DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 980 
First Edition  
2013 
 
 
 Refe rence number  
DUS 980: 2013 
© UNBS 2013   
  
Herbal tea  — Specification  
 DUS 980: 2013  
ii © UNBS 2013 – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 200 7  
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 DUS 980:2013  
© UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda.  UNBS is mandated to co -ordinate the 
elaboration  of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agreements of the World Trade Organisati on (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manu facturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
Committee membership  DUS 980: 2013  
iv © UNBS 2013 – All rights reserved  
 Introduction  
Herbal tea consumption in Uganda has become a common practice more especially as  a beverage and in 
place of tea. Thes e have been known to g ive some health benefits and the go od flavours. T hese products  
have become so common in the market which are either produced within or imported in to the country . and 
sold in the market . Since many people are getting more aware of their benefits, and more  herbal teas are 
being introduced into the market, there is a need to have a standard to guide the manufacturers in the 
production and importation of the herbal teas to ensure their safety and quality.  
This is the reason for the Draft Uganda Standard WDUS .....on herbal tea  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS980: 2013  
 
© UNBS 2013 – All rights reserved  1 
 Herbal tea   — Specification  
1 Scope  
This D raft Uganda standard specifies the  require ments and metho ds of  sampling and test of herbal tea/herbal 
infusions . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the applic ation 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.  
US 7, specification for the labelling of pre -packaged foods.  
US 28, Code  of practice for hygiene for food and drink industries.  
US 217 -4/EAS 217 -4, Methods for microbiological examination of foods –Part 4: General Guidance for the 
Enumeration of Coliforms - Most ProbableNumber Technique at 30°C  
US EAS 217 -6, Methods for microb iological examination of foods –Part 6: Examination for Salmonella Spp  
US EAS 217 -8, Methods for microbiological examination of foods –Part 8: Enumeration of Yeast and Moulds 
in Foods  
US 293 , sampling of tea  
US 500, Requirements for nutrition labelling of foods  
US 508, Requirements for nutrition and health claims on foods  
US 566 , Use of nutrition claims ― Requirements  
US 734 , Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and feed  
3 Description  
Herbal teas are parts of plants which do not origi nate from the tea plant and which are intended for the same 
use as tea.  
4 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply ;  
4.1  
extraneous matter . 
all organic and inorganic material other herbal tea  composition  DUS 980: 2013  
2 © UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  
 4.2  
Adulterat ion 
the addition of something that isn't food into a food product, in order to be able to get more pro duct to sell at 
less cost.  
5  Compositional and quality requirements  
5.1 General requirement  
Herbal tea shall be  
a) free of off fl avours and odours , 
b) , have  colour characteristic of the raw material used.  
c) The tea shall be clean and reasonably free from extraneous matter and shall not be adulterated.  
d)  The tea shall produce a liquor of characteristic flavour.  
e) The fruits, seeds, vegetab le , from which the her bal is made shall conform to the relevant US 
standards  
f) herbal infusions, extracts and preparations thereof are virtually free of vegetative forms of mould and 
other impurities  
 
5.2 Specific properties for common herbal infusions  
Spec ific herbal infusions /tea shall have the following parts of plants which include;  
5.2.1. Stinging nettle tea, stinging nettle  
Dried leaves whole or crushed, and parts of the top shoots of Urtica dioica L., occasionally also from Urtica 
urens L. from the st inging nettle family (Urtica spec.)  
5.2.2. Fennel tea, fennel  
Dried fruit, usually separated into two halves, whole or crushed, of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Ssp. Vulgare from 
the umbellifer family, often containing parts of stamen, stem and carpophor.  
5.2.3  Rose -hip tea, rose -hip 
Peel of rose -hips, whole or crushed, consisting of the dried cupule of the spurious fruit of various types of the 
species Rosa L. belonging to the rose -tree family (Rosaceae), predominantly without the short hairs found at 
the base of the fruit, and with no more than a 10% proportion of small fruits.  
5.2.4.  Hibiscus blossom tea, hibiscus blossoms, hibiscus  
Dried calyx and outer calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. belonging to the mallow family (Malvaceae), whole or 
crushed, harvested whe n the fruit is developed.  DUS980: 2013  
© UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  3 
 5.2.5.  Camomile tea, camomile  
Dried flowers of Matricaria recutitas L. (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert), whole or crushed, belonging to 
the Compositae or Asteraceae family, with a technically unavoidable proportion of other ov erground plant 
parts . 
5.2.6.  Spearmint tea, spearmint  
Whole or crushed top shoots of the variety Mentha spicata L. var. Crispa belonging to the Labiate flower 
family (Lamiaceae).  
5.2.7.  Lemon grass tea, lemon grass, citron grass tea, citron grass  
Dried lea ves, whole or crushed, of Cymbopogon flexuosus W. Watson and other types of Cymbopogon 
belonging to the grass family (Poaceae).  
5.2.8.  Lime blossom tea, lime blossom  
Dried pedicles (top leaves and blossoms), whole or crushed, of Tilia cordata Miller, Tilia  platyphyllos Scop. 
and/or other types of Tilia belonging to the Linden plant family (Tiliaceae).  
5.2.9.  Mate, Paraguay tea  
Dried and crushed leaves and parts of shoots, toasted or untoasted, from the top shoots of of the Mate tree 
Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. belonging to the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae).  
5.2,10.  Lemon balm tea, lemon balm  
Dried leaves, whole or crushed, and parts of the top shoots of Melisse officinalis L. belonging to the Labiate 
flower family (Lamiaceae).  
5.2.11.  Orange leaf tea, orange  leaves  
Dried leaves and stems, whole or crushed, of certain varieties of Citrus aurantium L. belonging to the Rue 
family (Rutaceae ). 
5.2.12.  Orange blossom tea, orange blossoms  
Dried buds and petals, whole or crushed, of certain varieties of Citrus aurant ium L. belonging to the Rue 
family (Rutaceae).  
5.2.13.  Peppermint tea, peppermint  
Dried leaves, whole or crushed, and parts of the top shoots of varieties of Mentha(x) Piperita L. belonging to 
the Labiate flower family (Lamiaceae).  
5.2.14.  Verbena tea, ver bena, lemon verbena tea  
Dried leaves, whole or crushed, and top shoots of Aloysia triphylla (L'Herit.) Britt., syn. Li ppia triphylla (L'Herit.) 
O. Kuntze, syn. Lippia citriodora (Lam.) H.B.K., syn. Verbena triphylla L'Herit. belonging to the Herba 
Verbenae  family (Verbenaceae)  DUS 980: 2013  
4 © UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  
 5.3 Compositional requirement  
Values for the content of acid insoluble ash in the dry mass and for the mass loss  (moisture)  which should  be 
the maximum limits for herbal infusions  according to ISO 1577 and ISO 1578 respectively  as ind icated in 
Table 1 . 
Table 1 showing the compositional requirements for Herbal teas  
Commercial description  Acid insoluble ash % of dry mass , 
% Loss of mass  (moisture content), 
max, %  
Herbal infusions    
Nettle tea  5.0 14 
Fennel tea  2.5 12 
Rose -hip tea  1.5 14 
Hibiscus blossom tea  2.5 15 
Camomile tea  2.5 13 
Spearmint tea  2.5 13 
Lemon grass  5.0 11 
Lime blossom tea  2.5 13 
Mate  1.0 10 
Lemon balm tea  2.5 13 
Orange blossom tea  2.5 12 
Orange leaf tea  3.0 12 
Peppermint tea  2.5 13 
Verbena tea  3.5 12 
 
6 Contaminants  
6.1 Pesticide residues  
Herbal tea  shall conform to those maximum residue limits for pesticides established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
6.2 Other contaminants  
Herbal teas shall conform to those maximum levels in accordance US 734  
6.3 Aflatoxins  
The maximum content of aflatoxins in herbal tea products  when determined in accordance with the method 
described in ISO 16050 shall not exceed 5 μg/kg (ppb) for aflatoxin B 1 and 10 μg/kg for total aflatoxins  
7 Hygiene  
7.1 herbal teas shall be produced, prepared and handled in accordance with US 28.   
7.2 Herbal products shall be free from objectionable matter and shall be free from pathogenic micro -
organisms, substances originating from micro -organisms or any other deleteriou s substances in amounts 
which may constitute a health hazard  DUS980: 2013  
© UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  5 
 7.3 Herbal tea products shall comply with microbiological requirements in Table 2  
Table 2 showing the micro biological limits in Herbal teas  
 Type of micro -organism  Limits  Test method  
i) Yeasts a nd moulds, max. per g  103 EAS 217 -8 
ii) Staphyloccocus .aureus  per 25 g  Not detectable  EAS 217 -6 
iii) E. Coli , max. per g  Not detectable  EAS 217-4 
 
8 Packaging  
Herbal teas shall be packaged in food grade materials that will safeguard the hygienic, nutri tional and 
organoleptic qualities of the product. The packaging materials shall comply with the legisla tion requirements  of 
the destination country.  
9 Labelling  
The labelling of the herbal tea shall comply with the requirements of US 7, US 500, US 508 and US 566. In 
addition, the following information shall be legibly and indelibly marked on the container the net contents 
by weight in metric (`System International') units;  
i) name of the product;  
ii) brand name/trade name;  
iii) name, location and physical address of th e manufacturer;  
iv) country of origin;  
v) ingredients in descending order of proportions;  
vi) declaration of the nutritional information;  
vii) date of manufacture;  
viii) best before date ; 
ix) storage conditions; and  
x) net weight.  
xi) nutritional claim  
10 Methods of sampling  
Sampling shal l be done in accordance to US 293  DUS 980: 2013  
6 © UNBS 2013  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] Guidelines for tea, herbal tea, extracts thereof and preparation s,1989 , Translation by German Tea 
Association and German Herbal Infusions Association   
[DUS 980: 2013  
© UNBS 2013 – All rights reserved  7 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda  standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only  by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goo ds comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for confor mity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 980: 2013    
 
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