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AFDC 22 (5267) P 3 
              
  
 
 
 
DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Chilled and frozen Ostrich meat  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
                                                                                                                                      
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 Chilled and frozen O strich meat – Specification  
                                              
0   FOREWORD  
 
Ostrich meat is locally produced in Tanzania. There is potential for  the development of 
internal as well as external trade for ostrich meat . The demand for Ostrich meat is 
increasing day by day hence the necessity to develop this standard to ensure that the 
products produced have the required safety and quality.  
  
In the preparation of this Tanzania Standard  substantial assistance was drawn from 
Australian Standard AS 5010:200 1 – Hygienic production of Ratite (Emu/Ostrich) Meat 
for human consumption.  
 
In reporting,  the results of a test or analysis made in  accordance with this s tandard, if 
the final value observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in 
accordance with TZS 4 (see clause 2).  
 
1.0  SCOPE   
 
This Tanzania standard  specifies requirements, methods of sampling and test 
for chilled and frozen Ostrich meat intended  for human consumption . 
 
2.0  REFERENCE S 
 
For the purpose of this Tanz ania s tandard, the fo llowing references shall 
apply. For dated ref erences, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any 
amendments) applies:  
 
TZS 4  – Rounding off numerical values  
TZS 76 – General method for determination of Arsenic silver diethyldit hiocarmate 
photometric method  
TZS 2180  – Ante-mortem and post -mortem inspection s of poultry– Code of practice  
TZS 118/ISO 4833, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method 
for the enumeration of microorganisms – Colony -count techniqu e at 30oC 
TZS 109 – Food  processing units – code of hygiene  
TZS 119  – Microbiology – General guidance for the enumeration  of coliforms – Most 
Probable Number technique (MPN)  
TZS 122 – Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for t he 
detection o f Salmonella spp  
TZS 125 – Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of coagulase -positive staphylococci ( Staphylococcus aureus  and other 
species) – Part 1: Technique using Baird -parker agar medium  – Amendment 1 : 
Inclusion of precision data  
TZS 129 – Meat and meat products – Microbiological examination – Sampling                                                                                                                                       
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 TZS 131  – Microbiology  - General guidance for enumeration of yeast and moulds – 
Colony count technique at 25  ºC 
TZS 268, General atomic absorption spect rophotometric method for determination of 
Lead in food and food stuffs  
TZS 459  - Poultry processi ng – Code of hygiene TZS 538  – Labelling of pre -packaged 
foods – General requirements  
TZS 538 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
TZS 852 -1/ISO 11290 -1 – Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
metho d for detection and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes  – Part 1 – Detection 
method  
TZS 852 -2 – Microbiology  of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for 
detecti on and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes  - Enumeration method (Identical 
to ISO 11290 -2) 
TZS 731  – Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection 
and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia c oli – Most Probable Number Techniqu e 
Codex S tan 193  – Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food a nd 
Feed 
 
 
3.0 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
For the purpose of this standard , the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 ostrich (Struthio camelus ) 
the large st living bird , two-toed, swift -footed flightless running domesticated or wild- bird 
of the rat ite family  
 
3.2 ostrich carcass  
carcass produced from ostrich slaughtered for human consumption from which blood, 
feathers, skin, head, feet, oesophagus , trachea, intestine, sex ual organs and lungs are 
removed  and it could be with or without edible giblet s  
 
3.3 chilled ostrich carcass  
ostrich carcass chilled immediately after evisceration so that the temperature at the 
thermal centre of the product does not exceed 4oC and not le ss than –1oC, and then 
preserved under hygienic conditions at this temperatur e 
 
3.4 frozen Ostrich carcass  
ostrich carcass initially  chilled for a period not exceed ing 24 hours  then rapidly frozen 
until the core temperature of the product reaches -18 oC, and then preserved under 
hygienic conditions at this temperature  
 
3.5 o strich  meat  
skeletal muscle of an ostrich (with or without accompanying fat), together with the 
sinew, nerve and blood vessels that ordinarily accompany the muscle tissue and that 
are n ot normally separated from it in the process of preparation for sale  
 
3.6 ostrich meat cut  
piece of meat separated from the ostrich carcass during butchering   
 
3.7 edible giblets  
liver after the removal of bile sac, heart after the removal of pericardial sac, and the 
gizzard after emptying its contents and removal of the lining me mbrane   
                                                                                                                                      
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 4.0    REQUIREMENTS  
 
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 Ostrich m eat shall be produced by slaughtering healthy ostrich birds 
free of communicable diseases and fit  for human c onsumption  
according to TZS 2180 . 
4.1.2 Ostrich  neck shall be separated at t he plate joint and the feet at or near 
the joint.  
4.1.3  After evisceration, Ostrich carcasses shall be chilled so that the core 
temperature of the product reaches 4  oC or less in a perio d not 
exceed ing 24 hours . 
4.1.4  Frozen product shall be put into the freezer in a period not exceed ing 
24 hours after the initial chilling (item 4.1.3) and if during this period 
the product was not packaged and put immediately into the freezer it 
could be preser ved at a  temperature of -0.5 ± 1oC. 
4.1.5  The core temperature of the frozen produ ct shall reach -18 oC in a 
period not exceed ing 72 hours  from the moment of it is placed  into the 
freezer.  
4.1.6  Ostrich meat shall be free from foreign odour dung  and dirt.  
4.1.7  Ostrich meat  shall be free from bloodstains, blood clots, blisters and 
viscera  remain . Drip loss shall not exceed  5% of the frozen  unit 
weight.  
4.1.8  Ostrich meat shall be free from  foreign  matter and colourants . 
 
4.2 S pecific requirements  
Ostrich carcasses can be cut into: 
4.2.1 Fillets: Limited to iliofibularis and iliofemoral muscles . 
4.2.2 Steak  
4.2.3 Drum stick : distal portion of the leg obtained by cutting off knee joint 
and hock joint or slightly below.  
4.2.4  Neck  
4.2.5  Wings  
 
4.3 OSTRICH MEAT  GRADES  
4.3.1 Prime cuts: any cut produce d from ostrich carcasses  less than 16 months of age.  
The meat colour is homogenous red without coloured  stains and the fat colour  is 
white.  
 
4.3.2 Choice cuts: Any cut produced from ostrich carcass es between  16-24 months of 
age. The meat colour  is homogen ous red without coloured  stains and the fat colour  
is white.  
                                                                                                                                      
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 4.3.3 Select cuts: Any cut  from sections 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 not conforming to  the 
requirement and from carcasses of birds older than 24 months of age.  
4.3.4  Commercial cuts: any cut from sections 4.3.1  to 4.3.3 above  or from 
old birds with dark red and heterogeneous meat colour  of individual 
muscle  and yellow fat colour . 
 
4.4 STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION  
4.4.1  Temperature in the chiller and transporting vehicles for chilled  Ostrich 
meat shall not exceed 0-4 oC. 
4.4.2 Temperature in the freezer  and transporting vehicles  for frozen Ostrich 
meat shall not exceed -18 oC. 
 
5.0  CONTAMINANTS  
5.1 Heavy metal contaminants  
Ostrich carcasses and cuts shall not contain any metal contamina nts in excess of the 
quantities spe cified in Codex Stan 193.  Also,  the products shall comply with the 
requirements for heavy metals prescribed in Table 1.  
 
Table 1: Heavy metal requirements  
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Method of test  
(see clause 2)  
1.  Arsenic, mg/kg, max.  0.1 TZS 76  
2.  Lead, mg/kg, max.  0.1 TZS 268  
3.  Cadmium, mg/kg, max.  0.05 ICP/AAS  
4.  Mercury, mg/kg, max.  0.03 ICP/AAS  
 
5.2 Veterinary drug residues  
Ostrich meat  shall comply with the requirements on maximum allowable veterinary drug 
residue limits as prescribed in the CAC/M RL 2. 
 
6.0 HYGIENE  
6.1 Ostrich meat  shall be prepared un der strict hygienic conditions according to TZS  
109 and 459 (See clause 2).  
 
6.2 On testing, the Ostrich meat  shall not contain microbiological count exceeding the 
requirements prescribed in  Table 2. 
.  
Table 2: Microbiological requirements  
S/No.  Microorg anisms  Requirements (max)  Methods of test (see 
clause 2)  
i) Total plate count, cfu/g  1X105 TZS 118  
ii) Total Coliforms count , 1X103 TZS 119                                                                                                                                       
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 MPN /g 
iii) Enterobacteriaceae cfu /g 1x102 TZS 852 -2 
iv) Escherich ia coli , MPN /g  absent  TZS 731  
v) Staphylococcus aureus , 
cfu/g  absent  TZS 125  
vi) Salmonella , /25g . absent  TZS 122  
vii) Listeria monocytogenes , 
cfu/g  absent  TZS 852 -1 & 2  
 
 
7.0   SAMPLING AND TESTS  
7.1 Sampling  
Sampling of ostrich meat shall be done according to TZS 12 9 (see clause  2).  
 
7.2 Tests  
Testing of ostrich meat  shall be done accordin g to test methods prescribed in Table 1 
and 2.   
 
8.0 PACKAGING, MARKING  AND  LABELLING  
8.1 Packaging  
In addition to the packaging and labelling requirem ents prescribed in TZS 538 (see 
clause 2), Ostrich meat shall also be;  
8.1.1 packaged in suitable hygienic, clean, transparent, intact and with high durability 
not only to protect the product but also affect  its characteristic under the storage, 
transport ation and handling conditions.   
8.1.2 Chilled product s shall be packed in transparent packages.  
8.1.3 All pieces  in the same package shall be identical in type,   
 
8.3 Marking and labelling  
In addition to  marking and labe lling requirements prescribed in TZS 538, Ostr ich meat  
containers shall also be legibly and indelibly marked with the following:  
 
a) Name of the product  and type (chilled or frozen ostrich meat)  
b) Quality grade  
c) Country of origin  
d) Name, physical and postal address of the manufacturer or packer  
e) Date of manu facture shall be clearly shown on the container  
f) Expiry date shall be clearly shown on the container  
g) Net weight content  
h) Batch or code number  
i) Storage instructions   
 
8.4 The container may also be marked with TBS Certification Mark.  
NOTE  – The TBS  Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the 
manufacturers only under licence from TBS. Particulars of conditions under 
which the licenses  are granted may be obtained from TBS.