spicy taste, flavou r and colour of green pepper, when one part by mass  of 
dehydrated green pepper is cooked in 10 parts by ma ss of 1 % sodium chloride solution for 20 min. The 
rehydrated product shall be practically free from m usty or smoky notes. 
 
5.6 Chemical requirements 
 
Dehydrated green pepper shall also comply with the requirements given in table 1. 
 
Table 1 – Chemical requirements for dehydrated gree n pepper  
 
Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Moisture content, % (m/m), max. 8 MS 918 
Total ash, % (m/m) on dry basis, 
max. 5 MS 141 
Acid insoluble ash, % (m/m) on dry 
basis, max. 0.3 MS 919 
Sulphur dioxide, % (m/m), mg/kg, 
max. 500 ISO 5522 
 
 
  
3 
 6 HYGIENE 
 
It is recommended that the products covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared and handled  in 
accordance with MS 21. 
 
 
7 SAMPLING 
 
Sampling shall be carried out as specified in ISO 9 48. 
 
 
8 TESTS METHODS 
 
The samples of dehydrated green pepper shall be ana lysed to ensure conformity with the requirements of  
this standard by following the methods of organolep tic, physical and chemical analysis specified in 5.3  to 5.6  
and table 1. 
 
 
9 PACKAGING AND LABELLING 
 
9.1 Packaging 
 
Dehydrated green pepper shall be packed in clean an d sound containers made of a material which does no t 
affect the product but which protect it from the in gress of moisture. 
 
The packaging shall also comply with any national l egislation relating to environmental protection. 
 
9.2 Labelling 
 
In addition to the requirements prescribed in MS 19 , the following specific provisions shall be marked  on 
each package or on a label attached to the package:  
 
a) name of the product; 
b)  name and address of the processor or packer; 
c) trade name or brand name, if any; 
d) code or batch number; 
e) net mass; 
f) best before date; 
g) storage conditions; 
h) producing country; 
i) any other marking required by the purchaser (suc h as date of packing, year of harvest, etc.); and 
j) whether the product contains additives, and whic h ones in the case of countries where they are 
permitted. 
 
 
 
   
4 
 ANNEX A 
(informative) 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO STORAGE AND TRANSPORT C ONDITIONS 
 
A.1 Storage 
 
Packages of dehydrated green pepper should be store d in covered premises, well protected from the sun,  
rain and excessive heat. The storeroom should be dr y, free from unpleasant odours and protected agains t 
the entry of insects and other vermin. 
 
A.2 Transport 
 
The containers should be clearly marked with a warn ing against careless handling which might lead to 
perforation of the containers. They should be kept dry and cool and stored well away from ships' boile rs or 
bilges. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
ICS 67.220.10                        DMS 1291:2016  
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI BUREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFI CATION MARK SCHEME 
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  Set up 
in 1972 by the Malawi Bureau of Standards 
Act (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal 
body whose activities aim at formulating and 
promoting the general adoption of standards 
relating to structures, commodities, materials, 
practices, operations and from time to time 
revise, alter and amend the same to 
incorporate advanced technology. To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national 
standards are granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability.