Reference number  
DRS 50 -1:2017  
© RSB 2017  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
50-1 
 
Second edition  
2017 -mm-dd 
 
Cheese  — Specification  
Part 1: 
General requirements  
  DRS 50 -1:2017  
©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2017  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 252 586103/ 5829 45 
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 50 -1:2017  
iii                ©RSB2017 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Product description  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  1 
4 Essential composition and quality factors  ................................ ................................ .........................  2 
4.1 Raw materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  2 
4.2 Essentia l ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  2 
5 Food additives  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 2 
6 Contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
7 Hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
8 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
8.1 Name of the product  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
8.2 Declaration of milkfat content  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  3 
8.3 Date marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
8.4 Labelling of non -retail containers  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
9 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  4 
Annex  A (normative )  Terminology for the classification of cheeses  ................................ ...........................  5 
A.1 Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  5 
A.2 Classification of cheese according to firmness, fat content and principal curing  ........................  5 
 DRS 50 -1:2017  
©RSB 2017 - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with  Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
RS50-1 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 004, Milk and milk products . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard  (s): 
1) KS 05 -28, Cheese –Specification  
2) CODEX STAN 283,  General standard for cheese  
3) SAZS 800:2003, Cheese -Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (RS  50-1:2005 ) which has been technically revised.  
RS 50 consists of the following parts, under the general title Cheese  — Specification : 
 Part 1: General requirements  
 Part 2: Gouda  
 Part 3: Cream  
 Part 4: Processed  cheese  
 Part 5: Cheddar  
 Part 6: Cottage  
 Part 7: Mozzarella  
 
 DRS 50 -1:2017  
v                ©RSB2017 - All rights reserved  
 Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Milk and milk products (RSB/TC 
004) in the preparation of this standard.  
Enterprise Urwibutso  
Fromagerie Ikambere  
Fromagerie La Reine  
Global Trading Impex Ser ena Nice Cream (GTI)  
Inyange Industries  
Laiterie Nyabisindu  
Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI/RALIS)  
Rubilizi Dairy  
Agashinguracumu Ltd  
Rwanda Consumer’s Rights Protection Organization (ADECOR)  
Rwanda National Dairy Platform (RNDP)  
Rwanda  Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 50 -1:2017  
1                ©RSB2017 - All rights reserved  
 Cheese  —Specification — Part 1: General  requirements  
1 Scope  
This Rwanda Standard applies to all  cheese products, intended for direct consumption  or further  processing . 
Subject to the provisions of this s tandard, standards for individual varieties of cheese, or groups of varieties of 
cheese, may contain provisions which are more specific than  those i n this Standard and in these cases, those 
specific provisions shall apply.  
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 referen ces, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
CODEX STAN 193 , General standard for contaminants and toxins in foods  
CODEX STAN 206 , General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms  
RS CAC/RCP 1, General principles of food hygiene.  
RS CAC/RCP  57, Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products  
RS CODEX STAN 192 , Codex general standard for food additives  
RS EAS 12 , Potable water — Specification  
RS EAS 38 , General requirements for the Labelling of Pre -packaged Foods  
RS ISO 707 , Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling  
3 Product description  
3.1 Cheese is the ripened or unripened soft, semi -hard, hard, or extra -hard product, which  may be coated, 
and in whi ch the whey protein/casein ratio does not exceed that of milk, obtained by:  
a) coagulating wholly or partly the protein of milk, skimmed milk, partly skimmed milk, cream, whey cream or 
buttermilk, or any combination of these materials, through the action of r ennet or other suitable 
coagulating agents, and by partially draining the whey resulting from the coagulation, while respecting the 
principle that cheese -making results in a concentration of milk protein (in particular, the casein portion), 
and that conseq uently, the protein content of the cheese will be distinctly higher than the protein level of 
the blend of the above milk materials from which the cheese was made; and/or   
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 b) processing techniques involving coagulation of the protein of milk and/or products ob tained from milk 
which give an end -product with similar physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics as the product 
defined under (a)  
3.2 Ripened cheese is cheese which is not ready for consumption shortly after manufacture but which must 
be held for such time, at such temperature, and under such other conditions as will result in the necessary 
biochemical and physical changes characterizing the cheese in question.  
3.3 Mould ripened cheese is a ripened cheese in which the ripening has been accompli shed primarily by  
the development of characteristic mould growth throughout the interior  and/or on the surface of the cheese.  
3.4 Unripened cheese including fresh cheese is cheese which is ready for consumption shortly after 
manufacture.  
4 Essential composit ion and quality factors  
4.1 Raw materials  
Cows’, goats’ and buffaloes’, camel’s milk and any other milk from domestic animal, or their mixtures, and 
products obtained from these milks.  
4.2 Essential ingredients  
The ingredients permitted to use in cheese shall be as follows : 
a) Starter cultures of harmless lactic acid and/or flavour producing bacteria and cultures of other harmless 
microorganisms;  
b) Safe and suitable enzymes  to enhance the ripening process;  
c) Sodium chloride  and potassium chloride as a salt substitute;  and 
d) Potable wate r complying with RS EAS 12 . 
5 Food additives  
Food additives which may be used shall comply with RS CODEX STAN 192.  
6 Contaminants  
The products covered by this Standard  as well as t he mil k used in the manufacture of those  products 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  CODEX STAN 193 . DRS 50 -1:2017  
3                ©RSB2017 - All rights reserved  
 7 Hygiene  
It is recommended that the products covered by the provisions of this standard  be prepared and handled in 
accordance with RS CAC/RCP 1, RS CAC/RCP 57 and other relevant standards.  
8 Labelling  
In addition to  the requirements specified in RS EAS 38  and in CODEX STAN 206 , the following requirements 
shall apply:  
8.1 Name of the  product   
8.1.1  The name of the food shall be “cheese ”. However, the word “cheese” may be omitted in the 
designation of an individual cheese variety reserved by a Rwanda S tandard for individual cheeses, and, in the 
absence thereof, a variety name specified  in the national legislation of the country in which the product is sold, 
provided that the omission does not create an erroneous impression regarding the character of the food.  
8.1.2  In case the product is not designated with a variety name but with the designation “cheese” alone, the 
designation may be accompanied by the appropriate descriptive terms in the classification of  cheese in Annex 
A. 
8.2 Declaration of milkfat content  
The milkfa t content shall be declared in a manner found acceptable in the country of sale to the  final 
consumer,  either as:  
a) a percentage by mass;  
b) a percentage of fat in dry matter; or 
c) in grams  per serving as quantified in the label provided that the number of servin gs is stated . 
8.3 Date marking   
Notwithstanding the provisions  of clause 4.7.1 of RS EAS 38, the date of minimum durability need not be 
declared in the labelling of firm, hard and extra  hard cheese which are not mould/soft -ripened and not 
intended to be purcha sed as such by the final consumer; in such cases the date of manufacture shall be 
declared  
8.4 Labelling of non -retail containers  
8.3.1  Information  required in clause 8 of this Standard and  clauses 4.1 to  4.8 of RS EAS 38  shall be given 
either on the container  or in accompanying  documents, except that the name of  the product,  lot identification, 
and the name and  address of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the container, and in the absence  of 
such a container on the cheese itself.   
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 8.3.2  However, lot identification, and the name and  address of the manufacture r or packer may be replaced 
by an identification  mark,  provided that such a mark is  clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.  
9 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with the methods prescribed in RS ISO 707 . DRS 50 -1:2017  
5                ©RSB2017 - All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Terminology for the classification of cheeses  
A.1 Definitions  
A.1.1  Cured or ripened cheese” is cheese which is not ready for consumption shortly after manufacture but 
which shall be held for such time, at such t emperature, and under such other conditions as will result in the 
necessary biochemical and physical changes characterizing the cheese.  
A.1.2  Mould cured or mould ripened cheese” is a cured cheese in which the curing has been accomplished 
primarily by the development of characteristic mould growth throughout the interior and/or on the surface of 
the cheese.  
A.1.3  Uncured, unripened, or fresh cheese” is cheese which is ready for consumption shortly after 
manufacture.  
A.2 Classification of cheese according to fir mness, fat content and principal curing  
The following classification shall be applicable to all cheeses covered by this standard. However, this 
classification shall not preclude the designation of more specific requirements in individual cheese standards 
prepared by Rwanda Bureau of Standards.  
Table 2 ▬ Classification of cheese  
If the MFFB  
Is % Term I  If the FDB is %  Term II  Term III  
The first phrase in the 
designation shall be  The second phrase in 
the designation shall 
be Designation 
according to principal 
curing characteristics  
<51 Extra hard  >60 High fat  (i) cured or ripened  
43 – 56 Hard  45-60 Full fat  (a) Mainly surface  
54 – 63 Semi -hard 25-45 Medium fat  (b) Mainly interior  
61-69 Semi -soft 10-25 Low fat  (iii) Mould cured or 
ripened  
> 67 Soft < 10 Skim  (a) Mainly surface  
(b) Mainly interior  
(c) Uncured or 
unripened  
MFFB equals percentage moisture on a fat -free basis. i.e.  
  
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FDB equals percentage fat on the dry basis, i.e.  
 
 
  
DRS 50 -1:2017  
ICS 67.100.30  
 
 
©RSB 2017 - All right s reserved