AFDC 20( 6249) P3                                             
©TBS 2019 – All rights reserved     
              DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
Fine - Cut Smoking  tobacco – General Requirements . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDAR DS                                                                                                                                 AFDC 20(6249) P3  
  
Foreword  
Fine-cut smoking tobacco is a common name to describe loose -leaf tobacco 
used  as self-made  products . Characterised by narrowly cut leaves,  the 
majority of fine -cut tobacco (FCT) has a width of less than 1.5  mm. FCT is 
mainly used in hand rolled(roll -your-own) cigarettes and make –your-own 
cigarettes,  this depends o n whether it is rolled by hand using paper and 
tobacco, or whether it is made using a cigarette -tube filling machine.  
The objective of this standard is to ensu re safety  and quality  of FCT produced 
or traded in the country.  
 
The provisions of conditioning of atmosphere and testing as given in 
TBS/AFDC 20 ( 6252) P 3 / ISO 15592 -2:2001  Fine-cut tobacco and smoking 
articles made from it  
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this 
Tanzania Standard, if the final value observed or calculated is to be rounded 
off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4.  
1.Scope  
 
This Tanzania standard prescribes the requirements, methods of test and 
sampling for fine -cut smoking tobacco  including Roll -Your -Own(R YO) and 
Make -Your -Own (MYO) .  
2 Normative References  
The following referenced standards are indispensable for the application of 
this standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For 
undated references, the latest edition of the r eferenced standard (including 
any amendments) applies.  
 
TBS/AFDC  20 (6251 ) P3 / ISO 15592 -1:2001 - Fine-cut tobacco and smoking 
articles made from it — Methods of sampling, conditioning and analysis — 
Part 1: Sampling  
 
TBS/AFDC 20 ( 6252) P 3 / ISO 15592 -2:2001 , Fine -cut tobacco and smok ing 
articles made from it — Methods of sampling, conditioning and analysis — 
Part 2: Atmosphere for conditioning and testing  
TZS 4, Rounding off numerical values  
 
TZS 1747:2015/ ISO 6488:2004 - Tobacco  and tobacco products — 
Determination of water content –Karl Fischer method   
 
TZS 1748:2015/ ISO 16632:2003 -Tobacco and tobacco products –
Determination of water content - Gas chromatographic method  
                                                                                                                                  AFDC 20(6249) P3  
 TZS 453:20 15 / ISO 15152:2003 - Tobacco — Determination of the content of 
total alkaloids as nicotine — Continuous -flow analysis method  
 
ISO 20193:2012 Tobacco and tobacco products — Determination of the width 
of the strands of cut tobacco  
TZS 1750: 2015/  ISO 2817: 199 9- Tobacco and tobacco products 
Determination of silicate  residues insoluble in hydrochloric acid    
3 Terms and Definitions  
For the purpose of this Tanzania standard, the following terms and definitions 
shall apply:  
 
3.1 fine-cut tobacco  FCT 
tobacco produced to be used by consumers for making their own sm oking 
articles  by means of rolling or tubing.  
 
3.2. wrapper  
material specially prepared and supplied in a form suitable for enclosing FCT 
so as to produce a fine -cut smoking article  
 
3.3 fine -cut smoking article  
article, suitable for smokin g, produced by combining FCT with a wrapper  
 
3.4. tobacco  additive  
means any substance, other than tobacco leaf and other tobacco plant parts, 
that is intentionally added to a tobacco product during manufacture in 
accordance with products s pecifications and is still present and having a 
function in the finished product. This includes flavors, preservatives, 
humectants and binders  
 
3.5. moisture  of tobacco  
the loss in mass when tobacco is heated in  hot air at  100 °C for 1 6 hours or 
110 °C f or 5 minutes.  
3.6. retail unit packet  
the smallest individual packaging of the tobacco products  that is placed on the 
market for sale.  
 
3.7. total alkaloids  
natural ly occurring organic substance containing nitrogen atoms,  
Nicotine is one of them, the tot al alkaloid content is determined as nicotine.  
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                  AFDC 20(6249) P3  
 4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  The raw tobacco used shall be free from insect, infestation, mould and 
should not be  contaminated  with foreign substance such as straw, feathers,  
wooden or metallic  materials  during the manufacturing process . 
 
4.1.2  Humectants used in the preparation of fine - cut smoking tobacco 
products shall be suitable for human consumption  such as food grade or 
equivalent.  
 
4.1.3. The use of tobacco residues resulting from smoking shall not be 
allowed.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
4.2.1  Fine- Cut smoking tobacco shall conform to the requirement specified in 
the table below;  
Table 1: Requirement for Fine -Cut smoking tobacco . 
 
S/N CHARACTESTICS  REQUIREMENT  METHOD OF TEST  
I Moisture content, percent by 
mass   11 - 24 TZS 1747 / ISO 6488  or 
TZS 1748 /  ISO 16632  
II Nicotine content, per cent by 
mass, (on dry basis) max  5 TZS 453 / ISO 15152  
III Tobacco cut width (mm)  0.2-1.5 ISO 20193   
IV Acid insoluble ash, (silica)  
percent by mass, (on dry basis) 
max  5 TZS 1750 / ISO 2817  
 
 
4.2.2 Harmful substances and additives  
The materials shall not contain any substances injurious to health as covered 
in Tanzania Drug  Control and Enforcement Act, 2 015.  Any added substance 
shall be of a nature and purity which are suitable for use as food additive or 
medicinal or pharmaceutical products in prop ortions of proved harmlessness.  
 
                                                                                                                                  AFDC 20(6249) P3  
  
5. Sampling and test ing. 
5.1 Sampling.  
The method of representing sample s of the material and the criteria for 
conformity shall be done as prescribed in TBS/AFDC  20 (6251 ) P3 / ISO 
15592 -1:2001  
5.2 Test ing  
Tests shall satisfy the corresponding requirements given in table 1.  
6. Packing, marking and labelling.  
6.1 Packing.  
6.1.1. The  retail u nit packet shall be packed using a suitable tight sealed 
packaging material to avoid contamination and help maintain moisture of the 
tobacco. Fine - cut smoking tobacco shall be packed in pouches, tins, bags, 
buckets or other types of appropriate sealed pac kage . 
6.1.2.  The weight of the retail unit packet shall be from 10 grams minimum up 
to 1kg maximum. Deviations  of net weight from the nominal weight indicated 
on the pack unit shall be not more than : - 
a) 10% for retail unit packets from 10g to 100g  
b) 5% for re tail unit packets from 101g to 300g and  
c) 3% for retail unit packets above 301g  
6.2 Marking and labelling  
Each  retail unit packet shall be marked  with the following  
a) Name of the product (Fine - cut smoking tobacco ). 
b) Name  and address of the manufacturer  
c) Brand name or trade name if any  
d) Net weight (in grams)  
e) Batch number  or code  
f)  Manufacturing  and expiry  date  
g)  Maximum blend n icotine content  {in%). 
h) A Health Warning imprint on the package both in English and Kiswahili 
languages as  prescribed in the schedule  2 of the tobacco product 
(regulation ) act 2003 .                                                                                                                                  AFDC 20(6249) P3  
 i) The print shall be legible and size 17 points wordings  of the health 
warning  
 
6.3. Certification  mark  – Each unit pack shall  also be marked with TBS 
certification mark.  
NOTE:  The use of TBS certificat ion mark is governed by provisions of 
the Standards Act, 2009. Details of the conditions under which a license 
for the use of the TBS certification mark may be granted to 
manufacturers or producers  by TBS.