DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 16:2019  
ICS 67.180.10  
 
 
 
Plantation (mill) white sugar — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2019  Third  Edition  2019 
DEAS 16:201 9 
ii © EAC 201 9 – All rights reserved   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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© East African Community 2009 — All rights reserved 
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing a greement. Violators 
may be  persecuted  DEAS 16:201 9 
© EAC 20 19 – All rights reserved  iii  
  
 
Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the 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 s ervices are exchanged within 
the Community 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 representativ es of the National Standards Bodies and other regulatory bodies 
in the Partner States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National S tandards Bodies in the Partner 
States. The comments received are discussed 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.  
 
This draft is the third  edition and once approved will cancel and replace the second edition , EAS 16:2000, which 
is being technically revised.  DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 16  :2019  
© EAC 20 19 – All rights reserved  1  
  
 
 
 
Plantation (mill) white sugar — Specification  
 
1.Scope  
 
 
This Draft East African standard specifies, methods of test and sampling for plantation (mill) white sugar intended for 
human consumption  
 
 
2. Normative  references  
 
EAS 38 , Labelling of pre -packaged foods — Specification  
 
EAS 39 , Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice.  
 
ISO 4833 -1:2013  
Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms — Part 1: Colony count at 30 
degrees C by the pour plate technique  
 
ISO 6579 -1: Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and 
serotyping of Salmonella — Part 1: Detection of Salmonel la spp.  
 
ISO 21527 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs. Horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts and 
moulds - Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0,95  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 1/2/3/9 -1, The Determination of the Polarisation of Raw Sugar by Polarimetry  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 1/3/4/7/8 -13, The Determination of Conductivity Ash in Raw Sugar, Brown Sugar, Juice, Syrup and 
Molasses  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/1/3 -27, The Determination of Lead in Sugar Products by a Colorimetric Method  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/1/3/9 -15, The Determination of Sugar Moisture by Loss on Drying  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/3 -24, The Determination of Lead in Sugars and Syrups by a GFAAS Method  
 
 
ICUMSA GS 2/3 -35, The Determination of Sulphite in Brown Sugars  
 
ICUMS A Method GS 2/3/9 -5, The Determination of Reducing Sugars in Purified Sugars by the Knight and Allen EDTA 
Method  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -19, The Determination of I nsoluble Matter in White Sugar by Membrane Filtration  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -25, The Determination of Arsenic in Refined Sugar Products by a Colorimetric 
Method  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -25 (2007), Arsenic in Refined Sugar Products by a Colorimetric Method  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/9 -6, The Determination of Reducing Sugars in White  Sugar and Plantation White Sugar by the 
Modified Ofner Titrimetric  Method  
 DEAS 16:20 19 
2 © EAC 20 19 – All rights reserved   
  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 3/4/7/8 -11, The Determination of Sulphated Ash in Brown Sugar, Juice, Syrup and 
Molasses  
 
ICUMSA Method GS 9/1/2/3 -8, The Determination of Sugar Solution Colour at pH 7.0 by the MOPS Method  
 
ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horiz ontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
 
 
3Terms and  definitions  
 
For the purposes of this standard, EAS 348 shall apply in addition to the following terms and definitions   
3.1 
plantation white sugar 
mill white sugar  
white sugar (sucrose)  commonly manufactured by the vacuum -pan-process from sugar cane  
 
3.2 
ICUMSA unit  
An international unit developed by International Commission for Universal Methods of Sugar Analysis 
(ICUMSA) for expressing the purity of sugar and is directly related to the colour of sugar  
 
3.3 
polarisation  
estimate of the sucrose content of sugar expressed as degrees of polarization  
 
3.4 
lot 
collection of packages of the same size, type and style which have been m anufactured and packaged under 
essentially the same conditions  
 
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirement  
 
Plantation white sugar shall be;  
 
a) in the form of uniform and free -flowing crystals;  
b) free from dirt, foreign and extraneous matter.  
c) free from fermented, musty or undesirable odours.  
 
4.2 Specific requirement  
 
Plantation white sugar shall conform to the specific requirements specified in Table 2  when tested in accordance with the 
methods specified therein.DEAS 16:2009  
© EAC 20 19 – All rights reserved  3  
  
 
 
Table 1 — Composition requirements for plantation white sugar  
 
S No  Characteristic  Requirement/limits  Methods of test  
i. Polarisation, oZ, min.  99.5 ICUMSA Method GS 1/2/3/9 -1, 
ii. Invert sugar content, % m/m, max.  0.1 ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -5, 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/9-6, 
iii. Conductivity ash, % m/m, max.  0.1 ICUMSA Method GS 3/4/7/8  
11ICUMSA Method GS 1/3/4/7/8 -13 
iv. Moisture content (loss on drying for 3 h at 
105 oC ± 2 oC), max.  0.1 ICUMSA Method GS 2/1/3/9 -15 
v. Colour, in ICUMSA units at 420 nm, max  400 ICUMSA Method GS 9/1/2/3 -8 
vi Sulphur dioxide, mg/kg, max.  20 ICUMSA GS 2/3 -35 
Vii Water insoluble matter, mg/kg, max.  150 ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -19 
ii. Copper (Cu), mg/kg, max.  2 ICUMSA Method GS 2/3 -29 
 
 
5.Food  additives  
 
 
The food addi tives used shall be in accordance with Codex stan 192  
 
6.contaminants  
 
a. 6.1 Metals  
 
The maximum permitted levels for metal contaminants are set out in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Maximum levels for metal contaminants  
 
S No  Parameter  Maximum limit  Methods of test  
i. Arsenic (As), mg/kg, max.  1 ICUMSA Method GS 2/3/9 -25 
ii. Lead (Pb), mg/kg, max .  0.5 ICUMSA Method GS 2/3 -24 
ICUMSA Method GS 2/1/3 -27 
iii    
 
 
b. 6.2 Pesticide  residues  
 
Plantation (mill) white sugar shall conform to the maximum residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
7.Hygiene  
 
Plantation (mill) white  sugar shall be prepared and handled in a hygienic manner in accord ance with EAS 39 and shall 
comply with the microbiological limits stipulated in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the methods specified 
therein”.  
 
 DEAS 16:2009  
4 © DEAC 2009 – All rights reserved   
  
 
 
Table 3 — Microbiological limits for plantation (mill) white sugar  
 
Microbiological parameter  Limit  Method of test  
Total Plate Count (mesophylic), CFU/g , max  103  
ISO 4833  
Yeast and moulds, CFU/ g, max  50 ISO 21527 -2  
Escherichia coli , MPN ,/g Absent  ISO 7251  
Salmonella, per 25 g  Absent  ISO 6579 -1  
 
8. Packaging  
 
Plantation (mill) white sugar shall be packaged in food grade materials that ensure product safety and 
integrity.  
 
9.Labelling  
 
 
In addition to the mandatory  sections of the East African Standard for the labelling of pre -packaged Foods EAS 38; the 
following specific provisions shall apply  
 
a) the name of the product as “ plantation white sugar ” or “ mill white  sugar ”; 
 
b) the net contents shall be declared by weight in the metric units ('Systeme  International');  
 
c) the name, address and physical location of the manufacturer and/or the packer, distributor, importer, 
exporter or vendor of the product shall be declared;  and 
 
d) the cou ntry of origin of the product shall be  declared.  
 
e) Manufacturing date  
f) Best before date  
g) storage conditions  
 
10.Method of  sampling  
 
a. General requirements for  sampling  
 
In drawing, preparing, storing and handling of samples, the following precautions and directions shall be 
observed.  
 
i. Samples shall be taken in a protected place not exposed to damp air, dust or  soot.  
 
ii. The sampling instruments shall be clean and dry when  used.  
 
iii. When sampling for microbiological purposes, the sampling instruments and containe rs 
for samples shall be sterilized preferably by dry heat at 170 oC for 1 h before  use. 
 
iv. Precautions shall be taken to protect the samples, the material being sampled, the 
sampling instruments and the containers for samples from adventitious  contamination.  
 
v. The samples shall be placed in clean, dry, and moisture -proof  containers.  
 
 
 
vi. The sample containers shall be sealed air -tight after filling and marked with name of material, 
date of sampling, name of the manufacturer, name of the person sampling and such other 
particulars of the consignments.  
 DEAS 16:2009  
© EAC 20 19 – All rights reserved  5  
 vii. Samples shall be protected from light as far as practicable and shall be stored in a cool, dry  
place.  
 
b. Scale of  sampling  
 
All the packages of the same size, type and style which have been manufactured and packaged  under essentially the 
same conditions in a single consignment shall constitute a lot.. Samples shall be tested separately for each lot for 
ascertaining the conformity of the  sugar.  
 
The number of bags to be selected (n) from the lot shall depend on the size ( N) of the lot and shall be in accordance with 
the formula:  
 
n 
These bags shall be selected at random from the lot; to ensure the randomness of selection a random number table, as 
agreed to between the purchaser and the supplier shall be used. In  case such a table is not available, the following 
procedure shall be  used:  
 
Starting from any bag, count them as 1,2,3,….. up to r and so on in one order, where r is equal to the integral part of N/n, 
N being the total number of bags in the lot and n the number of bags to be selected. Every r th bag thus counted shall be 
separated until the requisite number of bags is obtained from the lot to give samples for test.  
 
In case of bags stacked in a pyramidal shape, approximately equal number of bags shall be s elected from all exposed 
sides of the lot, so as to give the required number of sample bags.  
 
c. Preparation of sample  
 
 Procedure  
 
From the top, middle and bottom portions of each of the selected bags (see 10.2), approximately equal quantity of sugar 
shall be  taken with the help of a suitable sampling instrument. The sample collected from each of the bags shall be 
thoroughly mixed so as to give a composite sample of 600 g. The composite  sample thus prepared shall be divided 
approximately into three equal part s; one for the purchaser, one for the supplier, and the third for the referee and sealed 
air tight with particulars as given in  10.1.(f).  
 
 Number of  tests  
 
The composite sample prepared as under 10.3.1 shall be tested for the characteristics as prescribed in Table 1.  
 
 Criteria for  conformity  
 
The lot shall be declared as conforming to this specification, when the test results on various characteristics obtained on 
the composite sample satisfy the corresponding requirements.  
 
11.Methods of test — Determinati on of pesticide  residues  
 
The pesticide residues shall be determined according to AOAC methods of analysis for pesticides. (970.52, 985.22, and 
970.53 of 1990). .