FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS EAS 740
First Edition
2011-mm-dd
 
Referen
ce numbe r
FDUS EAS 740: 201 1
 © UNBS 201 1
  
Cassava flour — Specification 
 FDUS EAS 740: 201 1 
 
© UNBS  2011 – All rights reserved ii 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 2011 
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, in cluding photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
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  
 FDUS EAS 740: 201 1 
© UNBS  2011 - All rights rese rved                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 U ganda. UNBS is mandated 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 A limentariu s Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agr eem ents 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 gi ven field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academician s, manufacturers, governme nt and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committ ee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council. 
This Final Draft Uganda Standard, FDUS EAS 740:2010, Ca ssava flour — Specification, is identical with and 
has been reproduced from an East  African Standard, EAS 740:2010, Cassava flour — Specification,  and is 
being proposed for adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
This standard was developed by the Food and Agricu lt ure Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2).  
Wherever the words, “East African Standard" appear, they sho uld be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
 EAS 740:2010
 ICS 67.080.20
 
© EAC 2010                First Edition 2010  
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Cassava flour — Specification 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY 
 EAS 740:2010 9 
 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved               ii 
 Foreword 
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonized 
standardization, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the 
Community will be removed.  
 
In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner  States have enacted an East African Standardization, 
Quality Assurance, Metrology and Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make provisions for ensuring 
standardization, quality assurance, metrology and testing of  products produced or originating in a third country 
and traded in the Community in order to facilitate industrial development and trade as well as helping to 
protect the health and safety of societ y and the environment in the Community. 
 
East African Standards are formulated  in accordance with the procedures established by the East African 
Standards Committee. The East African Standards Committe e is established under the provisions of Article 4 
of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is compos ed of representatives of the National Standards 
Bodies in Partner States, together with the repr esentatives from the priv ate sectors and consumer 
organizations. Draft East African Standards are circul ated 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 t he procedures of the Community.  
 
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides that “Wit hin six months of the declar ation of an East African 
Standard, the Partner States shall adopt, without deviation from the approved text of the standard, the East 
African Standard as a national standard and withdraw any existing national standard with similar scope and 
purpose”. 
 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefor e expected to ensure that they always hav e the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing.  
 
© East African Community 2010 — All rights reserved *
East African Community  
P O Box 1096  
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8 
Fax: 255-27-2504481/2504255 
E-Mail: eac@eachq.org
Web: www.each.int 
                                                      
* © 2010 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by an y means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs.  
 EAS 740:2010 
Acknowledgement 
This standard was devel oped with support from the Policy Analysi s and Advocacy Programme (PAAP) of the 
Association for Strengthening Agricult ural Research in Eastern and Cent ral Africa (ASARECA). This was 
possible though a grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This support 
was used in the process of formulation and mobilization of stakeholders to review the standard in national and 
regional fora. 
ASARECA is a non-political association of agricultural research institutes  in: Burundi, DR Congo, Eritrea, 
Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzani a and Uganda. ASARECA serves  as a platform for 
promoting regional research and in the sharing of benef its and spillovers that derive from such research. The 
mission of ASARECA is to “ Enhance regional collective action in agricultural research for development, 
extension and agricultural training and education, to pr omote economic growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger 
and enhance sustainable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa ”. 
Development of standards has been part of PAAP’s contribution to changing the way business is done in 
crucial agricultural sectors to increase effici ency and/or reduce waste through rationalization and 
harmonization of policies, laws, regulations and proc edures. Rationalization focuses on how countries conduct 
business in a given subsector, and determines what should be done to make the procedures and processes 
more efficient. Harmonization brings together regionally  different approaches (policies, laws, regulations and 
procedures) into unified approaches that are applied acro ss the countries. This harmonization process allows 
commodities and factors to move freely across national boundaries, thereby improving domestic and foreign investment by expanding markets beyond national borders. Over time this will lead to gradual attainment of 
seamless borders for trade in cassava and cassava products across the region. 
Removal of regulatory bottlenecks to transboundary movem ent of cassava products in the region will enhance 
competitiveness of trade and value addition in the sub-se ctor. It will improve the value chains by supporting 
product differentiation and hen ce increased trade in ca ssava products in the regi on. This will ultimately 
contribute to incomes, employment generation and improved welfare in the region. This fits snugly with the 
aspirations of ASARECA as a key player contributing to economic dev elopment of the region.  
 
 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved                 iii 
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD EAS 740:2010
 
1               © EAC 2010 – All rights reserved 
 Cassava flour — Specification 
1 Scope 
This East African Standard specifies requirements and methods of sampling and test for cassava 
flour, which is obtained from  the processing  of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) intended for 
human consumption 
2 Normative references 
The following referenced documents are 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. 
EAS 38,  General standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods 
EAS 39,  Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry 
EAS 103,  General standard for food additives 
EAS 217-2,  Methods for the microbiological examination of foods — Part 2: General guidance for the 
enumeration of micro-organisms — Colony count technique at 30 °C  
EAS 217-6,  Methods for the microbiological examinati on of foods — Part 6: Examination for 
Salmonella Spp 
EAS 217-2,  Methods for the microbiological examination of  foods — Part 8: Enumeration of yeast and 
moulds in foods 
EAS 739,  Dried cassava chips — Specification 
EAS 744,  Cassava and cassava products — Determination of total cyanogens ─ Enzymatic assay 
method  
EAS 82,  Milled cereal products — Methods of test (General methods) 
ISO 13690,  Cereals, pulses and milled cereal products — Sampling of static batches 
ISO 712,  Cereals and cereal products — Determinati on of moisture content — Routine reference 
method 
ISO 3094, Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of copper 
ISO 6633,  Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of lead content — Flameless atomic 
absorption spectrometric method 
ISO 6634,  Fruit and vegetable products — Determination of arsenic content — Silver 
diethyldithocarbamate spectrophotometric method 
ISO 6637,  Fruit and vegetable products — Determinati on of mercury content — Flameless atomic 
absorption method EAS 740:2010 9 
ISO 5498, Agricultural food products — Determinatio n of crude fibre content — General method 
ISO 2171, Cereals and milled cereal products — Determination of total ash 
ISO 7251,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs  — Horizontal method for the detection and 
enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli — Most probable number technique 
ISO 16050 , Foodstuffs — Determination of aflatoxins B 1 and total content of aflatoxins B 1, B2, G 1 and 
G2 in cereals, nuts, and derived products — High performance liquid chromatographic method 
3 Terms and definitions 
3.1 Product description 
Cassava ( flour is the product prepared from dri ed cassava chips or paste by a pounding, grinding or 
milling process, followed by sifting to  separate the fibre from the flour . In the case of cassava flour 
prepared from bitter cassava, detoxif ication is first carried out before it undergoes drying in the form of 
chips, paste or crumbs. 
3.2 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this standard, the fo llowing terms and definitions shall apply. 
3.2.1 
detoxication 
process of reducing cyanide on fresh weigh basis to acceptable level described under 4.2 
3.2.2 
filth 
impurities of animal origin (including dead insects) 
 
3.2.3 
food grade material 
one that will not transfer non-food chemicals into the food and contains no chemicals which would be 
hazardous to human health 
3.2.4 
foreign matter 
all organic and inorganic materials (such as sand, soil, glass) . 
 
3.2.5 
practically free 
product without defects  in excess of those that can be expected to result from, and be consistent with 
good cultural and handling practices employed in the production and marketing of the fresh cassava  
 
 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved               2 
 EAS 740:2010 
4 Essential composition and quality factors 
4.1 Raw material 
The raw material shall be dried cassava chips, paste, crumbs or cassava roots  conforming to the 
relevant East African standards.  
4.2 Essential composition factors 
Cassava flour shall confor m to the compositional requirements in Table 1. 
 
Table 1 — Compositional requirements for cassava flour 
Characteristic Requirement Method of test 
Crude ash content, % by mass on dry 
matter basis, max. 3.0 ISO 2171 
Moisture content, % by mass, max. 12 ISO 712 
Crude fibre content, % by mass on a dry matter basis, max. 2.0 ISO 5498 
Acid insoluble ash, % by mass on dry matter basis max. 0.35 EAS 82 
Starch by mass on dry matter basis, min  60% ISO 10520 
Hydrogen cyanide  10 DEAS 744 
 
4.3 General quality factors  
Cassava flour shall be  
a) practically free from filth in amounts that may represent a hazard to human health. 
b) free of off flavours and odours,  
c) practically free from any living insects and foreign matter  
d) safe and suitable for human consumption. 
e) have colour characteristic of the variety 
 
NOTE The colour of cassava is usually white, creamy or ye llow. The yellow coloured varieties are normally rich in 
carotenes. 
4.4 Specific quality factors 
4.4.1 Particle size  
Not less than 90 % shall pass through a 0.60 mm sieve for fine flour and not less t han 90 % shall pass 
through a 1.20 mm sieve for coarse flour. Testing fo r particle size shall be done in accordance with 
EAS 82. 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved               3 
 EAS 740:2010 9 
Cassava flour intended for baking purposes shall have particle size of which Not less than 90 % shall 
pass through a 0.25 mm sieve  
4.4.2 Hydrocyanic acid content 
When tested in accordance with DEAS 744, the total hydrocyanic acid content of cassava flour shall 
not exceed 10 mg/kg,  
5 Food additives 
Cassava flour may contain only permitted additives in accordance with EAS 103.   
6 Contaminants 
6.1 Pesticide residues  
Cassava flour  shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. 
6.2 Other contaminants  
Cassava flour shall comply with the maximum leve ls of the Codex General Standard for Contaminants 
and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193). 
7 Hygiene 
Cassava flour shal l be prepared and handled in  accordance with EAS 39  and shall conform to 
microbiological limits in Table 2. 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for edible cassava flour 
Microorganisms Maximum limit Method of test 
Escherichia. Coli , per g shall be absent ISO 7251 
ISO 4833 
Salmonella  in 25 g shall be absent ISO 6579 
Yeast and mould, CFU/g, max. 103 EAS ISO 
ISO 21527 -2 
8 Packaging 
Cassava flour shall be packaged in food grade materials that will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional and organoleptic qualities of the product. 
The packaging materials shall comply with the env ironmental legislation of  the destination country, 
 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved               4 
 EAS 740:2010 
© EAC 2010 – All rights reserved               5 
 9 Weights and Measures 
Cassava flour shall be packaged in accordance with the Weights a nd Measures requirements of the 
destination country.  
10  Labelling 
10.1 In addition to the re quirements of EAS 38, the following sp ecific labelling requirements shall 
apply and shall be legibly  and indelibly marked 
a) The common name of the food shall be 'Cassava flour' and the terms `Fine' or `Coarse', in 
accordance with 4.4, shall appear in cl ose proximity to the name of the food. 
b) Net contents shall be declared by weight in metric (‘Systeme International’) units. 
c) Name, location and address of the manufact urer shall be declared and/or brand name / trade 
name. 
d) Country of origin shall be declared. 
e) lot identification number 
f) Best before date 
g) The statement ‘Human Food’ shall appear on the package. 
h) Storage instructions 
10.2 When labelling non-retail containers, informatio n for non-retail containers shall either be given 
on the container or in accompanying documents, except  that the name of the pr oduct, lot identification 
and the name and address of the manufacturer or packer shall appear on the container.  
10 Methods of sampling and test 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 13690.  Testing shall be done in accordance with the 
methods indicated against each requirement or other equivalent methods. 
11 Criteria for conformity  
A lot shall be declared as conforming to this standard  if each sample inspected or analysed for quality 
requirement conforms to the provision of this standard. 
 
 EAS 740:2010
  
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved