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 ICS 67.160.1 0                            DMS 50 :2016  
       Second  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beer  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE – This is a draft proposal and shall neither be us ed nor regarded as a Malawi standard  
 
 
  
  ICS 67.160.1 0             DMS 50:2016  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beer  – Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
Moirs Road  
P O Box 946  
BLANTYRE  
 
                                                                               Tel:  +265 1 870 488  
                                                                              Fax:  +265 1 870 756  
                                                                          E-mail:  mbs@mbsmw.org  
                                                                      Web -site:  www.mbsmw.org  
 
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
  
Contents                                                                                                                                                     page  
Foreword …………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………  i 
Technical committ ee……………………………………………………………………………………………………..  i 
Notice ……………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… …….... i 
Scope ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  1 
Normative references ……………………………………………………………………………………………………  1 
Terms and definitions..………………………………………………………………………………………………….  1 
Classification of beer ..…………………………………… ……………………………………………………………. . 2 
Essential composition and quality factors …………………………………………………………………………….. 2 
Food add itives………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 3 
Contaminants …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  4 
Hygiene ………………..………………………………………………………………………………….. ................... ..4 
Packaging and l abelling ……………………..……………………………………………… ………………………….  4 
Sampling and m ethods of test ………………………………………………………………………………… …….. ...4 
 
FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standa rd is a second edition of MS 50:198 8, Beer – Specification .  The revision of this 
Malawi standard has been prepared after consideration of several issues that need to be amended and  
re-addressed in order to incorporate technological advances.  This draft Malawi standard has been prepared 
by MBS/TC 11,  the Technical Committee on Beverages  to provide requirements for beer .   
 
In preparing this draft Malawi standard reference was made to  the following standard : 
 
East African  Standard,  EAS 63:2014 , Beer  – Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is made  for the use of the above standard . 
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi s tandard was prepared by MBS/TC 11 , the Technical Committee on Beverages , and the 
following companies, organizations and institutions were represented:  
 
Blantyre Hotels Limited;  
 
Blantyre Water Board;  
 
Carlsberg (Malawi) Limited;  
 
Chibuku Products Limited;  
 
Consumers Association of Malawi;  
 
Dairibord Malawi Limited;  
 
Linga Fine Foods and Winery ; 
 
Malawi Bureau of Standards;  
 
Mkombezi Wine Cooperatives;  
 
Peoples Trading Centre;  and 
 
The Malawi Polytechnic (University of Malawi ). 
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This draft standard shall be reviewed every five years, or earlier when ever it is necessary, in order to keep 
abreast of progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is b eing reviewed .1 
  DMS 50:2016 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Beer  – Specification  
 
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi  standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for beer .  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
 
The following standards contain provisions, whi ch through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this 
Malawi standard. All standards are subject to revision and, since any reference to a standard is deemed to 
be a reference to the latest edition of that standard, parties to agreements based o n this standard are 
encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard indicated below. 
Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Malawi Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
MS 19:  Labell ing of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21:  Food and food processing unit s – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 107 : Alcoholic beverages   ̶  Methods of test ; 
 
MS 214:  Drinking water – Specification;  
 
MS 237: Food additives – General standard.  
 
MS 302: Contaminants and toxins in foods – General standard ; 
 
ISO 4832: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizonta l method for the e numeration of 
coliforms – Colony -count technique ; 
 
ISO 4833 -1: Microbiology of the food chain – Horizontal method for the e numeration of micro -organisms – 
Part 1: Colony -count at 30 °C – Pour plate technique ; and  
 
ISO 16050: Foodstuffs – Determination of a flatoxin B1, and the total content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 
in cereals, nuts and derived products – High-performanc e liquid chromatographic method.  
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purposes of this draft standard , the following te rms and definitio ns shall apply;  
 
3.1 
adjuncts  
any source of fermentable sugar from an agricultural origin other than malted barley  
 
NOTE: These materials are usually but not exclusively added in the brew house during the process of brewing.  
 
3.2 
alcohol  
as ethyl alcohol ( C2H5OH) 
 
3.3 
beer  
a beverage prepared by fermentation of su gars derived mainly from malted and/or unmalted cereal grains 
and/or approved adjuncts  
  
2 
 3.4 
brewing  
process of converting malt and/or unmalted cereal grains and adjuncts into beer  
 
3.5 
extraneous m atter  
includes inorganic matter such as sand, glass, metal, gravel, dirt, pebbles, stones, lumps of earth, clay and 
mud and organic matter such as chaff, straw, weed seeds and grains of crops, insects or insects fragments, 
rodent hairs or any other foreign  matter. Extraneous matter does not include substances produced by 
interaction of normal beer ingredients as a result of natural ageing process such  as polyphenols -protein 
interactions  
 
3.6 
malt 
cereal grain (often barley), which has been steeped, allowed to germinate and then dried or kilned to halt 
further germination  
 
3.7 
potable water  
water complying with the requirements of MS 214  
 
3.8 
unmalted cereal grains  
cereal grains that have no t undergone the processes in 3.6 
 
 
4 CLASSIFICATION OF BEER  
 
Beer sha ll be classified into one of the following classes:  
 
4.1 Non-alcohol beer , containing less than 0. 5 % ethyl alcohol by volume ; 
 
4.2 Low alcoholic beer , 0.5 % – 2.4 % ethyl alcohol by volume ; 
 
4.3 Mild beer , containing 2. 5 % – 4.0 % alcohol by volume ; 
 
4.4 Medium beer , containing 4. 1 % – 5.5 % alcohol by volume;  and 
 
4.5 Strong beer , containing more than 5.5 % alcohol by volume.  
 
 
5 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
5.1 Ingredients  
 
5.1.1 The following ingredients comp lying with the relevant Malawi  standards, shall be used for the 
production of beer:  
 
a) malted and/ or unmalted grains;  
 
b) hops and/or products derived from hops; and  
 
c) potable water.  
 
5.1.2 The following optional ingredients complying with the  relevant Malawi s tandards, may be used for 
the pr oduction of beer:  
 
a) barley and or any other cereal grain;  
 
b) Adjuncts ; and  
 
c) Food additives .  
3 
 5.2 General requirements  
 
Beer shall be free from:  
 
5.2.1 Any substances injurious to health ; 
 
5.2.2 Any extraneous matter ; 
 
5.2.3 Artificial sweetening agents;  
 
5.2.4 Any artificial colorants except for those colouring agents prepared from su gar, barley, malt or any 
cereal grains; and  
 
5.2.5 Any added alcohol.  
 
5.3 Bright lager beer shall have m aximum haze of 2.5 EBC units . 
 
5.4 Specific quality requirements  
 
Beer shal l comply with the specific quality re quirements specified in Table 1 . 
 
Table 1 ─ Quality requirements for beer  
 
S/N Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
1 Ethyl alcohol content, %, v/v  
 
Non-alcoholic beer  
 
Low alcohol/light beer  
 
Mild beer  
 
Medium beer  
 
Strong beer   
 
Less than 0.5  
 
0.5 – 2.4 
 
2.5 – 4.0 
 
4.1 – 5.5 
 
more than 5.5  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MS 107  
2 pH 3.5 – 4.75 
3 Carbon dioxide, %, v/v  
 
Bottled/ canned beer  
 
Kegged beer   
 
2.4 – 7.0 
 
1.0 – 2.5 
 
5.5 Microbiological limit s 
 
Beer  shall comply with limits for micro -organisms specified in Table 2 . 
 
Table 2  ─ Microbiological limits for  beer  
 
1 2 3 4 
S/N Organism  Limit  Test method  
1 Coliforms, cfu/ml  0 ISO 4832  
2 Total plate count, cfu/ml , max.  100 ISO 4833 -1 
 
 
6 FOOD ADDITIVES  
 
Food additives may be used in the preparation of beer in accordance with  MS 23 7. 
 
 
 
  
4 
 7 CONTAMINANTS  
 
7.1 Heavy metals  
 
The products covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum levels of heavy metals and toxic 
substances prescribed in MS 302.  
 
7.2 Pesticide residues  
 
All the raw materials used in the production of beer sha ll comply with the maximum residue limits for  
pesticides as established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
  
7.3 Aflatoxin limits  
 
Total af latoxin shall not exceed 10 μg/l  and aflatoxin B1 shall not exceed 5 μg/l  when tested with ISO 16050 . 
 
 
8 HYGIENE  
 
The product  covered by the provisions of this draft standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance 
with the requirements set out in MS 21.   
 
 
9 PACKAGING AND LABELLING  
 
9.1 Packaging  requirements  
 
Beer  shall be packaged in suitable food grade containers. Beer  shall be packaged for bulk delivery and 
storage in containers that sh all prevent contamination of the product and preserve its saf ety and quality.  
 
9.2 Labelling  requirements  
 
In addition to the requirements of MS 19, the following specific provisions shall apply:  
 
a) name, physical locat ion and address of manufacturer ; 
 
b) ethyl alcohol content, % by  volume ; 
 
c) class of beer;  
 
d) best before d ate; 
 
e) the net contents shall be declared by volume in millilitres or litres;  
 
f) list of ingredients in descending order of proportion by mass;  
 
g) date of manufacture ; 
 
h) batch identification number/code;  
 
i) country of origin; and  
 
j) statutory warnings . 
 
 
10 SAMPLING  AND METHODS OF TEST  
 
10.1 The products covered by the provisions of this draft standard shall be sampled as prescribed in  
MS 107.  
 
10.2 The product shall be tested using appropriate standard methods declared in this draft standard.   
 
ICS 67.160.1 0             DMS 50:2016 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI B UREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of Industry, Trade  and Tourism .  
Set up in 1972 by the Malaw i Bureau of 
Standards Act  (Cap: 51:02), the Bureau is a 
parastatal body whose activities aim at 
formulating and promoting the general 
adoption of standards relating to structures, 
commodities, materials, practices, operations 
and from time to time revise, alter and amend 
the same to incorporate advanced technology.  To bring the advantages of standardization 
within the reach of the common consumer, the 
Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, manufacturers who 
produce goods that conform to national 
standards a re granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
their products.  This Mark gives confidence to 
the consumer of the commodity’s reliability.