FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS EAS 746
First Edition
2011-mm-dd
 
Referen
ce numbe r
FDUS EAS 746: 2010
 © UNBS 201 1
  
Frozen potato chips — Specification 
 FDUS EAS 746: 2010  
 
© 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 746: 2010 
© 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 746:2010, Fro zen potato chips — Specification, is identical with 
and has been reproduced from an  East African Standard, EAS 746: 2010, Frozen potato chips — 
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 746:2010
 ICS 67.080.20
 
© EAC 2010 First Edition 2010  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Frozen potato chips — Specification 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 EAS 746:2010  
 
 
Foreword 
 
Development of the East African Standards ha s 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 Comm unity will be removed.  
 
In order to meet the above objectives, the EAC Partner States have enacted an East African 
Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology an d Test Act, 2006 (EAC SQMT Act, 2006) to make 
provisions for ensuring standardization, quality as surance, 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 society and the 
environment in the Community. 
 
East African Standards are formulat ed in accordance with the proc edures established by the East 
African Standards Committee. The East Afri can Standards Committee is established under the 
provisions of Article 4 of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006. The Committee is composed of representatives of 
the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, t ogether with the representatives from the private 
sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circ ulated to stakeholders 
through the National Standards Bodies in the Pa rtner States. The comments received are discussed 
and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the 
Community.  
 
Article 15(1) of the EAC SQMT Act, 2006 provides t hat “Within six months of the declaration 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 nationa l 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 therefore expected to ensure that they  always have 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.  
 
ii © EAC 2010 — All rights reserved EAS 746:2010  
 
Acknowledgement 
 
This standard was developed with support from the Policy Analysis and Advocacy Programme 
(PAAP) of the Association for Str engthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central 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 associatio n of agricultural research institutes in: Burundi, DR Congo, 
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, M adagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Ug anda. ASARECA serves as 
a platform for promoting regional research and in the sharing of benefits 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 promote economic 
growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger and enhance sustainable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa ”. 
 
Development of standards has be en part of PAAP’s contribution to  changing the way business is 
done in crucial agricultural sectors to increase effi ciency and/or reduce waste through rationalization 
and harmonization of policies, laws, regulations  and procedures. 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. Harm onization brings together regionally different 
approaches (policies, laws, regulat ions and procedures) into unified approaches that are applied 
across the countries. This harmonization process allows commodities and factors to move freely 
across national boundaries, thereby improvin g domestic and foreign investment by expanding 
markets beyond national borders. Over time this w ill lead to gradual attainment of seamless borders 
for trade in cassava and cassava products across the region. 
 
Removal of regulatory bottlenecks to transboundary movement of cassava products in the region will 
enhance competitiveness of trade and value addition in the sub-sector. It will improve the value 
chains by supporting product differentiation and hen ce increased trade in cassava products in the 
region. 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 
development of the region. 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved iii EAS 746:2010  EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Cassava crisps — Specification 
 
 
1 Scope 
 
This East African Standard specifies the requirem ents and methods of sampling and test for frozen 
potato ( Solanum  tuberosum  L.) chips to be supplied packaged either in retail packs or in bulk 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 labeling of prepackaged foods 
 
EAS 39, Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry  
 
EAS 103, General standard for food additives  
 
EAS 321, Edible oils and fats  — Specification  
 
EAS 35, Specification for edible (fortified) salt  
 
EAS 748, Fresh potatoes — Specification 
 
EAS 98, Spices and condiments —  Specification 
 
CAC/RCP 67, Code of Practice for reduction of acryl amide in foods  
 
3 Terms and definitions 
 
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply. 
 
3.1 
frozen potato chips 
product prepared from  washed, mature, sound tubers of the potato plant of the species  and subjected to a freezing process in the appropriate equipment.  
 
3.2 
presentation styles: 
 
3.2.1 
straight cut 
strips of potato with practically parallel sides and with smooth surfaces 
 
3.2.2 
crinkle cut  
strips of potato with practically parallel sides and in which two or more sides have a corrugated surface 
 
3.3 
external defects  
blemishes or discolourations (either internally or on the surface) due to exposure to light, mechanical, 
pathological or pest agents, eye material or peeling remnants 
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved  1 EAS 746:2010  
 
3.3.1 
minor defect 
unit affected by disease, dark or intense discolourati on, eye material, or dark peel covering an area or 
a circle greater than 3 mm but less than 7 mm in di ameter; pale brown peel or light discolouration of 
any area greater than 3 mm in diameter 
 
3.3.2 
major defect 
unit affected by disease, dark or intense discoloura tion, eye material, or dark peeling covering an area 
or a circle greater than 7 mm but less than 12 mm in diameter 
 
3.3.3 
serious defect  
unit affected by disease, dark or intense discolourati on, eye material, or dark peel covering an area or 
a circle of 12 mm in diameter or more 
 
3.3.4 
slight defect  
defects which in either area or intensity fa ll below the definition shown for minor defects 
 
3.4 
sorting defects 
 
3.4.1 
sliver  
very thin unit (generally an edge piece) which will pas s through a slot the width of which is upto 50 % 
of the minimum dimension of the nominal or normal size 
 
3.4.2 
small piece 
any unit less than 25 mm in length 
 
3.4.3 
scrap 
potato material of irregular form not conforming to the general conformation of frozen potato chips 
 
3.5 
burnt pieces( frying and blanching defects) 
any unit which is dark brown and hard due to  inappropriate blanching  and  over-frying 
 
3.6 
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 th e production and marketing of the frozen potato 
chips 
 
4. Process requirements 
 
4.1 Preparation and freezing process 
 
Potato tubers for making frozen chips shall be sort ed, washed, peeled, cut into strips, and treated as 
necessary to achieve satisfactory colour and  ensure adequate stability of colour and flavour during 
normal marketing cycles. 
 
The treatment may include blanching or deep frying in a suitable fat or oil and which may include the 
addition of any ingredient permissible in accordance with EAS 103  
 
The prepared product shall be frozen and stored at  temperatures necessary for its preservation. 
 
2 © EAC 2010 — All rights reserved EAS 746:2010  
The freezing operation shall be carried out in such a way that the range of temperature of maximum 
crystallization is passed quickly. The quick freezing process shall not be regarded as complete unless 
and until the product temperature has reached - 18 °C at  the thermal centre afte r thermal stabilization. 
The practice of repacking frozen potato chips un der controlled conditions may be undertaken. 
 
4.2 Handling practice 
 
The product shall be handled under such conditions as will maintain the quality during transportation, 
storage and distribution up to and including the time of final sa le in accordance to EAS 39 and 
CAC/RCP 53. 
 
5 Presentation styles 
 
5.1 General 
 
The product shall be presented in one of the following styles: 
• straight cut; and 
• crinkle cut. 
 
5.2 Cross sectional dimensions  
 
The cross sectional dimensions of strips of frozen potato chips which have been cut on all four sides 
shall not be less than 5 mm when measured in th e frozen condition. The frozen potato chips within 
each pack shall be of similar cross sections. 
 
5.3 The product designations shall comply with  the requirements stipulated in Table 1. 
 
Table 1 — Designations for the dimensions across the largest cut surface 
 
Designation Dimension across the largest cut surface, mm 
Shoestring  5 – 8 
Medium 8 – 12 
Thick cut 12 – 16 
Extra large > 16 
 
5.4 Other styles 
 
Frozen potato chips may be presented with any other presentations based on differing cross sections 
provided that it 
 
a) is sufficiently distinctive fr om other forms of presentation laid down in this standard, 
 
b) meets all other requireme nts of this standard, and 
 
c) is adequately described on the label to avoid confusing or misleading the consumer. 
 
6 Compositional and quality requirements  
 
6.1 Ingredients 
 
6.1.1 Basic ingredients 
 
These shall include the following: 
 
a) potatoes conforming to EAS 748  and 
 
b) edible fats and oils conforming to EAS 321 if fried.  
 
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved  3 EAS 746:2010  
6.1.2 Optional ingredients 
 
These shall include the following: 
 
a) sugars (sucrose, invert sugar, dextrose, fructo se, glucose syrup, dried glucose syrup) conforming 
to national standards; 
 
b) salt (sodium chloride), conforming to EAS 35; and 
 
c) spices and condiments,  conforming to EAS 98. 
 
6.2 General quality requirements 
 
Frozen potato chips shall: 
 
a) be free from any foreign flavours and odours; 
 
b) be clean, sound and practically free from foreign matter; and 
 
c) have a reasonably uniform colour; 
 
d) have a texture characteristic of the product. 
 
6.3 Moisture content 
 
The maximum moisture content of the whole produc t in the styles and size designations when 
determined in accordance with Annex A shall conform to the limits in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Limits for moisture content in frozen potato chips 
 
Style Size designation Moisture content 
Shoestring, medium, thick cut 76 Straight cut 
Large cut 78 
Shoestring, medium, thick cut 76 Crinkle cut 
Large cut 78 
Other styles — 78 
 
6.4 Free fatty acid content 
 
For fried frozen potato chips, the fat or oil extracted from the produ ct shall have a free fatty acid 
content of not more than 1.5 % m/m measured as oleic acid or an equivalent fatty acid value based 
on the predominant fatty acid in the fat or oil. The te st for free fatty acids shall be done in accordance 
with Annex B. 
 
6.5 Defects 
 
Frozen potato chips shall meet the following requirem ents with respect to visual defects subject to a 
tolerance in 6.6: 
 
a) be without excessive defects such as  blemishes, eyes and discolouration; 
 
b) be without excessive sorting defects, such as slivers, small pieces and scrap; and 
 
c) be reasonably free from frying defects, such as brown parts  . 
 
6.6 Tolerances for visual defects 
 
Tolerances on defects shall be determined based on the standard sample size of 1 kg (see clause 
13). The visual external defects shall be classified as "minor" or "major" or "serious” depending on the 
4 © EAC 2010 — All rights reserved EAS 746:2010  
cross section of the frozen potato ch ips. The standard samples shall not  contain units in excess of the 
numbers shown for the respective categories, including total, in Table 3. 
 
Table 3 — Tolerances for external defects 
 
Number of units affected 
Cross section of strips 
Serious Serious +major Serious + major + minor 
5 - 16 mm 7 21 60 
Over 16 mm 3 9 27 
 
The tolerances for the other defects (not depending on cross section) shall not exceed the following 
limits: 
 
a) slivers max. 12 % m/m; 
 
b) small pieces and scraps max. 6 % m/m; 
 
c) total sorting defects max. 12 % m/m; and 
 
d) frying defects max. 0.5 % m/m. 
 
7 Food additives 
 
Food additives may be used in accordance with EAS 103.  
 
8 Contaminants  
 
8.1 Pesticide residues  
 
Frozen potato chips shall conform to the maximum residue limits for pesticide residues recommended by Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
 
8.2 Other contaminants  
 
Frozen potato chips roots shall comply with the ma ximum levels of the Codex General Standard for 
Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193). 
 
9 Hygiene  
 
Frozen potato chips shall be prepared, packaged and st ored under hygienic conditions in accordance 
with EAS 39; the frozen chips shall conform to the microbiological limits in Table 4 
 
Table 4— Microbiological requirements for potato crisps 
 
Micro-organism(s) Maximum limit Method of test 
Total viable count, CFU per gram, max  104 EAS ISO  
Escherichia coli , CFU per  gram Shall be absent  ISO 7251 
ISO 4833; 
Salmonella  Shall be absent ISO 6579 
Yeasts and moulds, CFU per gram 103 EAS ISO  
ISO 21527 -2 
 
10 Packaging 
 
Frozen potato chips shall be packaged in food gr ade material which will safeguard the hygienic, 
nutritional, and organoleptic qualities of the product. The material shall be moisture and air proof, oil 
proof and well sealed to prevent  spoilage or contamination. 
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved  5 EAS 746:2010  
 
11 Weights and Measures 
 
Frozen potato chips shall be packaged in accordance with Weights and Measures requirements of the 
destination country. 
 
12 Labelling  
 
In addition to the requirements of EAS 38, the followi ng specific labelling re quirements shall apply and 
shall be legibly  and indelibly marked; 
 
a) name of the food: 
 
i) the name of the food as declared on the l abel shall include the designation "Frozen potato 
chips" or the equivalent designation used in the country in which the product is intended 
to be sold; 
 
ii) in addition, there shall appear on the label a designation of the style as appropriate, that 
is "straight cut" or "crinkle cut" and there may also appear an indication of the 
approximate dimensions of the cross section or the appropriate designation, that is 
"shoestring", "medium", "thick cut" or "extra large"; 
 
iii) if the product is presented in styles not lis ted in this standard, the label shall contain in 
close proximity to the words "Frozen potato chips" such additional words or phrases that 
will avoid misleading or confusing the consumer; and 
 
iv) the words “Frozen" shall also  appear on the label, except that the term "quick Frozen" 
may be applied in countries where this term is customarily used for describing the product 
processed in accordance this standard. In addi tion, any pre-freezing treatment applied on 
the product shall be indicated; 
 
v) A process description as bl anched, par-fried or fully fried; 
 
b) packages shall bear clear directions for keepi ng from the time they are purchased from the 
retailer to the time of their use, as well as directions for cooking; and 
 
c) in the case of frozen potato chips in bulk, t he information required abov e shall either be placed 
on the container or be given in accompanying do cuments, except that the name of the food 
accompanied by the words "frozen" (the term "quick  frozen" may be used in accordance with (a) 
(iv); and  
 
d) name and physical address of the manufa cturer or packer and or brand/trade names 
 
e) Best before date 
 
f) Declaration of spices and condiments used. 
 
13 Sampling 
 
The standard sample size shall be one kilogramme. 
 
14 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 
 
6 © EAC 2010 — All rights reserved EAS 746:2010  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© EAC 2010 — All rights reserved