UGANDA STANDARD  
  US EAS 142 
First  Edition  
2014-10-15 
 
 Reference number  
US EAS  142: 2014 
© UNBS 201 4 
  
Vodka  — Specification  
 US EAS 142: 2014 
ii                © UNBS  2014 - 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 20 14 
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, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior wr itten 
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  
 US EAS 142: 2014 
© UNBS  2014 - All rights reserved                 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 Uganda. UNBS is mandat ed 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/SPS Agreeme nts 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 
consu mers, 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 re commending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Uganda Standard, US EAS 142: 2014, Vodka  — Specification , is identical with  and has been reproduced 
from an East African  Standard , EAS 142: 2014, Vodka  — Specification , and adopted  as a Uganda Standard.  
Wherever the words, “ East African  Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard."  
 
   EAS 142: 2014  
ICS 67.160.10  
© EAC 2014                                                                                                                         Second  Edition 2014   
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Vodka ― Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  EAS 142: 2014  
ii © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without prio r permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the purpose of  selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community  2014  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O.Box 1096  
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8  
Fax: 255 27 2504481/25042 55 
E-mail: eac@eachq.org  
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be persecuted  
 EAS 142: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by t he 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 Com munity 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 dis cussed 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 therefore expected  to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
EAS 142 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/TC 007, Alcoholic and non -alcoholic beverages . 
This second edition cancels and replaces the fir st edition EAS  142:2000,  which has been technically revised.  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  EAS 142: 2014  
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  1 
 Vodka  ― Specification  
1 Scope  
This East African Standard specifies the requirements and methods of test and sampling for vodka.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the a pplication 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.  
CODEX STAN 192 , General standard for food additives  
CAC/GL 66 , Guid elines for the use of flavourings  
EAS 12 , Drinking (potable) water — Specification  
EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Specification  
EAS 39 , Hygiene in the  food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 100,  Food stuffs — Methods of determination of Lead  
EAS 123 , Distilled water — Specification  
EAS 144,  Neutral spirit — Specification  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following term  and definition shall apply . 
vodka  
potable alcoholic beverage obtained by t he treatment of grain, potato, molasses spirit or spirit from any other 
fermentable carbohydrate source, with charcoal or activated carbon so as to render the product without 
distinctive character, aroma or taste; but may be flavoured in accordance with Go od Manufacturing Practice 
(GMP).  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
4.1.1  The ingredients for vodka shall include the following:  
a) distilled water conforming to EAS  123 or demineralised water;  EAS 142: 2014  
2 © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 b) neutral spirit , if used  for blending, conforming to EAS 144 ; and  
c) flavouring  agents,  if used, in accordance with CAC/GL 66  
4.2 General requirements  
Vodka shall be:  
a) free from any extraneous substances; and  
b) free from haze and particulate matter.  
4.3 Specific quality requirements  
Vodka shall comply with the specific quality r equirements specified in Table 1 when tested in accordance with 
EAS 104.  
Table 1 ― Quality requirements for vodka  
Sl No.  Characteristic  Requirement  
i Ethyl alcohol content, % (v/v), at 20 °C 
min. 37.5 
ii Total solids, mg/L , max  30 
iii Methyl alcohol, m g/L, max.  50 
iv Volatile acids as acetic acid, mg/L of 
absolute alcohol, max.  20 
v Esters as ethyl acetate, mg/L of absolute 
alcohol, max  100 
vi Higher alcohol as amyl alcohol, mg/L of 
absolute alcohol, max.  5 
vii Aldehydes as acetaldehyde,  
mg/ L o f absolute alcohol, max.  20 
viii Furfural  To pass test  
 
5 Food additives  
Food additives may be used in the preparation of vodka in accordance with CODEX STAN 192.  
6 Heavy metal contaminants  
When tested in accordance with EAS 10 0 the level of lead shall  not exceed 0.01 mg/L.  
7 Hygiene  
Vodka shall be manufactured and handled in a hygienic manner in accordance with EAS 39.  EAS 142: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  3 
 8 Weight s and measures  
The volume and fill of vodka shall comply with the weights and measures regulations of Partner States or 
equiv alent legislation.  
9 Packaging  
9.1 Vodka shall be packaged in suitable food grade containers.  
9.2 Vodka shall be packaged for bulk delivery and storage in containers that shall prevent contamination of 
the product and preserve its safety and quality  
10 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked:  
a) common name as ‘vodka’;  
b) name, physical location and address of manufacturer;  
c) ethyl alcohol content, % b y volume;  
d) net content;   
e) a declaration by common name of any additives used;  
f) date of manufacture;  
g) batch identification number/code;  
h) country of origin; and  
i) statutory warnings  
11 Sampling and test  
Sampling and testing of vodka shall be done in accordance with EAS 104.  
 EAS 142: 2014    
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved