ICS 67.200. 20 
 
Reference number  
DRS xxx-2: 2021  
© RSB 2021  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
490-2  
 
First edition  
2022-mm-dd 
 
Tallow oil — Specification  
Part 2: Vegetable origin  
   
DRS 490-2: 202 2 
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standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 490-2: 202 2 
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 Contents  Page 
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of total fatty matter  ................................ ................................ ..... 5 
A.1 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
A.1.1  Dilute sulphuric acid - approximately 1N  ................................ ................................ ....................  5 
A.1.2  Ether ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
A.2.1  Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 
Annex  B (normative)  Determination of total ash  ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
B.1 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
B.2 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 6 
Annex  C (normative)  Deter mination of water insoluble matter in ash  ................................ ................  7 
C.1 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7 
 
 DRS 490-2: 202 2 
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 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda 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 Standards adop ted 
by technical committees are ratified  by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 490-2 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 024, Organic and inorganic chemicals . 
In the preparation of this standard , reference was made to the following standard : 
IS 1780 Specification for vegetable tallow  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
DRS 490 consists of the following parts, under the general title Tallow oil  — Specification : 
⎯ Part 1: animal origin  
⎯ Part 2: vegetable oil  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Organic and inorganic chemicals  
(RSB/TC 024) in the preparation of this standard.  
University of Rwanda -College of Science and Technology (UR -CST)  
University of Rwanda -College of E ducation (UR -CE) 
Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer protection Authority (RICA)  
Rwanda Forensic Laboratory (RFL)  
Standards for Sustainability (SFS)  
HORIZON - SOPYRWA  
National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA)  
Uburanga Products Lt d DRS 490-2: 202 2 
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Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 490-2: 202 2 
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 Introduction   
Tallow tree has been cultivated as a seed -oil crop in China for at least 14 centuries. Candles, soap, cloth 
dressing, and fuel are made from the tallow. Chinese vegetable tallow is a solid fat th at is in the outer covering 
of the Chinese tallow seeds. The kernels produce an oil called stillingia oil that is used in machine oils, as a 
crude lamp oil, and in making varnishes and paints. It can also be converted to charcoal, ethanol, and methanol. 
Potentially, oil from the seeds can be a substitute for petroleum . 
Vegetable tallow oil mainly contains the following fatty acids: stearic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, arachid acid 
and linoleic acid.  This oil is high in nutrients used as anti-aging; it is also used in aromatherapy. Because of its 
nature of melting at body temperature, it is used in making cosmetics such as skin moisturizers, vegetable tallow 
oil is used in lipsticks and suppositories. It is also an ingredient in candles an d soaps . 
 DRS 490-2: 2022 
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    ©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved  
 Tallow oil — Specification  — Part 2: Vegetable origin  
1 Scope  
This working draft specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for vegetable tallow oil for textile 
industry and industrial uses.  
It does not cover tallow oil meant for human consumption.  
2 Normative references  
The followi ng 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.  
RS ISO 662, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of  moisture and volatile matter content  
RS EAS 847 -5, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Determination of unsaponifiable matter  
RS ISO 3961,  Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of iodine value  
RS ISO 6321: 2002 Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of melting point in open capillary tubes 
(Slip point)  
RS ISO 6320: 2017 Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of refractive index  
RS ISO 6321: 2002 Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of melting point in open capillary tubes 
(Slip point)  
RS EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics — Analytical metho ds — Part 16: Determination of lead, mercury and arsenic 
content  
RS ISO 5555, Animal and vegetable fats and oils  — Sampling  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
vegetable tallow oil  
any of  various waxy fats obtained from certa in plants, such as the bayberry, Borneo tallow tree , soybeans, etc. 
and used in making soap and candles.  DRS 490-2: 2022 
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4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  The product shall be of three grades namely Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3.  
4.1.2  The product shall be a creamy white solid and shall not have any rancid odour.  
4.1.3  When examined visually, the product shall be clear and free from sediments and other foreign matter, 
separated water and added colouring and flavouring substances.  
4.1.4  The product shall be free from admixture with other oils.  
4.2 Specific requirements  
4.2.1  The product shall comply with the specific quality requirements given in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with th e methods indicated therein.  
Table 1 — Specific requirements for tallow oil of vegetable origin  
S/N Parameters  Requirements  
Test methods  
Grade 1  Grade 2  Grade 3  
i.  Moisture content, %by mass, max  1.0      RS ISO 662  
ii. B Total fatty matter, percent by weight, min  98 70 50 Annex A  
iii.  Total ash, percent by weight of total fatty 
matter, max  1 6 6 Annex B  
iv.  Water insoluble matter in ash, max  One -third of total ash  Annex C  
v.  Iodine value  30-38 RS ISO 3961 RS ISO  
935 
vi.  Titre of fatty acid , ºC 22-30 RS ISO  935  
vii.  Refractive index  1.459 -1.462  RS ISO 6320  
viii.  Melting point , ºC 25-29 RS ISO 6321  
ix.  Iodine value  50-64 RS ISO 3961  
x.  Unsaponifiable matter,  % by mass,  max 14-23 RS EAS 842 -5 DRS 490-2: 2022 
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4.2.2  The product shall comply with the limits for heavy metal contaminants in accordance with Table 2, 
when tested in accordance with the methods indicated  therein.  
Table 2 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants for tallow oil of vegetable origin  
S/N Parameters  Requirements  Test methods  
i.  Lead, mg/kg, max  10 
RS EAS 847 -16 ii. B Arsenic, mg.kg, max  2 
iii.  Mercury, mg/kg, max.  2 
NOTE 1  The total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination, in the finished product should 
not exceed 10 mg/kg  
NOTE 2  The heavy metals including lead, mercury and arsenic may be as a result of contamination during processing 
and should  not be deliberately added as ingredients  
 
5 Packaging  
The product shall be supplied in well -closed and leakproof containers  
6 Labelling  
In addition to the requirements of RS EAS 346, the following information shall be legibly and indelibly labelled:  
a) name of the product as “ Vegetable tallow oil”  
b) name and address of the manufacturer  
c) net content  
d) batch number  
e) date of manufacture  
f) expiry date  
g) storage conditions;  
h) country of origin  DRS 490-2: 2022 
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 7 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with RS ISO 5555.  
 DRS 490-2: 2022 
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 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of total fatty matter  
A.1 Reagents  
A.1.1  Dilute sulp huric acid - approximately 1N  
A.1.2  Ether  
A.2 Procedure  
Weigh accurately about 10 g of the product and transfer into an Erlenmeyer flask and warm with 50ml of dilute 
sulphuric acid. Allow to cool a nd transfer to a 250 ml separating funnel. Shake with 50ml of ether. Draw off the 
water layer into another separating funnel and extract with 50ml of ether. Transfer the aqueous layer into the 
Erlenmeyer flask and the ether layer into the first separating funnel. Wash the ether extracts free from acid with 
successive 15ml lots of water. Drain off the aqueous layer completely, distil off a part of the ether from distilling 
and then transfer the ether extract quantitatively to a previously weighed 50ml beaker . Evaporate om a water -
bath and dry the residue at 100 º to 105 ºC to constant weight  
A.2.1  Calculation  
Total fatty matter, percent by weight = 100 𝑊1
𝑊2      
where  
W1 = weight in g of the residue in the beaker, and  
W2 =weight in g of the product taken for the test. 
  DRS 490-2: 2022 
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 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Determination of total ash  
B.1 Procedure  
Take about 10 g of the product, accurately weighed, into a silica crucible previously heated to redness, cooled 
and weighed. Heat gently, taking care that the flame does not come in direct contact with the product. When 
most of the material has been burnt, heat strongly at 700 º to 800 ºC, preferably in a muffle furnace to constant 
weight. Preserve the ash for test in Annex C. 
B.2 Calculation  
Total ash, percent by weight of total  
fatty matter content of t he product = 100 𝑊1
𝑊2      
where  
W1 = weight in g of the residue obtained, and  
W2 =weight in g of the total fatty matter content of the product taken for the test.  DRS 490-2: 2022 
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 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of water insoluble matter in ash  
C.1 Procedure  
Digest the ash preserved in B.1 in 500ml of water at room temperature in a glass -stoppered Erlenmeyer flask 
with vigorous stirring, preferably on a shaking machine. Decant off the supernatant clear liquid through a filter 
paper (Whatman No. 42 equivalent) or a previously  weighed sintered glass crucible. Repeat the digestion with 
another 500ml of water, decant off the clear liquid and finally filter the entire contents of the flask. Dry the crucible 
at 110 º ± 1ºC to constant weight.  
The requirement specified in table 1 sha ll be taken to have satisfied if the weight of the water insoluble residue 
is not greater than one -third the weight of the obtained ash in Annex B.  DRS 490-2: 2022 
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