KENYA STANDARD  DKS 28-3:201 9 
ICS 67.100.30  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cheese — Specification  
 
Part 3:  
Gouda  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 201 9 Third Edition 201 9 DKS  28-3: 2019  
2 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved   
  
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  REPRESENTATION  
The follow ing organ izations were represented on the  Technical C ommittee:  
Kenya Dairy Board  
Ministry of Health — Food safety Unit  
State Department of Livestock  
Government Chemist’s Department  
Egerton University — Department of Dairy and Food Science Technology  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)  
Sameer Agriculture and Livestock (K) Limited  
New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (NKCC)  
National Public Health Labs  
Department of veterinary services  
Brookside Dai ry Ltd.  
Eldoville Dairies Ltd.  
Githunguri Dairy  
Bio Food Products Ltd.  
Happy Cow Ltd.  
Kibidav Ltd  
Accelerating Agriculture and Livestock Enterprises Ltd  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION  OF KEN YA STANDARDS  
 
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improve ments to published standards, address ed to the Manag ing Direct or, Kenya  Bureau of  Standar ds, are 
welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©Kenya  Bureau  of Standards,  2019 
 
Copyright.  Users are r eminded that by virtue  of Section  25 of  the Copyright  Act, Cap. 12 of  2001 of the Laws  of Kenya, copyri ght subsists  in all 
Kenya Standards  and except as  provided under  Section 26  of this Act, no Kenya Standard  produced by Kenya Bureau  of Standar ds may be  
reproduced, stored  in a retrieval  system  in any form or transmitted by any means  without  prior permission  in writing  from the Managing 
Director.  © KEBS 201 9 — All rights reserved  iii  
 KENYA STANDARD  DKS 28-3: 
2019 
ICS 67.100.30  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cheese — Specification  
 
Part 3:  
Gouda  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENY A BUREA U OF STANDARD S (KEBS)  
 
Head  Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Na irobi-00200, Tel.:  (+254 020) 605490, 6 02350, Fax: (+254  020) 604031 
E-Mail: info@ke bs.org,  Web:http://www. kebs.org 
 
 
Coast Region  Lake  Region  Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box  99376, Mombasa -80100  P.O. Box  2949, K isumu -40100  P.O. Box  2138, Na kuru-20100  
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Fax: (+254  041) 22 9448 Tel.: (+254 05 7) 235 49, 22 396 
Fax: (+254 057) 218 14 Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555 DKS  28-3: 2019  
4 © KEBS 201 9 — All rights reserved   
  
Foreword 
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Milk and Milk Products T echnical Committee  under the guidance of the 
Standards Projects Commit tee, and  it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya Bureau  of Standards. 
 
Cheese  is the ripened or unripened soft, semi -hard, hard, or extra -hard milk product , which consists of high 
concentration of the constitu ents of milk, principally fat,  casein and soluble salts, together  with water in which small 
amounts of  soluble  salts, lactose, and al bumin from milk is coagulated. The milk is coagulated by means of rennet 
and/or other protease  enzymes. it is therefore important to use milk of good quality to obtain high quality cheese.  
 
There  are vario us types of cheese that are produced and marketed  worldwide. This Part 3 of this Kenya 
Standard  specifies the requirements for the type of semi-hard cheese being marketed  in Kenya  as Gouda 
cheese. 
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following document:  
 
standard for  Gouda cheese, CXS 266 -1966  
 
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from these sources.  
 2 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved   
  
 
 
Cheese  — Specification  
 
Part 3: 
Gouda  
 
 
 
1        Scope  
 
This Ke nya Standard specifi es the requirements, sampling and methods of test for gouda cheese  intended for direct 
consumption and/ or for  further proces sing. 
 
 
2        Normative references  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements 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.  
 
AOAC 999.10, Official method for lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, and iron in foods Atomic Absorption 
Spectrophotometry after microwave Digestion  
KS CODEX STAN 192, Codex general st andard for food additives  
KS CODEX STAN 193, Codex general Standard for  
Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed  
KS CXS 206 -1999, General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms  
KS EAS 153 –Drinking (portable) water specification  
KS EAS 38, Labelling of prepa ckaged foods  
KS EAS 805, Use of Nutrition and health claims  
KS 28 -1, General standard for cheese  
KS 229, Standard for edible salt  
KS 1552, Code of hygienic practice for milk and milk products  
KS ISO 707, Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
KS ISO 1735, Cheese and processed cheese products - Determination of fat content  - Grav imetric method 
(Reference method) 
KS ISO 4833, Microbio logy of food and animal feed Stuffs -Horizontal  method for the enumerati on of 
microorganisms -colony count Technique at 30 
KS ISO 4832, Microbio logy of food and animal feeding stuffs- Horizontal  method  for the enumeration of coliforms -
colony -count technique  
KS ISO 5534, Cheese and processed cheese - Determination of the total solids content (Reference method)   
KS ISO 5943, Cheese and processed cheese products  Determination of Sodium chloride content  
Potentiometric titration method  
KS ISO 6785:2001, Milk and milk products – Detection of Salmonella spp 
KS ISO 6888 –1:1999 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  
KS ISO 6611, Milk and milk products — Enumeration of colony -forming units of yeasts and/or moulds — Colony -
count technique at 25 degrees C  
KS ISO/TS 6733, Milk and milk products -- Determination of lead content -- Graphite furnace atomic absorption 
spectrometric method  
KS ISO 11290 -2, Microbi ology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of Listeria 
monocytogenes and of Listeria spp. — Part 2: Enumeration method  © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  3  
 KS ISO 14501, Milk and milk powder - Determination of aflatoxin M content - Clean -up by immunoaffinity  
chromatography and determination by high -performance liquid chromatography  
KS ISO 7251, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the  detection and enumeration 
of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique  
KS ISO 55381: Milk and milk products - Sampling - Inspection by attributes .  
KS ISO 16649 –2:2001, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
beta-glucuronidase -positive Escherichia coli – Part 1: Colony -count technique at  
44°C using 5 -bromo -4-chloro -3-indolyl Beta -D-glucuronide   
 
3        Product  description  
 
Gouda is a ripened semi-hard cheese in conformity with the General Standard for Cheese (KS 28 -1). The  
body  has a near white or ivory  through  to yellow col our and  a firm texture d (when pressed by thumb)  texture ,  
suitable for cutting, with few to plentiful, more or less round pin’s head to pea sized (or mostly up to 10 mm 
in diameter) gas holes, distributed in a reasonable regular manner throughout the interior of the cheese, 
but few openings and splits are acceptable. The shape is of a flattened cylinder with convex sides, a flat 
block, or a loaf. The cheese is manufactured  and sold with a dry rind, which may be coated. Gouda of flat 
block or loaf shape is also sold without rind. 
 
For Gouda ready for consumption, the ripening procedure to develop flavour and body characteristics is 
normally from 3 weeks at 10–17°C depending on the extent of maturity required. Alternative ripening 
conditions (including the addition  of ripening  enhancing enzymes) may  be used, provided the cheese 
exhibits similar physical, biochemical and sensory properties as those achieved by the previously stated 
ripening procedure. Gouda intended for further  processing and Gouda of low weights (< 2.5 kg) need not 
exhibit the same degree of ripening when justified through technical and/or trade needs. 
 
4        Essential composition  and quality  factors  
 
4.1      Raw mater ials 
 
 
Cows’ milk or buffaloes’ milk, or their mixtures, and products obtained from these milks compl ying with relevant 
Kenya Standards.  
 
4.2      Permitted  ingredients  
 
The follow ing ingred ients shall be p ermitted in gou da cheese: 
 
a) Starter  cultures of harm less lactic acid and/ or flavour  producing bacteria and cultures  of other harml ess 
micro -organisms;  
 4 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  DKS  28-3: 2019   
  
 
b)         Rennet or ot her safe  and s uitable coa gulating e nzymes;  
 
c)          Sodium chloride; and potassium chloride as a salt substitute  complying with KS 229;  
 
e)         Potable wat er complying  with KS EAS 1 53; 
 
f)         Safe and sui table e nzymes to enh ance the ripen ing process;  
 
g)          Safe and sui table process ing ai ds; and  
 
h)          Rice,  corn and potato  flours  and starc hes: Notwit hstanding  the provisions in general Standard for Cheese 
(KS 28-1), these subst ances can  be used in the same functi on as anti-caking ag ents for treatment of the surface  
of cut, sliced,  and shredd ed products only, provided they  are a dded only in amounts functio nally necessary  as 
gover ned by  Good Manuf acturing Pract ice, taking into account any use of the anti -caking ag ents in  Table 5. 
 
4.3      Compositional  requirements  
 
Gouda cheese shall have comp ositional  requirements given in Tab le 1. 
 
Table  1 ▬ Compositional  requirements  for gouda  cheese  
 
SL 
No Milk constituent  Requi rement  Test m ethod  
Minimum 
content  
(m/m) Maxi
mum 
conte
nt 
(m/m)  Reference level  
(m/m)   
i) Milk fat in dry 
matter  30 %  Not 
restricted 48% to 55%  KS ISO 1735  
ii) Dry matter  Depending on the fat in dry matter con tent, 
according to the table be low.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
KS ISO 5534    Fat in dry matter con tent 
(m/m)  Corresponding minimum  
dry matter c ontent (m/m)  
Equal to or above 30 %  
but less than 40% 48% 
Equal to or above 40 %  
but less than  48% 52% 
Equal to or above 48 %  
but less than  60% 55% 
Equal to or above 60 %  62% 
iii) Salt %  
max.  3 % KS ISO 5943  
 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  3 DKS  28-3: 2019  
 3  
  
Gouda cheese with betw een 40 %  and 48 % FDM and with a we ight of less than 2.5 kg c an be so ld with a DM cont ent 
of minimum  50 % and  moist ure content  of max.  45% provided  that the name is qualified  by the term “Baby  Gouda”. 
 
Compositional modifications beyond the minima and maxima specified above for milk fat and dry matter are not 
considered to  be in compliance with section 4.3.3 of the General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms (KS CXS 206-
1999). 
 
 
5 Food  additives  
 
Only those additives  classes indicated  as justified  in Table  3 may be used for the product categor ies specified. 
Within  each additive  class, and where  permitted  accordi ng to the table,  only those  food additives listed  in Table  
4 may be us ed and only wi thin the funct ions and limits sp ecified.  
 
 
Table  3 — Food  additives  for gouda  cheese  
 
 
 
Additive functional class Justified use 
Cheese Surface/rind treatment 
 
Colours:  
X(a)  
– 
Bleaching agents: – – 
Acidity regulators: X – 
Stabilizers: – – 
Thickeners: – – 
Emulsifiers: – – 
Antioxidants: – – 
Preservatives: X X 
Foaming agents: – – 
Anti-caking agents: – X(b) 
 
(a) Only to obtain the colour characteristics, as described in Section 2. 
(b) For the surface of sliced, cut, shredded or grated cheese, only. 
X The use of additives belonging to the class is technologically justified. 
–  The use of additives belonging to the class is not technologically justified.4 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved   
  
 
INS no.  
Name  of additive  
Maximum level 
Colours 
160a(i) Carote ne, beta-, Synthetic  
 
 
35 mg/kg 
singly or in combination 160a(iii) Carote ne, beta-, Blakeslea trispora 
160e  Carot enal, beta-apo-8’- 
160f Carot enoic acid, ethyl ester, beta- 
apo-8’- 
160a(ii) Carot enes, beta-,vegetable 600 mg/kg 
160b(ii) Annatto extracts – norbixin based 25 mg/kg 
 
Preservatives 
1105  Lysozyme Limited by GMP 
200 Sorbic acid  
 
1 000 mg/kg based on sorbic acid. 
Surface treatment only* 202 Potassium sorbate  
203 Calcium sorbate  
234 Nisin 12.5 mg/kg 
235 Natamycin (pimaricin)) 2 mg/dm2Not present at a depth of 5 
mm. 
Surface treatment only* 
251 Sodium nitrate 35 mg/kg 
singly or in combination 
(expressed as nitrate ion) 252 Potassium nitrate 
280 Propionic acid  
3 000 mg/kg 
Surface treatment only* 281 Sodium propionate 
282 Potassium propionate 
 
Acidity regulators 
170(i) Calcium carbon ate Limited by GMP 
504(i) Magnesium carbon ate Limited by GMP 
575 Glucono delta-lactone Limited by GMP 
 
Anticaking agen ts 
460(i) Microcrystalline cellulose (Cellulose 
gel)  
Limited by GMP 
460(ii) Powdered cellulose Limited by GMP 
551 Silicon dioxide, amorpho us  
 
10 000 mg/kg singly or in combination 
Silicates calculated as silicon dioxide 552 Calcium silicate 
553(i) Magnesium silicate, synthetic 
553(iii) Talc © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  5 DKS  28-3: 2019  
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 * For the definition of cheese surface and rind see Appendix to the general Standard for Cheese (KS 28 -
1) 
 
6         Hygiene  
 
6.1  It is recommended that the products  covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared and handled 
in accordance  with the appropriate sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene (KS EAS 39 ), the Code of  
Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products (KS 1552)  and other relevant texts such as Codes of  Hygienic Practice 
and Codes of Practice. The products should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance 
with the Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods 
(KS CXG 21-1997). 
 
6.2       The products  shall comply with microbiological criteria  established in accordance  with Table 4 when tested 
in accordance with the test methods prescribed therein . 
 
 
Table  4 — Microbiol ogical  requirements  for Gouda  cheese  
 
S/N Quality  Requirement
, 
 Test method  
i) Total coliforms ,CFU/g, max  100 KS ISO 4832  
 
ii) Listeria monocytogenes, CFU/25g  Absent  KS ISO 11290 -2 
iii) Salmonella spp.CFU/25g  
 Absent  KS ISO 6785  
iv) Staphylococcus aureus, CFU/g  Absent  KS ISO 6888 -1 
v) Escherichia c oli, cfu/g  Absent  KS ISO 7251  
  Yeast and moulds, CFU/g, max  10 KS ISO 6611  
 
 
7        Contaminan ts 
 
The products covered  by this standard shall comply with the maximum levels for contaminants that are specified for 
the product in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193 -1995).  
 
7.1        Heavy metals  
 
When tested in accordance with AOAC 999.10 or KS ISO/TS 6733, the level of lead (Pb) shall not exceed 0.02 
mg/kg.  
 
7.2  Pesticide  residues  
 
All cheeses shall conform to maximum limits residues set by Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
7.3  Mycotoxin  residues  
 
When tested in accordance with ISO 14501 the level of Aflatoxin M1 shall not exceed 0.50 µg/kg.  
 
7.4  Veterinary drugs residues  
 6 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved   
 Cheeses shall conform to maximum tolerable residue limits for antibiotics and other veterinary drugs set by Codex 
Alimentarius Commission   
 
8 Packaging   
 
gouda ch eese shall be pack ed in fo od gra de mat erial that ensures prod uct safety and integrity.  
 
9 Labelling  
 
In addition to the provisions of the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (KS EAS 38 ) and the 
General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms  (KS CXS 206-1999), the following specific provisions apply 
 
9.1 Name  of the food  
 
The name Gouda  may be applied  in accordance  with KS EAS 38, provided  that the product  is in conform ity with 
this sta ndard. Wh ere cust omary in the country of  retail sale, alter native spelling  may be us ed. 
 
 
The name Gouda  may be applied in accordance with the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged 
Foods ( KS EAS 38 ), provided that the product is in conformity with this Standard. Where customary in the 
country of retail sale, alternative spelling may be used. 
 
The use of the name is an option that may be chosen only if the cheese complies with this standard. Where the  
name is not used for a cheese that complies with this standard, the naming provisions of the general Standard for 
Cheese ( KS 28 -1) apply. 
 
The designation of  produc ts in which the fat content is below or above the reference range but above the 
absolute minimum specified in section 3.3 of this Standard  shall be accompanied  by an appropriate qualific ation 
describing the modification made or the fat content (expressed as fat in dry matter or as percentage by mass 
whichever is acceptable in the country of retail sale), either as part of the name or in a pro minent position in the 
same field of vision. Suitable qualifiers are the appropriate characterizing ter ms specified in the general Standard 
for Cheese ( KS 28 -1) or a nutritional claim in accordance  with the Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health 
Claims ( KS EAS 805 ). 
 
The designation may also be used for cut, sliced, shredded or grated products made from cheese which cheese 
is in conformity with this Standard. 
 
9.2   Country  of origin  
 
The coun try of origin (wh ich means the country of manufacture, not the country in which the name originated) shall  
be declared.  When the product undergo es substantial  transformati on3 in a second  country, the country in wh ich 
the tr ansformation is perf ormed shall be co nsidered to  be the country of origin for the purpose of la belling.  
 
9.3   Declaration  of milk fat content  
 
The milk fat content shall be declared in a mann er found acceptable in the coun try of sale to the final co nsumer, 
either  i) as a percentage  by mass,  ii) as a percentage of fat in dry matter,  or iii) in grams per serving  as 
quantified in the label provided that the number of ser vings is stated.  
 
9.4     The name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, importer, exporter or vendor of the food shall 
be declared.  
 
9.5 Net contents  
 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  7 DKS  28-3: 2019  
 7 
 
 The net contents shall be declared by weight in either the metric ("Système International" units) or as required by the 
country in which the product is sold.  
 
9.6 List of Ingredients  
 
A complete list of ingredients shall be declared on the label in descending order of proportion.  
 
9.7      storage inst ructions  or conditions for use  
 
9.8     date of manufacture  
 
9.9    Expiry date;  
 
9.10   batch code/number  
 
9.11    lot identification   
 
However, lot  identification, and the name and address  of the manufacturer or packer may be replaced by an 
identific ation m ark, provided that such a mark  is clearly identifi able with the accompanyi ng documents. 
 
  
10     Meth ods of sampl ing and analysis  
 
10.1 Sampling shall be carried out in accordance with the latest version of  KS ISO 707"Milk and Milk products - 
Guidance on sampling" and in KS ISO 55381: Milk and milk products - Sampling - Inspection by attributes .  
 
 
10.2 Analysis for cheese shall be carried out in accordance to appropriate standard methods declared in this 
standard. Other test may be performed as per the methods given in the latest AOAC/ Codex/ ISO and other 
internationally recognized methods   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3) For instance,  repackaging,  cutting,  slicing, shredding and grating  is not  regar ded as substantial  transformatio n. 8 © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved   
  
 
Annex A  
(informati ve) 
 
                                ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 
 
The additional information below does not affect the provisions in the preceding sections which are 
those that are essential to the product identity, the use of the name of the food and the safety of the food. 
 
1. Appeara nce charac teristics  
 
Gouda cheese is normally manuf actured  with weigh ts ranging from 2.5 kg to 30 kg. Lower weights  are normally 
qualified by  the term “B aby”. 
 
2. Method  of Manufacture  
 
Salting method: Salted in brine