DEAS  1127 : 2023 
ICS 67.230  
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                            First Edition  2023  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Ready to use therapeutic foods  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS  1127 : 2023   
 
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© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has b een necessitated 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 exc hanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee (EASC) mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards (EAS).  The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies  in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations in the community.  
East African Standards are developed through Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, ac ademia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
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 final ization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expe cted to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 018, Nutrition and Foods for 
Special Dietary Uses . 
Attention is drawn to the possib ility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.   
 Ready to use therapeutic foods — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African Standard specifies requirements , sampling  and test methods for Ready to use 
therapeutic foods (ready  to eat food for people with severe and acute malnutrition from age of 6 months  and 
above ) 
This standard does not apply to therapeutic milk, vitamin and mineral food su pplements.  
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 references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
AFDC 6(3869)P1  Determination of Vitamin B2  
AFDC 6(3870)P1  Determination of Vitamin B6  
AFDC 6(3871)P1 Determination of Vitamin K  
AFDC 6(3872)P1  Determination of Biotin  
AFDC 6(3873)P1 Determination of Pantothenic acid  
AFDC 6(3874)P1 Determination of Niacin  
AFDC 6(3875 Part 1)P2 Determination of cadmium content (ISO 6561 -1:2005) by graphite furnace atomic 
absorption spectrometry  
AFDC 6(3875 Part 2)P2 Determination of cadmiu m content (ISO 6561 -2:2005) by flame atomic absorption 
spectrometry  
 CAC/GL10 – 2008 - Advisory list of mineral salts and vitamin compounds for use in foods for infants and 
children.  
TZS 109:1981 - Food processing units – code of hygiene  
 TZS 118:2007 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for enumeration of micro 
– organisms – Colony count technique at 30ºc  
 TZS 122:2007 – Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of salmonella 
spp. 
TZS 1 25:2002 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for enumeration of 
coagulase – positive staphylococci(staphylococcus aureus and other species)  
 TZS 131:2006 - Microbiology - General guidance for enumeration of yeast and moulds  – Colony count 
technique at 25ºc.  
 TZS 1483:2012 Infant formula -determination of total folates content by microbiological method  
TZS 1485:2012 Infant formula determination of mineral content by atomic absorption spectrophotometric 
method  
 TZS 1486:2012  Infant formula -determination of phosphorus content by spectrophotometric  method   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  TZS 1501:2012 Fruits and Vegetables – Determination of Mercury Content –Flameless Atomic Absorption 
Method  
TZS 1505:2012  Milk based infant formula -determination of iodide con tent by ion selective electrode method  
 TZS 1509:2012  Milk based infant formula -determination of thiamine content by fluorometric method  
TZS 184: 1984 Food processing units – Infant and child food – General hygiene requirements  
TZS 268: 1986 General atom ic absorption – Spectro - Photometric method for determination of lead in food 
stuffs  
TZS 269: 1986 General method for estimation of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in food and foodstuffs  
TZS 288 (Part 2):2011  Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Analysis by G as Chromatography of methyl 
esters of fatty acids  
TZS 4:2009 - Rounding off numerical values  
 TZS 528: 1992 General routine for determination of Vitamin A (Retinol) in food and foodstuffs  
TZS 538: 1999 Packaging and labeling of foods  
 TZS 636:2002 Gener al method for determination of Vitamin D in food and foodstuffs  
TZS 731:2007 / ISO 7251:2005 – Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection 
and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia Coli – Most Probable Number Technique  
 TZS 76 :2010 General method for Determination of Arsenic silver diethyldithiocarmate photometric method  
TZS 799: 2004 Agricultural food products – Determination of aflatoxins  
 TZS 844:2006 Peanut butter – specification  
TZS 852(Part 1):2005 - Microbiology of f ood and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection and 
enumeration of listeria monocytogenes - Detection method (Identical to ISO 11290 -1) 
TZS 852(Part 2):2005 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for detection a nd 
enumeration of listeria monocytogenes - Enumeration method (Identical to ISO 11290 -2) 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standard ization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
Ready -to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)  
high energy food contained in a concentrated form, enriched with minera ls and vitamins for the treatment of 
people with severe acute malnutrition from age of 6 months  and above. The food does not need cooking, or 
any other process before cooking  
3.2  
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM)  
very low weight for height (below -3z sco res of the median WHO growth standards), by visible severe wasting, 
or by the presence of nutritional  oedema or by a mid -upper arm circumference (MUAC) less than 11.5 cm.   
 3.3 
Malnutrition  
condition that develops when the body have deficiencies or excesses  in nutrient intake, imbalance of essential 
nutrients or impaired nutrient utilization  
4  Raw Materials and ingredients  
The following materials sh ould be used in accordance with EAS relevant standards:  
a) Milk and other Dairy Products ; 
b) Legumes and oilseeds ; 
c) Fats and Oils  (note Partially hydrogenated fats and oils shall not be used in RUTF) ;. 
d) Cereals, Roots and Tubers and their derived Products ; 
e) Vitamins and Minerals ; and  
f) Carbohydrates:  free sugar shall not exceed 20% of total energy;  fructose and glucose sha ll not be 
used.  Honey sh all not be used in RUTF due to the risk of infant botulism from Clostridium botulinum  
5 Requirements  
5.1 General  requirements  
Ready -to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) shall be:  
a) uniform and consistent  
b) free from foreign matter and ext raneous matter  
c) free from rancid and objectionable flavour and odour   
d) soft or crushable  
e) be palatable  
5.2 Food Additives  
Food additives may be used in the preparation of RUTF in accordance with Table  1 
Table 1 —Food additives  
Functional  Class  Food  Additiv e International Numbering  
System  (INS)  Maximum Use  Level  
 
 
Emulsifier  Mono - and di-glycerides  of fatty 
acids  471 4000 mg/kg  
Citric and fatty acid es - ters of 
glycerol  472c  9000 mg/kg  
Lecithin  322(i)  5000 mg/kg  
 
Antioxidant  Ascorbyl palmitate  304 10 mg/kg 
Tocopherol concentrate,  mixed  307b  10 mg/kg  
Ascorbic  acid,  L- 300 GMP  
Acidity  regulator  Citric  acid 330 GMP  
Packaging  gas Nitrogen  941 GMP   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  Carbon  dioxide  290 GMP  
Carrier  Silicon dioxide, amor - phous  551 10 mg/kg  
 
5.3 Specific requirements  
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) shall comply with specific requirements given in table 2 when tested 
in accordance with test methods specified therein.  
Table 2—Compositional requirements  
S/
N Component  Requirement  Test method  
1.  Energy, kcal per 100grams  520 - 550  
2.  Total fat   g/100 g   26 - 37 TZS 844:2006 Annex A  
3.  Moisture % m/m,max  3.0  TZS 844:2006 Annex B  
4.   \Dietary Fibre, % max  5  
5.  Protein , g/100 g   13-17 TZS 844:2006 Annex C  
6.  Omega 6 % m/m  3 - 10  TZS 288 (Part 2):2011  
7.  Omega 3% m/m  0.3 – 2.5  TZS 288 (Part 2):2011  
8.  Vitamin B12 µg/100g ,min 1.6  AFDC 6(3896) P1  
9.  Vitamin E mg/100g ,min  20 -  TZS 1508:2012  
10.  Vitamin A mg/100g  0.8 – 1.6  TZS 528:1992  
11.  Vitamin B1 mg/100g , min  0.5  TZS 1509:2012  
12.  Vitamin B2 mg/100g ,min  1.6  AFDC 6 (3869) P1  
13.  Vitamin B6 mg/100g ,min 0.6  AFDC 6(3870) P1  
14.  Vitamin C mg/100g ,min  50  TZS 269:1986  
15.  Vitamin D µg/100g  15 - 20  TZS 636:2002  
16.  Vitamin K µg/100g  15 - 30  AFDC 6(3871) P1  
17.  Biotin µg/100g ,min 60  AFDC 6(3872) P1  
18.  Folic acid mg/100g , min 0.2  TZS 1483:2012  
19.  Pantothenic acid mg/100g ,min  3  AFDC 6(3873) P1  
20.  Niacin mg/100g ,min  5  AFDC 6(3874) P1  
21.  Calcium mg/100g  300 785 TZS 1485:2012  
22.  Phosphorus mg/100g  300 - 785  TZS 1486:2012  
23.  Potassium mg/100g  1100 - 1600  TZS 1485:2012  
24.  Magnesium mg/100g  80 - 235 TZS 1485:2012  
25.  Zinc mg/100g  11 - 14  TZS 1485:2012  
26.  Copper mg/100g  1.4 – 1.8  TZS 1485:2012  
27.  Iron mg/100g  10 - 14  TZS 1485:2012  
28.  Iodine µg/100g  70 - 140  TZS 1505:2012  
29.  Selenium µg/100g  20 - 40  AAS 
30.  Sodium mg/10 0g Max  290  TZS 1485:2012  
  
 6 Hygiene  
6.1 The product shall be prepared under hygienic conditions in accordance with EAS39’ .  
6.2 The product shall not contain microbiological count more than the limit given in Table  3 below  
 
Table 3—Microbiological limi ts 
S/N  Microorganisms  Limit  Test methods  
1.  Total Viable Count CFU/  g, max.  500 ISO 4833  
2.  Coliforms CFU / g. max.  Absent  ISO 4832  
3.  Salmonella spp in 25 g, max.  Absent  ISO 6579 -1 
4.  Escherichia Coli CFU/  g, max.  Less than 10  ISO 16649 -2  
5.  Staphylococc us aureus  CFU/ g, max.  Less than 10  ISO 6888 -1  
6.  Bacillus cereus  CFU/ g, max.  Absent  ISO 7932  
7.  Yeasts and moulds CFU / g. max.  100 ISO 21527 -2  
8.  Clostridium perfringens  CFU/ g. max.  Absent  ISO 7937  
7 Anti-nutritional factors  
7.1 If soya flour is us ed as a component of the RUTF, urease activity shall  not exceed 0.3 mg N/g/min (for 
trypsin inhibitor activity, 5 mg/g) when tested in accordance with ISO 5506.  
7.2 If sorghum flour is used as a component of the RUTF, the tannin content  shall not exceed 0 .3 % by 
mass on a dry matter basis when tested in accordance with ISO 9648.  
7.3 If cassava is used as a component of the RUTF, the total hydrocyanic acid content shall  not exceed 2 
mg/kg, when tested in accordance with EAS 744.  
7.4 Phytate  
8 Contaminants  
8.1 Mycotoxins  
The product shall not contain mycotoxins more than the limit given in Table 4 below  
Table 4—Mycotoxins limits  
S/N  Parameters  Limits  Methods of test  
1.  Total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2), µg/kg  5 ISO 16050  
2.  Aflatoxin B1, µg/kg  3 
3.  Fumonisin, mg/kg  [2] AOAC 2001.04  
4.  Ochratoxin A, µg/kg  5 ISO 15141 -1 
5.  Deoxynivalenol (DON), mg/kg  0.2  AOAC 986.18  
8.2 Heavy metal contaminants  
The level of contaminants shall conform to the limits specified in Table 5.  
Table 5— Heavy metal contamin ants limits  
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum limit (mg/kg)  Test method  
1.  Lead   0.2 AOAC 999.11   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  2.  cadmium  0.1 
 
9 Packaging  
The product shall be packed in suitable, hygienic, food grade and environmental friendly packaging materials 
which protect the nutritional qu ality and safety of the product as well as environment. The suitable packaging 
material shall be able to protect the product from light, oxygen, moisture and carbondioxide.  
10 Labelling   
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38 and EAS 803, each package s hall be legibly and indelibly marked 
with the following:  
a) name of the product as Ready to use therapeutic foods;  
b) a statement that this product is not breast -milk substitute ;  
c) serving/dosage instruction ; 
d) Statement “THE PRODUCT IS SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH SE VERE AND ACUTE 
MALNUTRITION” from the age of six months  and above  shall appear on the label ;  
e) Not for sale ; and  
f) It shall be labelled in accordance with EAS 803, EAS 804 . 
11 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with CXG 50 -2004