KENYA STANDARD                  DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
      
 
 
Havarti Cheese — Specification  
 
 
 
   
 
              
 
© KEBS 2016          FirstEdition 2016     DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
                             KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved iiTECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION 
 
The following organizations were r epresented on the Technical Committee: 
 
Kenya Dairy Board Ministry of Health — Public Health Department 
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fi sheries — State Depart ment of Livestock  
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fis heries — Department of Veterinary Services 
Egerton University — Department of Dairy and Food Science Technology 
Government Chemist’s Department National Public Health Labs 
Kenya Industrial Research and De velopment Institute (KIRDI)  
Consumer Information Network  
New Kenya Creameries Cooperative (NKCC) 
Brookside Dairy Ltd. Eldoville Dairies Limited 
Githunguri Dairy  
Happy Cow Ltd 
Sameer Agriculture and Livestock (K) LimitedKIBIDAV Ltd (TOGGS) 
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
  
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast with the progress in the industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. 
Suggestions for improvements to publ ished standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of 
Standards, are welcome. 
 
        
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2010 
 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyrig ht subsists in 
all Kenya Standards and except as provi ded under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Standard s may 
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or trans mitted by any means without prior permission in writing from th e Managing 
Director. 
  
KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved    iiiKENYA STANDARD                    
    DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
 
  
 
 
        
Havarti Cheese— Specification  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF ST ANDARDS (KEBS) 
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi-00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020) 604031 
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org  
 
Coast Region    Lake Region         Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa-80100  P.O. Box 2949, Ki sumu-40100       P. O. Box 2138, Nakuru-20100 
Tel.: (+254 041) 229563, 230939/40               Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396       Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555 
Fax: (+254 041) 229448   Fax: (+254 057) 21814              
     DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
                             KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved iv Foreword 
 
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Milk and Milk Products Technical Committee under the guidance of 
the Standards Project Committee and it is in accordance wi th the procedures of the Kenya Bureau of Standards. 
 
Cheese is a very nutritious food which consists of a co ncentration of the constituents of milk, principally fat, 
casein and insoluble salts, together with water, in wh ich small amounts of soluble salts, lactose, and albumin 
from milk are coagulated.  
There are various types of cheese that are produced  and marketed worldwide. This Kenya Standard specifies 
the requirements for the type of ripened firm/semi-hard cheese
 being marketed in Kenya as Havarti cheese. 
 
This standard includes a list of food additives, termin ology and classification of cheeses, amongst other technical 
requirements which are important in checking cheese under the regulatory system to prevent adulteration. 
  
In the preparation of this standard useful information was derived from members of the technical committee, 
Codex general standard for Havarti cheese (CODEX STAN 267-1966) and local manufacturers  
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Havarti Cheese— Specification  
 
 
1 Scope 
 
This Kenya Standard specifies requirements and methods of sampling and test for Havarti cheese 
intended for direct consumption or for further processing, in conformity with the description in Clause 3 of 
this standard.   This Kenya Standard applies to Havarti cheese made from cow’s milk  
 2 Normative references 
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies. 
 
CODEX STAN 208, Codex Standard for cheese in brine 
KS CAC/GL 21, Recommended international code of hygienic practice for foods for infants and children 
KS CAC/GL 23 , Guidelines for use of nutrition claims 
 CODEX STAN 150; Standard for food grade salt 
KS EAS 38, Labelling of prepackaged foods  
AOAC 942.17, Arsenic in foods Molybdenum blue method 
AOAC 999.10, Lead, Cadmium,Copper, Iron, and Zinc in foods, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry 
after dry ashing CAC/MRL 2 Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Food  
AOAC 962.16 Beta-lactam Antibiotics in milk 
AOAC 980.21, Aflatoxin M1 in milk and cheese-thin layer chromatographic method AOAC 980.21, organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticide residues in milk and milk products KS 2455, General Standard- Food Safety 
KS 1552: 2016; Code of hygienic practice for milk and milk products 
KS 2455, General Standard- Food Safety 
KS 2194:2009 – Good Manufacturing practice guide lines and the Dairy industry 
KS EAS 69, Pasteurized milk- Specification 
KS ISO 707, Milk and milk products — Guidance on sampling 
KS ISO 1735, Cheese and processed cheese products 
 Determination of fat content  Gravimetric 
method (Reference method)  
KS ISO 2962, Cheese and processed cheese products  Determination of total phosphorus content  
Molecular absorption spectrometric method  
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 6731, Milk, cream and evaporated milk - Determination of total solids content (reference method)  
KS ISO 6732; Milk and milk products -- Determination of iron content -- Spectrometric method (Reference method) KS ISO/TS 6733; Milk and milk products -- Determination of lead content -- Graphite furnace atomic 
absorption spectrometric method 
KS ISO 11866-2:2007; Milk and milk products-Enumeration of presumptive escherichia coli - Part 2: 
Colony-co
  
KS ISO 11866‐1:2005 (IDF 170‐1:2005); Milk and milk products ‐‐ Enumeration  of presumptive  
Escherichia  coli ‐‐ Part 1: Most probable number technique  using 4‐methylumbelliferyl ‐beta‐D‐
glucuronide  (MUG.  
KS ISO 6579:2002  Microbiology  of food and animal feeding stuffs ‐ Horizontal  method for the detection  
of Salmonella  spp 
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                          KEBS 2016 — All ri ghts reserved 6KS ISO 11866-2, Milk and milk products-Enumer ation of presumptive escherichia coli - Part 2: Colony-
count technique at 44 °C using membrane  
unt technique at 44 °C using membrane 
 KS ISO/TS 11869:2012; Fermented milks -- Determination of titratable acidity -- Potentiometric method 
KS ISO 14501:2007 Milk and milk powder - Determination of aflatoxin M content - Clean-up by 
immunoaffinity chromatography and determination by high-performance liquid chromatography 
KS ISO 16649-1:2001; Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of beta-glucuronidase-positive Escherichi a coli -- Part 1: Colony-count technique at 44 
degrees C using membranes and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-glucuronide KS ISO 4833-1:2013; Microbiology of the food chain -- Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
microorganisms -- Part 1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique 
KS ISO 5738:2004 (IDF 76:2004); Milk and milk products -- Determination of copper content -- 
Photometric method (Reference method)KS ISO 5546:2010 (IDF 115:2010); Caseins and caseinates -- 
Determination of pH (Reference method 
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 6888-1:1999; Microbiology of food and anim al feeding stuffs -- Horizontal method for the 
enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staph ylococcus aureus and other species) -- Part 1: 
Technique using Baird-Parker agar medium 
KS ISO 8968-1:2014 (IDF 20-1:2014); Milk and milk products -- Determination of nitrogen content -- Part 
1: Kjeldahl principle and crude protein calculation 
  
3 Description 
 
 Havarti is a ripened firm/semi-hard cheese in conf ormity with the General Standard for Cheese (CODEX 
STAN 283-1978). The body has a near white or ivory through to light yellow or yellow colour and a texture 
suitable for cutting, with plentiful, irregular and coarse large rice seed sized (or mostly 1–2 mm in width 
and up to 10 mm in length) gas holes. The shape is flat cylindrical, rectangular or of a loaf shape. The cheese is sold with or without1 a slightly greasy smear ripened rind, which may be coated. Harvatti 
intended for further processing need not exhibit the same extent of ripening when justified through 
technical and/or trade needs 
 
  
 
4 Essential composition and quality factors 
 
4.1 Raw materials 
 
Cows’ milk, or their mixtures, and products obtained from cow’s milks.  
 
4.2  Permitted ingredients 
 
 – Starter cultures of harmless lactic acid and/ or flavour producing bacteria and cultures of other 
harmless micro-organisms including smear yeas and bacteria;  
– Rennet or other safe and suitable coagulating enzymes;  – Sodium chloride and potassium chloride as a salt substitute;  
-Calcium chloride in an amount not more than 0.02 percent (calculated as anhydrous calcium chloride) of 
the weight of the dairy ingredients, used as a coagulation aid – Potable water;  
– Safe and suitable enzymes to enhance the ripening process;  
– Safe and suitable processing aids;  – Rice, corn and potato flours and starches: Notwithstanding the provisions in the General Standard for 
Cheese (CODEX STAN 283-1978), these substances can be used in the same function as anti-caking 
agents for treatment of the surface of cut, sliced, and shredded products only, provided they are added 
only in amounts functionally necessary as governed by Good Manufacturing Practice, taking into account 
any use of the anti-caking agents listed in clause 5. 
  
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4.3  compositional requirements 
 Table 2: compositional requirements for Havarti cheese 
 
Milk 
constituent Minimum 
content (m/m) Maximum 
content (m/m) Reference 
level (m/m) Methods of Analysis 
 
Milkfat in dry 
matter: 
 30%  Not restricted  45% to 55%   
 
 
KS ISO 1735 
Dry matter 
(Total Solids): content (m/m) Maximum content (m/m) Reference 
level (m/m) 
Depending on the fat in dry matter content according to the table below   
KS ISO 5534  
                                    
Fat in dry matter 
content (m/m) :) Corresponding minimum 
dry matter content  
(m/m  
Equal to or above 
30% but less than 40%:  46%  
Equal to or above 
40% but less than 
45%:  48%  
Equal to or above 
45% but less than 
55%:  50%  
Equal to or above 
55% but less than 
60%:  54%  
Equal to or above 
60%:  58% 
Moisture%, 
Max 30 % 48%-53%    KS ISO 5534 or AOAC  
977.11 /AOAC 969.19 
60% 60%  
Salt % Max 3% KS ISO 5943 or 
AOAC 975.20 
 
  
4.4 R ipening procedure   
 
Ripening procedure shall be as described in Annex A 
 
  
 
 
5 Food additives 
 
Only those additives classes indicated as justified in the table below may be used for the product 
categories specified. Within each additive class, and where permitted according to the table, only those 
food additives listed below may be used and only within the functions and limits specified.  
   
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Additivefunctionalclass 
Justified use  
 Cheese 
massSurface/rind treatment
 
Colours: X( – 
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, asdescribed 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.KENYA STANDARD                           
    DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
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INS no.   
Name of additive  Maximum level  
 
Colours  
160a (i) Carotene , beta-, synthetic 
35 mg/kg singly or in combination 160a (iii) Carotene , beta-, Blakeslea tr ispora
160e Carotenal , beta-apo-8’-
160f Carotenoic acid , ethyle s t e r ,beta-apo-
160a(ii) Carotenes, beta-, vegetable 600 mg/kg 
160b(ii) Annatto extracts – norbixin based 25 mg/kg 
 
Prese rvatives 
1105 L ysozyme Limited b yGMP
200 Sorbic acid  
1 000 mg/kg based on 
sorbic acid. Surface treatment only* 201 Sodium sorbate 
202 Potassium sorbate 
203 Calcium sorbate 
234 Nisin 12.5 m g/kg 
235  
Natamycin (pimaricin) 2 mg/dm 2 Not present at a 
depthof5mm S rface251 Sodium nitrate 35 mg/kg 
singly or in combination (expressed asnitrate ion)252 Potassium nitrate 
280 Pro pionic acid  
3 000 mg/kg 
Surface treatment only* 281 Sodium propionate 
282 Potassium propionate 
 
Acidit y regulato rs 
170(i) Calcium carbonate Limited b yGMP
504(i) Ma gnesium carbonate Limited b yGMP
575 Glucono delta-lactone Limited by GMP 
 
Anticakin g agents 
460(i) Microcr ystalline cellulose (Cellulose Limited b yGMP
460(ii) Powdered cellulose Limited b yGMP
551 Silicon dio xide, amor phous  
10 000 mg/kg singly or in combination 
Silicates calculated as silicon 
dioxide552 Calcium cilicate 
553(i) Ma gnesium silicate ,synthetic
553(iii) Talc  
* For the definition of cheese surface and rind see Annex  to the General Standard for Cheese (KS 28-
1). 
 
 
 
6.          Hygiene Requirements 
 6.          
It is recommended that the products covered by  the provisions of this standard be prepared and 
handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of KS1552:2016 and other relev ant Kenya standards and     DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
2     KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved regulations. The products should comply with any micr obiological criteria established in accordance with KS 
CAC/GL 21  
6.2   The products shall comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with Table 2 below. 
 
 
 Table 3 ▬ Microbiological requirements for Harvati cheese 
S/N Quality Requirements Test method 
 Total plate count /g, Max  20000 cfu/g KS  ISO 4833  
 Listeria monocytogenes 
 max,  Nil per gram KS  ISO 4833 
 Salmonella spp in 
25g or  (ml) Nil  KS ISO 4833 
 Shigella in25g or  (ml) Nil  KS ISO 21567 
or 
KS ISO 4833 
 Clostridium botulinum    Nil per gram KS ISO 4833 
 Staphylococcus aureus in 25g 
or  (ml) 
 Nil  KS ISO 4833 
 E.coli in 25g or  (ml) 
 Nil  KS ISO 4833 
 Faecal coliforms:, max Nil per gram KS  ISO 4832 
 Non-faecal coliforms, max 10 cfu/g KS  ISO 4832 
 Mould, max 100 cfu/g gram KS ISO 6611 
 Yeast 100 cfu/g KS ISO 6611 
 
 
 
 
7 Contaminants 
 
The products covered by this Standard shall comply with the maximum levels of CODEX STAN 193 and the 
maximum residue limits for pesticides and veterinary drug s established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(CAC 
 
 
 
7.1  Heavy metals 
 
The products covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum limits in Table 5 
  
 Table 4 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants for Havarti cheese 
 
 
SL No   
Heavy metal   
MRL  
Test method          
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               (Max.)  
i).  Arsenic (AS)  
                0.1 mg/kg  
  AOAC 942.17  
ii).  Lead (PH)  
 0.02 mg/kg 
 
 AOAC 972.25 / 
KS ISO 6733 
iii).  Mercury (Hg)                 1.0 mg/kg 
  
 AOAC 999.10 
iv).  Copper (Cu) 
 5.0 mg/kg 
          AOAC972.25 / 
KS ISO 5738 
v).  Zinc (Zn) 
 
  
50 mg/kg AOAC 999.10 
vi).   
Tin (Sn)                    250   mg/kg  AOAC 999.10 
vii).  Cadmium as Cd,  
 
                   1.5 mg/kg 
 
       
 AOAC 999.10 
 
viii).  Iron (fe),  
                    0.5 mg/kg AOAC 999.11/ 
KS ISO 6732 
  
 
 
 
  
7.2 Pesticide residues 
In addition to the maximum limits in table 5 below; the products covered by the provisions of this standard shall 
conform to those maximum limits for pesticides established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for these 
products in codex Stan 193;  
 
Table 5- maximum residue limits for Havarti cheeses 
 
S/N Parameter Requirements Test method 
i ORGANOCHLORINE Group  0.01 ppm  KS ISO 3890-
1:2009 OR 
AOAC 970.52  
ii ORGANOPHOSPHOROUS 
Group  0.01 ppm  AOAC 970.52  
 
 
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4     KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved 7.3        Mycotoxin residues 
 
Havarti cheese shall not have more than 0.5ppb aflato xin m1 content when tested according to KS ISO 
14501:2007/ AOAC 974.17 and AOAC 980.21 , Aflatoxin M1 in milk and cheese-thin layer chromatographic 
methods 
 
7.4        Total Antibiotic residues 
 
Havarti cheese shall not have more than 10.0 ppb total antibiotic residues as (beta lactam) content when tested 
according to AOAC 982.14, 15, 16, 17 and18 and AOAC 962.14, Beta-lactam Antibiotics in milk 
 
 
7.5            Veterinary Drug Residues      
In addition to the maximum limits in table 6 below; the products covered by the provisions of this standard shall 
conform to those maximum limits for veterinary drug residue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission for these products in codex Stan 193;  
 
 Table 6- maximum veterinary drug residue Limits for Havarti cheese 
 
 
S/N Parameter Requirements/ 
MRL Test method 
i ChloramPhenical  ND AOAC 972.17 
ii Nitrofunas(including 
metabolites)  ND AOAC  
 Ronidazole  ND AOAC  
 Metronidazole  ND AOAC 991.17 
 Fenbendazole  100ppb AOAC 991.17 
 Albendazole  100ppb AOAC 991.17 
 Phenylbutazone  ND   AOAC 
991.17 
 
 
 8        PACKAGING AND LABELLING 
 
 
8.1           Packaging 
 
The product shall be packed in food grade materi al that ensures product safety and integrity. 
 
 
8.2 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 (CODEX STAN 206-1999), the following specific provisions 
apply:  
         
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8.2.1 Name of the food 
The name Havarti may be applied in accordance with the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged 
Foods (KS EAS 38), provided that the product is in conf ormity with this Standard. Where customary in the 
country of retail sale, alter native spelling may be used.  
The designation of products in which the fat content is below or above the reference range but above the 
absolute minimum specified in section 4.3 of this Standar d shall be accompanied by an appropriate qualification 
describing the modification made or the fat content (exp ressed as fat in dry matter or as percentage by mass 
whichever is acceptable in the country of retail sale) 
 Havarti with a fat in dry matter content of minimu m 60% may alternatively be designated Cream Havarti.  
 
 
8.2.2 Country of origin 
 The country of origin (which means the country of m anufacture, not the country in which the name originated) 
shall be declared. When the product undergoes substantial transformation in  a second country, the country in 
which the transformation is performed shall be considered to be the country of origin for the purpose of  labeling. 
 
8.2.3 Declaration of milkfat content 
 
The milk fat content shall be declared in a manner fo und acceptable in the country of retail sale, either; 
 
i) as a percentage by mass,  
 ii) as a percentage of fa t in dry matter, or  
 
iii) in grams per serving as quantified in the label, provided that the number of  servings is stated. 
 
 
 8.2.3 Nutrient Declaration  
 
Nutritional claim shall be made in accordance with th e Guidelines for the Use of Nutritional Claims 
(CAC/GL 23-1997) 
 
8.2.5 Date marking: 
        
       i)  Date of manufacture 
 
       ii) Expiry date;  
      ii)   Storage instructions and / or conditions 
 
8.2.6     Name and address of manufacturer 
 8.2.7     Net weight content 
 
8.2.8     Brand name of the product  
8.2.9     Batch or code number 
 
8.2.10 Labelling of non-retail containers     DKS 2678: 2016 
ICS 67.100.10  
 
 
6     KEBS 2016 — All rights reserved  
If necessary, storage instructions, shall be given either on the container or in accompanying documents, except 
that the name of the product, lot identification, and the name of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the 
container, and in the absence of such a container, on t he product itself. However, lot identification and the name 
and address may be replaced by an identification mark, provi ded that such mark is clearly identifiable with the 
accompanying documents. 
 
9 Methods of Analysis and Sampling 
 The methods of sampling and analysis shall be those provided in the normative references listed in Clause 2 of 
this standard.  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
          
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ANNEX A 
(Normative) 
 
Ripening Procedure 
 
For Havarti ready for consumption, the ripening proce dure to develop flavour and b ody characteristics is 
normally, depending on weight, 1–2 weeks at 14–18 °C (for  smear development) followed by from 1–3 weeks at 
8–12 °C depending on the extent of maturity required. Al ternative 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. Havarti intended for further 
processing need not exhibit the same degree of ripeni ng when justified through technical and/or trade needs.