UGANDA STANDARD  
  US EAS 109 
First  Edition  
2014-10-15 
 
 Reference number  
US EAS  109: 2014 
© UNBS 201 4 
   
Potable spirit  — Specification  
 US EAS 109: 2014 
ii                © UNBS  2014 - 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 20 14 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior wr itten 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: 256 41 505 995  
Fax: 256 41 286 123  
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 US EAS 109: 2014 
© UNBS  2014 - All rights reserved                 iii National 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 mandat ed 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 Agreeme nts of the World Trade Organisation (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 
consu mers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, 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 re commending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Uganda Standard, US EAS 109: 2014, Potable spirit  — Specification , is identical with  and has been 
reproduced from  an East African  Standard , EAS 109: 2014, Potable spirit  — Specification , and adopted  as a 
Uganda Standard.  
Wherever the words, “ East African  Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard."  
 
   EAS 109: 2014  
ICS 67.160.10  
© EAC 2014                                                                                                                         Second  Edition 2014   
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Potable spirit  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  EAS 109: 2014  
ii © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted wit hout prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the p urpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community  2014  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O.Box 1096  
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8  
Fax: 255 27 2504 481/2504255  
E-mail: eac@eachq.org  
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be persecuted  EAS 109: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessita ted 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 services 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 representatives of the National Standards  Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards 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 .  
EAS 109 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/TC 007, Alcoholic and non -alcoholic beverages . 
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition  EAS 109:2000 , which has been technically revised.  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  EAS 109: 2014  
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  1 
 Potable spirit  — Specification  
1 Scope  
This East African Standard specifies requirements and methods of sampling and test for potable spirits . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents ar e indispensable for the application 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.  
CODEX STAN 192, Codex general standard for  food additives  
EAS 39 , Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry — Code of practice  
EAS 103, Schedule for permitted food additives  
EAS 100,  Food stuffs — Methods of determination of Lead  
EAS 123 , Distilled water — Specification  
3 Terms and de finitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions shall apply.  
3.1 
potable spirit  
ethyl alcohol product obtained by distilling fermented carbohydrate material or mixing  neutral spirit with water 
in proportion suitable for hu man consumption  
3.2 
alcohol  
as ethyl alcohol (C 2H5OH) 
3.3 
neutral spirit  
distillate obtained from fermented carbohydrate material, purified by fractional distillation with the removal of 
fusel oil and furfural  
4 quality requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
4.1.1  The ingredients for potable spirit shall include the following:  EAS 109: 2014  
2 © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 a) distilled water conforming to EAS 123 or demineralised water;  
b) neutral spirit, if used for blending, conforming to EAS 144; and  
c) flavouring agents, if used, in accordance with CAC/GL 66  
4.2 Gene ral requirements  
Potable spirit shall:  
a) possess the characteristic aroma associated with the product;   
b) be clear, free of particulate matter  and characteristic colour;   
c) have characteristic odour and free of foreign odour;  and 
d) have characteristic taste and fr ee of foreign taste.  
4.3 Specific quality  requirements  
Potable spirits shall comply with the quality requirements specified in Table 1.  
Table 1 — Quality  requirements for potable spirit  
Characteristics  Requirements  Test method  
Alcohol , percent by volume a t 20 °C 35 - 45 
EAS 104  Specific gravity at 20   C 0.95631 - 0.93836  
Acidity, as acetic acid, mg/L 
absolute alcohol, max  12 
Aldehydes (as acetaldehyde), mg/ L, 
max.  5 
Furfural  To pass the test  
Methanol content, mg/L, max.  50 
Higher alcohol (f usel oil ) as amyl 
alcohol  mg/L of absolute alcohol, 
max  30 
Ash, percent by mass  0.001 - 0.041  
 
5 Heavy metal contaminants  
When tested in accordance with EAS 10 0 the level of lead shall not exceed 0.01 mg/L.  
6 Food additives  
Food additives may be used in the preparation of potable spirit in accordance w ith CODEX STAN 192.  EAS 109: 2014  
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved  3 
 7 Hygiene  
Potable spirit shall be manufactured and handled in a hygienic manner in accordance with EAS 39.  
8 Weight s and measures  
The volume and fill of potable spirit shall comply with the weights and measures regulations of Partner St ates 
or equivalent legislation  
9 Packaging  
9.1 Potable spirit shall be packaged   in suitable food grade containers.  
9.2 Potable spirit shall be packaged for bulk delivery and storage in containers that shall prevent 
contamination of the product and pres erve its safety and quality.  
10 Label ling 
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the following specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked:  
a) common name as ‘ Potable spirit’;  
b) name, physical location and address o f manufacturer;  
c) ethyl alcohol content, % by volume;  
d) net content ;  
e) a declaration by common name of any additives used;  
f) date of manufacture, batch identification number/code;  
g) country of origin ; and  
h) statutory warnings.  
11 Sampling and test  
Sampling and  testing of potable spirit shall be done in accordance with EAS  104. EAS 109: 2014  
4 © EAC  2014  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
ES 8M 3 -250 -1974, Spirits – Specification  
 EAS 109: 2014    
 
© EAC 2014  – All rights reserved