FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS EAS 776
First Edition
2012-mm-dd
 
 Reference numbe r
FDUS EAS 776: 2012
© UNBS 2012
  
Production and handling of fresh cassava – Code of practice 
 FDUS EAS 776: 2012 
i i                 ©  U N B S  2012 - 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 2012 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, in cluding photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
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 
Kampala  
Uganda 
Tel: 256 41 505 995 
Fax: 256 41 286 123 
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 FDUS EAS 776: 2012 
© UNBS  2012 - 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 776: 2012 , Production and handling of fresh cassava – Code of 
practice, is identical with  and has been reproduced from an East  African Standard, EAS 776: 2012 , Production 
and handling of fresh cassava – Code of practice,  and is being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
This standard was developed by Food and agriculture Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2).  
Wherever the words, “East African Standard" appea r, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
 
   EAS 776:2012
 
© EAC 2012                First Edition 2012  
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Production and handling of fresh cassava – Code of practice  
 
 
                   
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY EAS 776:2012 9 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved               ii 
 Foreword 
 
Development of the East African Standards has 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 
Community will be removed.   
In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner  States have enacted an East African Standardization, 
Quality Assurance, Metrology and Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make provisions for ensuring 
standardization, quality assurance, 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 societ y and the environment in the Community. 
 
East African Standards are formulated  in accordance with the procedures established by the East African 
Standards Committee. The East African Standards Committe e is established under the provisions of Article 4 
of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is compos ed of representatives of the National Standards 
Bodies in Partner States, together with the repr esentatives from the priv ate sectors and consumer 
organizations. Draft East African Standards are circul ated 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 t he procedures of the Community.  
 
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides that “Wit hin six months of the declar ation 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 national 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 therefor e expected to ensure that they always hav e the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing.   
© East African Community 2012 — 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.each.int 
                                                      
* © 2012 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by an y means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs.  
 EAS 776:2012 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved                 iii 
 Acknowledgement 
This standard was devel oped with support from the Policy Analysi s and Advocacy Programme (PAAP) of the 
Association for Strengthening Agricult ural Research in Eastern and Cent ral Africa (ASARECA). This was 
possible through a grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This support 
was used in the process of formulation and mobilization of stakeholders to review the standard in national and 
regional fora. This support is hereby acknowledged. 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
  EAS 776:2012 9 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved               iv 
 Introduction 
This code focuses upon issues that are specific to the primary production and packaging of fresh cassava in 
order to produce a safe and wholesome product. 
This code addresses Good Agricultural Practices (G APs) and Good Manufacturing Pr actices (GMPs) that will 
help control microbial, chemical and physical hazards asso ciated with all stages of  the production of fresh 
cassava from primary production to packaging. Part icular attention is given to minimizing damage and 
deterioration of fresh ca ssava before marketing.  
This code does not provide detailed information which is considered to be generally applicable to all fruits and 
vegetables or food products in general. Such provisions are available in other codes.  As such this code should 
be used in conjunction EAS 39 and CAC/RC P 53, Code of hygienic practice for fresh fruits and vegetables. 
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD EAS 776:2012
 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved Production and handling of fresh cassava – Code of practice   
1 Scope 
This East African Code provides recommended prac tices for the production, storage, packaging and 
transportation of fresh cassava 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. 
EAS 38 , General standard for labeling of prepackaged foods 
 
EAS 39 , Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry – Code of practice  
 CAC/RCP 53,  Code of hygienic practice for fresh fruits and vegetables 
 
3 Terms and definitions 
For the purposes of this Code of practice, the following terms and definitions shall apply. 
3.1 
fresh cassava unpeeled roots from varieties of cassava [ manihot esculanta (Crantz )] of the Euphorbiace  family which contain 
stored carbohydrates mainly as starch 
3.2  
agricultural inputs 
any incoming material (e.g. water, agricultural c hemicals and planting material) used for the primary 
production of fresh cassava 
3.3 
biological control 
use of competing biological agents (such as insects, micro-organisms and/or microbial metabolites) for the 
control of pests, plant pathogens and spoilage organisms. 
3.4 
primary deterioration  deterioration as a result of physiological changes c haracterised by  vascular streaking or vascular 
discoloration. 
3.5 
secondary deterioration  
deterioration induced by micro-organisms that cause rotting under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. 
3.5 
curing 
operation of self-healing of wounds, cuts and bruises EAS 776:2012 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved                 3 
 4 Primary production and handling of fresh cassava 
4.1 General requirements 
Fresh cassava is grown and harvested under a wide ran ge of climatic and diverse geographical conditions, 
using various agricultural inputs and technologies. Biological, chemical and physical hazards may vary 
significantly from one type of production to another.  
In each primary production area, it is necessary to cons ider the particular agricultural practices that promote 
the production of safe fresh cassava, taking into account the conditions specific to the primary production 
area, varieties of cassava and methods used. 
During production, primary and secondary deterioration sh ould be avoided so as to maintain the quality of 
fresh cassava. Procedures associated with primary production should be conducted under good hygienic 
conditions and should minimize potential hazards to  health due to the contamination of fresh cassava in 
accordance with EAS 39 and CAC/RCP 53. 
4.2 Agricultural input requirements 
4.2.1  Inputs used for the production of fr esh cassava shall conform to the re levant East African Standards.  
4.2.2  Agricultural inputs shall not contain microbial or chemical contaminants at le vels that may adversely 
affect the safety and quality of fresh cassava.  
4.2.3  Growers shall use only agricultural inputs which are approved by the Competent Authority for the 
cultivation of cassava and shall use them accordi ng to the product label for the intended purpose. 
4.2.4  The disposal of surplus chemical and used containers shall be in ac cordance to the national 
environment regulatory agency guidelines.  
4.2.5  Residues shall not exceed levels as established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
4.2.6  Agricultural workers who apply agricultural chem icals shall be trained in proper application 
procedures. 
4.2.7  Growers shall keep records of agricultural chemical applications. Records should include information 
on the date of application, the chemical used, the crop sprayed, the pest or disease against which it was used, 
the concentration, method and frequency of application,  and records on harvesting to verify that the time 
between applications and harvesting is appropriate. 
4.2.8  Agricultural implements and equipment shall be calibr ated, as necessary, to control the accuracy of 
application. 
4.2.9  Agricultural chemicals should be kept in their original containers, labelled with the name of the 
chemical and the instructions for application and use  
4.3 Handling during production 
During the primary production and post-harvest activi ties, effective measures shall be taken to prevent 
contamination of fresh cassava from agricultural inputs or personnel who come directly or indirectly into 
contact with fresh cassava.  
To prevent contamination, fresh cassava growers, harvest ers and handlers shall adhere to the following: 
a) Fresh cassava unfit for human consumption should be segregated during harvesting. That which 
cannot be made safe by further proces sing should be disposed of properly; 
b) Agricultural workers should not use harvesting containers for other pur poses (e.g. lunches, tools, fuel, 
etc.). Where such containe rs have to be used for other purposes they shall be cleaned and sanitized; 
and EAS 776:2012 9 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved               4 
 c) Care shall be taken when packing fresh cassava in  the field to avoid exposure to contamination with 
animal/human filth. 
4.4  Handling during harvesting 
Cassava roots can be harvested at any ti me of the year. The food quality of the roots, particularly the starch 
content, increases with time up to an optimal period after planting, after which there is a loss of quality, mainly 
due to increased lignification. However, excessive harves ting of the leaves can have a negative effect on the 
yield of roots. 
Careful harvesting and proper handling of roots is an important step towards successful storage.  
Harvesting cassava roots may either be done by hand wher e the soils are soft or by digging or mechanical 
harvesting around the roots in hard soils so as to free the roots from the plant.  
The plant should be lifted using the lower part of stem  and pulling the roots out of the ground, then removing 
them from the base of the plant by hand. Levers and ropes can be used to assist harvesting. 
To facilitate lifting, the plant should be cut down about 30 cm - 50 cm above the ground. The protruding stem 
shall be used to lift the roots out of the ground and care should be taken not to break the roots. This leads to 
losses if broken roots are not retrieved from the soil and to contamination that may evolve into root spoilage.  
Care should be taken during the harve sting process to minimize damage such as bruising, scrapping or 
breaking of the roots, as this great ly reduces shelf life. Roots should not  be thrown or dropped down as this 
may accelerate deterioration. 
Avoid injuring the roots at harvest by the digging tools, which may be wooden sticks, machetes, hoes or forks. 
5 Storage and preservation 
5.1 General  
Cassava roots generally deteriorate ve ry quickly soon after harvest and this because of the fact that the root 
of cassava as a storage organ has no dormancy, f unction in propagation and possesses no bud primordia 
from which re-growth can occur.  Cassava roots are still living organism s after they have been harvested and losses that occur during storage 
arise mainly from their physical and physiological condition.  The main causes of loss are associated with mech anical damage, physiological condition (maturity, 
respiration, water loss), diseases and pests. To ensure effective storage of root and tuber crops, these major 
causative factors need to be properly  understood and, where appropriate, be properly controlled, taking into 
account the socio-economic factors which preva il in the areas of production and marketing.  
5.2 Handling during storage Cassava roots shall be harvested and handled  with extreme care if they are to be kept for more than a week. 
There are a number of different practices which, if used in combination, will assist in delaying deterioration: 
a) Cutting off the stems, leaving only a short part  above ground. This oper ation should be done about 
three weeks prior to harvesting; 
b) As cassava roots usually start rotting from the neck, (i.e. the point of  attachment of the root to the 
parent plant), harvesting the roots with part of the stem (2 cm - 5 cm) still attached may prevent a 
rapid spread of decay into the root; 
c) Minimize damage at lifting by harvesting while the soil is wet, for example after a rain; EAS 776:2012 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved                 5 
 d) Retain only those roots that do not show signs of injury. Roots that  are to be kept for more that one 
week or more should be carefully selected since curing will not be effective on roots with extensive 
damage; and 
e) Establish curing of the roots after harvest as a r outine operation with, as far as possible, the minimum 
of handling. 
Severely damaged roots should not be stored because of the following reasons: 
a) lower quality; 
b) increased risk of subsequent pathogenic losses; and  
c) risk of introducing disease organisms into sound produce. 
5.3  Control of damage 
Cassava roots should be handled so as to minimize abrasi on and breaking of the skin because of its relatively 
soft texture. Most mechanical damage occurs as a result  of careless handling at harvest and during transport 
to and within a store. 
5.4  Temperature control 
Temperature has a great influence on many factors t hat cause loss during storage such as the development 
of rotting micro-organisms and insect infestation. At 10° C, the rate of rotting and respiration are shown to be 
moderate and below 4 0C the rate of respiration is significantly reduced although chilling injury may occur.   
5.5 Curing of cassava roots 
Cassava roots hav e the ability to heal their skin wounds when  held at relatively high temperatures and 
humidity for few days after harvest while at the same time there is a general strengthening of the skin. The 
crop may undergo the operation of curing immediately a fter harvest and factors that may affect the healing of 
wounds are 
a) temperature of the produce,  
b) oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration within the produce, and 
c) humidity within the produce. 
5.6 Storage methods 
5.6.1 Storage in the soil before harvest 
a) Roots may be stored by leaving them un-harve sted after the optimum harvest stage depending on the 
variety and ecological conditions, however, cass ava roots will become fibrous and woody and their 
starch content and palatability decreases, 
b) be attacked  by pests and pathogens, and 
c) become more susceptible to deterio ration  while still in the ground. 
5.6.2 Storage pits/heaps 
Roots may be kept in pits/heaps for a short period (2 days - 3 days) by: 
a) re-burying in trenches covered with plant material and soil;  
b) piling in heaps and kept moist by watering them daily; and EAS 776:2012 9 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved               6 
 c) covering by applying a thick coating of soft clay or mud. 
5.6.3 Storing fresh cassava roots in crates/ baskets/boxes 
Freshly harvested cassava roots can be stored in wooden crates or baskets.  The crates are lined with a layer 
of sawdust, wood shavings, peat or any other suitable adsorbent materials.  The spaces between the roots are 
also filled with sawdust. Finally, the roots are then covered with sawdust. 
The sawdust should be damp but must not be wet. If the sawdust is too dry the root s will deteriorate quickly. 
Sawdust which is too moist promotes the formation of moul d and rot. To prevent the roots drying out too early, 
the crate should be lined with plastic foil. The crates or baskets can simultaneously be used as co ntainers during transport (also several times) which 
saves on handling costs and also reduces injury to the roots during transport. 
5.6.4 Storing fresh cassava roots in a dip 
Fresh cassava roots may be stored in potable water in va rious sized containers. The containers are filled with 
potable water and the roots are completely submerged. This process may also be used as for simultaneously 
detoxifying the roots which contain hydrogen cyanide. 
The effectiveness of this method depe nds greatly on the degree of freshness of the roots when they are 
stored. 
5.6.5 Storage in plastic bags or plastic film wraps 
Plastic bags may be used to preserve cassava roots by avoiding the loss of moisture and water stress. 
Cassava roots treated with an appropriate fungicide such as thiabendazole and kept in an airtight plastic bag 
or a plastic film wrap can be stored for two to three weeks. 
Cassava roots should be dipped in a 0.4%  w/w solution of thiabendazole for 10 seconds and storing in plastic 
bags. 
Cassava roots may also be treated with household blea ch (0.95% active chlorine). The use of household 
bleach is as effective as thiabendazole if sound ca ssava roots are not stored for much longer than seven 
days.  Freshly harvested roots are put into bags. Fungicides  should be applied before the bags are closed to avoid 
the formation of mould and rot. High temperatures (above 40°C) as well as low temperatures (below 10°C) may be used to enhance the effect 
on the duration of storage. 
5.6.6 Other methods 
Other methods of storage and preservation include refrig eration, waxing of the roots and chemical treatment. 
5.6.6.1 Refrigeration 
Reduced temperatures extend the storage ability of ca ssava roots by delaying the deterioration processes 
which occur rapidly at normal storage temperatures . Experiments have shown that the most favourable 
temperature for the storage of fresh cassava roots is 3°C.  
5.6.6.2 Waxing 
Cassava roots may be stored preserved by coating them in food grade wax.  The wax may or may not be 
supported with a fungicide. EAS 776:2012 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved                 7 
 6  Sorting and packing for export  
With suitable handling and storage, fres h cassava can be successfully transp orted for long distances including 
export by sea-shipment. Fresh cassava may be graded in terms of size and shape.   
The optimum handling system is as follows:  
a) fresh cassava shall be carefully clean ed and treated in accordance with 5.6.5; 
b) after washing and fungicide treatment, the fresh ca ssava should be left overnight in a well ventilated 
area to dry before packing for departure; and  
c) during shipment, the required storage temperature is 10°C - 15°C.  
7 Packaging and labelling 
7.1 Packaging materials shall be suitable for packing and transporting fresh cassava.  
7.2 Packaging materials shall protect the produce and ea se handling including accounting for quantity in the 
lot.  
7.3 The selection of suitable containers for commercial scale marketing requires very careful consideration. 
The following factors should be considered in choosing packaging materials: 
a) the level of losses occurring during marketing; 
b) the comparative cost of th e present and improved packaging; 
c) the regularity of supply of the packaging material; and 
d) the acceptance of the packaging method to the market. 
7.4 Among the various types of packaging material that are available, the following are used: 
a) natural and synthetic fibre sacks;  b) moulded plastic boxes;  
c) sawn wooden boxes; 
d) cardboard boxes; and  e) paper or plastic film sacks.  
7.5  The net weight shall be: 
a) in metric units; and 
b) not more than 50 kg in line with ILO guidelines. 
Note: For sea-shipment, an additional 5% packing weight may be required due to weight loss which will occur during 
storage and shipment. 
7.6 The labelling of packaged fresh cassava shall be in accordance with EAS 38.  EAS 776:2012 9 
 
© EAC 2012 – All rights reserved               8 
 8  Criteria for conformity  
A lot shall be declared as acceptable if the producti on and handling processes conf orm to the provisions of 
this Code of practice.