ICS 67.120.30            DMS 1433 :2018 
First  edition  
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
(SADC HARMONIZED)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Farmed Tilapia (Bream)  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft standard and it shall neither be used nor  regarded as a Ma lawi standard   
 
 ICS 67.120.30           DMS 1433 :2018 
        First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Farmed Tilapia (Bream)  – 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  
Website: www.mbsmw.org  
Price based on 5 page s 
© Copyright reserved   
i 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents                                                                                                                                                      Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  i 
Technical Committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  i 
Notice  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... i 
Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 1 
Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  1 
Essential  composition and quality factors ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  4 
Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  4 
Packaging and labeling ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
Methods of sampling and tests  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  4 
Annex A; Grading criteria for quality classification  ................................ ................................ ............................  5 
 
FOREWORD  
 
This draft standard  is a Southern African Development Community  (SADC)  Harmonized Text  covering the 
requirements and methods of tests for farmed tilapia (Bream) . 
  
The harmonization of standards and technical regulations in the SADC  region is an obligation under the 
SADC protocol on Trade which was established under the SADC Treaty to  provide for elimination of tariffs 
and non-tarriff barriers  to trade.  
 
This draft standard is ide ntical to SADC HT 80, Farmed tilapia (Bream) . 
   
Acknowledgement is made fo r the use of the above standard . 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft standard was prepared by the Technical Committee MBS/TC 39, Fish and fishery products,  and 
the following companies, organizations and institutions were represented:  
 
Malawi Bureau of Standards.  
MALDECO Fisheries  
Malawi College of Fisheries;  
Ministry of Agri culture, Irrigation and Water Development – Department of Fisheries;  
Lake Harvest;  and 
Lilongwe University for Ag riculture and Natural Resources.  
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This standard shall be reviewed every five years, or earlier when it is necessary, in order to keep abreast of 
progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .  
1 
                 DMS xxx: 2018 
 
DRAFT PROPOSAL  
 
Farmed Tilapia  (Bream)  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft standard applies to farmed fresh whole bream of genus Tilapia and Oreochromis , for direct 
consumption or further processing.  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standard  contain s provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute pro visions of this 
draft 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, parties to agr eements based on this draft standard  are 
encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard indicated below. 
Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19:  Labelling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21:  Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 214:  Potable water – Specification  
 
MS 237:  Food additives – General standard;  
 
MS 302:  Contaminants and toxins in foods – General standard;  
 
ISO 4832:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coliforms – Colony -count technique;  
 
ISO 4833 : Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms – Colony -count technique at 30 degrees;   
 
ISO 6579:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella 
spp.;  
 
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 793:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enu meration of 
Clostridium perfringens – Colony -count technique;  
 
ISO 13720:  Meat and meat products – Enumeration of Pseudomonas spp .; 
 
ISO 16050:  Foodstuffs – Determination of aflatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nut s and derived products – High performance liquid chromatographic method ; 
 
ISO 21567:  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal  method for the detection of Shigella  
spp.; 
 
ISO/TS 21872 -1: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal  method for the detection of 
potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. – Part 1: Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholera;   
  
2 
 ISO/TS 21872 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal  method for the detection of 
potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio spp. – Part 2: Detection of species other than Vibrio parahaemolyticus 
and Vibrio cholera ; and 
 
AOAC:  Association of Analytical Chemist  
 
 
3 DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft standard , the following definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
food grade material  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
 
3.2 
foreign matter  
any material which is not of fish origin e.g. sand, stones, metallic chips, plant parts etc . 
 
3.3 
fresh whole fish  
fish harvested while alive from culture, immediately cleaned and/or  chilled to preserve freshness  
3.4 
veterinary drug  
any substance applied or administered to fish, whether used for therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic 
purposes or for modification of physi ological functions or behaviour   
 
3.5 
lot  
fish from the same origin and harvest  
 
3.6 
sound  
free from physiological deterioration or adulte ration/contamination, that appreciably affects their appearance, 
edibility and the ke eping quality of the dried fish  
 
3.7 
Tilapia  
fish of the genus Tilapia and Oreochromis  
 
 
4.  ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
4.1 Minimum requirements  
 
4.1.1    The head, body, tail, and fins of the fresh whole fish shall be intact.  
 
4.1.2    Defects such as deformations, blemishes, injuries or burst bellies shall not be  clearly visible and the 
fish shall not be decomposed.  
  
4.1.3    By visual inspection, the f ish shall be free from parasites or any disease.  
 
4.1.4    No distinct objectionable odour, such as a muddy odour.  
 
4.1.5   Foreign materials, such as pieces of stones, pebbles, sand, or mud, which  indicates unhygienic 
practices, shall not be found by visual inspection.  
 
4.2  Classification  
 
Tilapia can be classified into two classes according to freshness indicated by visual inspection of the eyes, 
skin, body, gills, belly cavity, meat, and viscer a as follows:  
  
3 
 4.2.1  Extra Class  
 
Fish in this class shall be of the best quality. It shall be very fresh with freshness score of 4 with respect to 
grading criteria in the Annex A.  
 
4.2.2  Class I  
 
Fish in this class shall be of good quality. It is second to the Extra Class with freshness score not lower than 
3 with respect to grading criteria in the Annex.  
  
NOTE:  The grading of fish shall be carried out by trained personnel   
 
4.3 Sizing    
 
General fish sizes shall be defined as in the Table 1.  
 
Table 1 – Sizing of Tilapia  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.4  Tolerances  
 
Quality tolerances of fresh fish in each container shall be as follows:  
 
4.4.1 Extra class  
 
Fish with quality  lower than Extra Class but at least of Class I with quality score of 3 in all features are 
allowed for not more than 5  % of the lot.  
4.4.2 Class I  
 
Fish with quality lower than Class I with quality score of not less than 2 in all features are allowed for  not 
more than 5  % of the lot.  
 
4.5 Microbiological limits  
 
When tested in accordance  with appropriate methods indicated , microbial counts shall be withi n the limits as 
described in  Table 2.  
 
Table 2 – Microbiological limits  for farmed Tilapia  (Bream)  
 
1 2 3 4 
SL No Micro-organisms  Max. limits Method of test 
i) Salmonella per 25 g Absent ISO 6579 
ii) E. coli per g Absent ISO 7251 
iii) Listeria monocytogenes Absent ISO 11290 Part 1 
iv) Staphylococcus aureus  cfu per g       102 ISO 6888 
v) Clostridium perfringens per gram Absent ISO 7937 
vi) Vibrio Spp per gram  Absent ISO 21872 
vii) Total viable count per gram      105
 ISO 4833 
 1 2 
Sizes  Weights (g/fish)  
1 >1,000  
2 >700 -1000  
3 >500 – 700 
4 >300 - 500 
5 ≤ 300   
4 
  
5 HYGIENE  
 
5.1  Culturing, harvesting, post -harvest handling, and transportation of tilapia shall be carried out under 
hygienic practices in accordance with MS 21  and MS 790 to prevent contamination  that may be unsafe to 
consumers or cause the deterioration of the fish.  
 
5.2  Water used for washing the fish shall comply with MS 214.   
 
 
6 CONTAMINANTS  
 
6.1 The product covered by this draft standard shall comply with the maximum limits of heavy metals 
and other contaminants specified  in MS 302.  
 
6.2 The product shall comply with the residual limits of veterinary drugs specified by the Codex  
alimentarius  and  
 
 
7 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
7.1 Packaging  
 
7.1.1  Fish in the same containe r shall be from the same source.  
 
7.1.2  Fish shall be packaged in food grade containers.  
 
7.1.3  When ice is used, it shall be made from potable water in compliance with MS 214.  
 
8.2 Labelling 
 
In addition to the requirements stipulated in MS 19,  the following specific labeling requirements shall apply 
and shall be legibly and indelibly marked: 
 
8.2.1  Name of the product; 
 
8.2.2  Storage and transportation conditions declaring the temperature to be -1 ºC or lower; 
 
8.2.3  Name and physical address of processor; 
 
8.2.4  Net weight in metric units;  
 
8.2.5  Date of production ; 
 
8.2.6  Batch or code number;  
 
8.2.7  Expiry date; and  
 
8.2.8  Country  of origin and/or water body . 
 
8.3 Labelling of non-retail containers  
 
8.3.1  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 
processor or packer as well as storage instructions, shall appear on the container.  
 
8.3.2  However, lot identification, and the name and address of the processor or packer may be 
replaced by an identification mark provided that such a mark i s clearly identifiable with the accompanying 
documents.  
   
5 
  
ANNEX A  
(Normative)  
 
GRADING CRITERIA FOR QUALITY CLASSIFICATION  
Features Grade levels   
Part Parameter  Score  
Eyes  Bright and clear, convex, good shape  4 
Slightly cloudy, convex to slightly concave  3 
Slightly cloudy, slightly concave, slightly red  2 
Cloudy, concave or distended with water, red  1 
Skin and 
body  Scales firmly adhere to body, natural color, bright and shiny, no fishy odor, firm and 
elastic texture  4 
Scales firmly adhere to body, natural color, shiny, moderately slimy but  colorless, no 
fishy odor, firm and elastic texture  3 
 
Scales slightly bleached, moderately adhere to body, slightly fishy, texture firm to 
slightly soft  2 
Scales bleached, dull, and easily separating from body, fishy or putrid, soft and not 
elastic texture  1 
Gills  Bright red, no fishy or off odor, not slimy to slightly slimy  4 
Dark red, no fishy or off odor, moderately slimy  3 
Bleached color, slightly fishy or rancid, very slimy  
 2 
Discolored, rancid or putrid, very slimy  
 1 
Belly cavity  No staining of digestive enzymes  4 
Slight staining of digestive enzymes  3 
Distinctive staining of digestive enzymes  
 2 
Dark stain of digestive enzymes  
 1 
Meat  Translucent, pink, fresh, no fishy odor, firm and elastic  
 4 
Pink, no fishy odor or slightly fruity/aromatic odor, firm and elastic  
 3 
Greenish pink or with dark spots, slightly fishy, slightly soft texture  
 2 
Greenish, fishy or putrid, very soft and not elastic texture  1 
Gut Intact, fresh or neutral odor  
 4 
Intact, slightly fishy  
 3 
Incompletely intact, digested and soft, fishy  
 2 
Mushy viscera, putrid  
 1 
  
 
 
 
ICS 6 7.120.30                DMS 1433 :2018 
            First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI BUREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION 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 formulatin g 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 advant ages 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 consume r of the commodity’s reliability