FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  FDUS 907
First Edition
2011-mm-dd
 
   
 Reference numbe r
FDUS 907:2011
©UNBS 2011 
  
Instant coffee — Specification  
 FDUS 907:2011 
ii © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 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: 256 414 222367 
Fax: 256 414 286 123 
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug FDUS 907:2011 
©  UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  iii
 Contents Page 
Foreword  .............................................................................................................................. .............................. iv  
1 Scope  .............................................................................................................................. ........................ 1  
2 Normative references  ............................................................................................................................ 1  
3 Terms and definitions  ........................................................................................................................... 2  
4 Requirements for raw materials  ........................................................................................................... 3  
4.1 General quality factors ......................................................................................................................... 3  
4.2 Essential ingredients  ............................................................................................................................ 3  
5 Requirements for the product  .............................................................................................................. 3  
5.1 General quality factors ......................................................................................................................... 3  
5.2 Essential composition factors  ............................................................................................................. 3  
5.3 Nutrients  .............................................................................................................................. ................... 3  
6 Food additives  .............................................................................................................................. ......... 3  
7 Contaminants  .............................................................................................................................. ........... 4  
7.1 Heavy metals  ............................................................................................................................... ........... 4  
7.2 Pesticide residues  .............................................................................................................................. ... 4 
7.3 Mycotoxins  .............................................................................................................................. ............... 4  
8 Hygiene  .............................................................................................................................. ..................... 4  
9 Packaging  .............................................................................................................................. ................. 4  
10 Labelling  .............................................................................................................................. ................... 4  
11 Sampling  .............................................................................................................................. .................. 5  
11.1 Scale of sampling .............................................................................................................................. .... 5 
11.2 Test samples and reference samples  .................................................................................................. 6  
Annex A  (normative)   Cup test method  .......................................................................................................... 7  
Annex B  (normative)   Determination of total ash .......................................................................................... 9  
Annex C (normative)   Determin ation of solubility in water  ......................................................................... 10  
Bibliography  .............................................................................................................................. ........................ 11  
 FDUS 907:2011 
iv © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 Foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry  of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established by the Act of Parliament of 198 3, of the Laws of Uganda.  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 limentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agr eements 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 (DUS 907:2010) was developed by the subcommittee on Coffee, Tea and 
Cocoa and related products (SC 17) under supervision of  the technical committee on Food and Agriculture 
standards (UNBS/TC 2).  This Draft Uganda Standard has  been proposed as a result of a need to provide 
guidance to industry in production and regulation of Instant coffee.   
 
 FINAL DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD FDUS 907:2011
 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  1
 Instant coffee — Specification 
1 Scope 
This Final Draft Uganda Standard specifies requirement s and methods of sampling and test for instant coffee.  
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 478-3:2008,  Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs ⎯ Horizontal method for the enumeration of 
coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) ⎯ Part 3: Detection and MPN 
technique for low numbers 
US 7, General standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods 
US 28, Code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industries 
US 45, General standard for food additives   
US 201, Drinking (Potable) water ─ Specification  
US 500,  General requirements for nutrition labelling  
US 508, General requirements for nutrition and health claims  
US 566, Use of nutrition terms ─ Requirements   
US 217-4/EAS 217-4, Methods for the microbiological examination of foods ─ Part 4: General guidance for the 
enumeration of coliforms ─ Most Probable Number Technique at 30 °C  
US 217-8/EAS 217-8, Methods for microbiologic al examination of foods ─ Part 8: Enumeration of yeasts and 
moulds FDUS EAS 105, Roasted coffee beans and roasted ground coffee – Specification  
FDUS EAS 106, Coffee and its products – Glossary and terms  
FDUS ISO 20481:2008, Coffee and its products – Determination of caffeine content using High Performance 
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) – Reference method 
FDUS ISO 20938:2008, Instant coffee – Determination of moisture  content – Karl Fisher method (Reference 
method)  FDUS 907:2011 
2 ©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply. 
3.1 
coffee general term for the fruits and seeds of plants of the genus Coffea, generally the cultivated species, as well as 
products from these fruits and seeds in different stages of processing and use which are intended for 
consumption 
NOTE This term applies to products such as cherry, cherry  buni, parchment coffee, green coffee, monsooned coffee, 
polished coffee, decaffeinated coffee, roasted coffee as be ans or ground coffee, coffee ex tract, instant coffee and coffee 
brew. 
3.2 
freshly roasted and ground coffee 
coffee obtained by roasting green coffee and grinding the roasted coffee 
3.3 
instant coffee 
soluble product in the form of free flowing powder or agglomerates (granules) deriv ed from aqueous extracts 
of freshly roasted and ground coffee, having the co lour, taste and flavor characteristics of coffee  
3.3.1 
instant coffee; soluble coffee; dried coffee extract 
the dried, water-soluble product, obtained exclusively fr om roasted coffee by physical methods using water as 
the only carrying agent which is not derived from coffee 
3.3.2 
spray-dried instant coffee 
instant coffee which has been obtained by a process in wh ich the coffee extract in the liquid state is sprayed 
into a hot atmosphere and formed into dried particles by evaporation of the water 
3.3.3 
agglomerated instant coffee 
instant coffee which has been obtained by a process in which the dried particles of instant coffee are fused 
together to form large particles 
3.3.4 
freeze-dried coffee; freeze-dried coffee extract; fr eeze-dried instant coffee; freeze-dried soluble coffee 
instant coffee which has been obtained by a process in which the product in the liquid state is frozen and the 
ice removed by sublimation 
3.3.5 
decaffeinated coffee 
coffee from  which caffeine  has been  extracted 
NOTE: A maximum residual caffeine content would usuall y be stated in a specificati on for decaffeinated coffee. 
3.3.6 
coffee brew 
the beverage  obtained either  by treatment of ground roasted coffee with  water or by the addition of water to a 
coffee  extract, an instant coffee or freeze-dried coffee FDUS 907:2011 
©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  3
 4 Requirements for raw materials 
4.1 General quality factors 
The freshly roasted and ground coffee used in the produ ction of the instant coffee shall be clean and sound 
and in every way fit for use in the prepar ation of a product fo r human consumption. 
4.2 Essential ingredients 
The following ingredients shall be used in  the preparation of instant coffee: 
• freshly roasted and ground coffee complying with FDUS EAS 105; and  
• potable water complying with US 201.  
5 Requirements for the product 
5.1 General quality factors 
The instant coffee shall be practically free from off-odours and off-flavours w hen judged using the normal 
sensory tests. 
The instant coffee shall be practically free from  impurities and shall not contain chicory. 
The instant coffee shall be evaluated for cup test in ac cordance with the procedure prescribed in Annex A and 
the instant coffee solution thus made shall be free from objectionable taste or smell. 
5.2 Essential composition factors 
The instant coffee shall conform to the compositional requirements in Table 1. 
Table 1 ─ Compositional requirements for instant coffee 
Characteristic Requirement Method of Test 
Moisture, % by mass, max.  3.5 FDUS ISO 20938 
Total ash (on dry basis), % by mass, max 15 Annex B 
Caffeine content (on dry basis), % by mass, min 2.8 FDUS ISO 20481 
Solubility in boiling water Dissolves readily in 30 s with moderate stirring Annex C 
Solubility in cold water at 16 °C ± 2 °C Soluble with moderate stirring in 3 min Annex C 
5.3 Nutrients 
Nutrients including vitamins, minerals and specific amino acids may be added to instant coffee in conformity 
with the requirements stipulated in national legislation. 
6 Food additives 
The instant coffee may contain food additives in accordance with US 45.  FDUS 907:2011 
4 ©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 7 Contaminants 
7.1 Heavy metals 
Instant coffee shall be free from heavy metals in am ounts which may represent a hazard to human health. 
7.2 Pesticide residues 
Instant coffee shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. 
7.3 Mycotoxins 
Instant coffee shall comply with those maximum mycotoxin limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. 
8 Hygiene 
The instant coffee shall be produced and handled in a hygienic manner in accordance with US 28. 
The instant coffee shall conform to the limits for microbiological contaminants in Table 2. 
Table 2 ─ Microbiological limits for instant coffee 
Microorganisms Maximum limit Method of Test 
Coliforms per 10 g Not detected US 217-4/EAS 217-4  
Staphylococcus aureus  per 30 g Not detected EAS 478-3  
Yeast and mould per g < 100 US 217-8/EAS 217-8 
9 Packaging 
Instant coffee shall be packaged in food grade contai ners which will safeguard the hygienic, nutritional, 
technological, and organoleptic qualities of the product. The containers, including packaging material, shall be made of substances which are safe and suitable for 
their intended use. They shall not impart any toxic subs tance or undesirable odour or flavour to the product. 
If packages are packed crates or other outer containers, the crat es or outer containers shall be clean, neat 
and in good repair, and shall be capable of protecting the packages from damage during normal handling and 
transportation. Only packages bearing the same date of  manufacture or the same batch identification (as 
relevant) and containing product of the same kind  shall be packed together in an outer container. 
10 Weights and Measures  
Instant coffee shall be packaged in accordance with the Weights and Measures legislation. 
11 Labelling 
In addition to the requirements of US 7, the following  specific labelling requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked on the container:  FDUS 907:2011 
©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  5
 a) the name of the product shall be “instant coffee”; 
b) list of ingredients; 
c) lot identification number; 
d) date of minimum durability (expiry date); e) name and physical a ddress of manufacturer; 
f) net content; and g) country of origin 
Nutritional labelling, nutrition and health claims may be made in accordance with US 500, US 508 and US 
566. 
12 Sampling 
12.1 Scale of sampling 
12.1.1 Lot 
All containers in a consignment belonging to the same batch of manufacture shall constitute a lot.  If the 
consignment is declared to consist of different batches  of manufacture, containers of the same batch shall be 
grouped together and each group so formed shall constitute a separate lot. 
Samples shall be tested from each lot for ascertaining conformity to the requirements of this standard. 
12.1.2 Sample size The number of containers to be selected from a lot fo r testing for microbiological and other requirements shall 
depend on the size of the lot and shall be in accordance with Table 3. 
Table 3 – Number of containers to be selected for sampling 
Number of containers in the lot Number of containers to be selected (n) 
Microbiological Other tests 
up to 1300 12 18 
1301 to 3200 18 24 
3201 and above 24 30 
12.1.3 Sampling method 
The containers to be selected for testing shall be chosen at random from the lot by the following procedure.  
Starting from any container, count th em as 1,2,3…... up to r.  Every rth containers thus counted shall be 
withdrawn, r being the integral part of N/n, where N is the total number of co ntainers in the lot and n is the total 
number of container to be chosen (Table 3). FDUS 907:2011 
6 ©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 12.2 Test samples and reference samples 
12.2.1 Samples for microbiological tests 
The sample containers selected for micr obiological tests (see col. 2 of Table 3) shall be divided at random into 
three equal sets and labelled with all particulars of sampling.  One of these sets of  sample containers shall be 
for the buyer; another for the supplier a nd the third set is the reference. 
12.2.2 Samples for other tests The sample containers selected for other tests (see col.  3 of Table 3) shall be divided at random into three 
equal sets and labelled with all the particulars of the samp le.  One of these sets of sample containers shall be 
for the buyer, another for the supplier and third is the reference. 
12.2.3 Reference samples 
Referee samples shall consist of a set of sample contai ners for microbiological tests (see 12.2.1) and a set of 
sample containers for other tests (see 12.2.2) and shall bear the seals of the buyer and supplier or as agreed 
to between the two. FDUS 907:2011 
©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  7
 Annex A  
(normative)  
 
Cup test method 
A.1 Procedure 
A.1.1 Note the colour, appearance and aroma of the material. 
A.1.2 For the cup-test, take 10 g of sample in a 250-mL cup and add 200 mL of water just brought to the 
boil. Mix well and allow it to brew for 6 min. Study the acidity, body, and flavour of the liquor by taste. 
Serve the coffee in porcelain or glass containers in at least 50 mL portions  at a temperature of 60 °C ± 2 °C. 
A.2 Evaluation of the liquor 
A.2.1  Evaluate the cup quality as per the details given bel ow in the scorecard. If more than one sample is 
required to be evaluated at one time, the scorecard may be modified. 
A.2.2  For defects, deduct 1, 2 or 3 marks depending upon the classification of the defect under suspicion, 
slight or pronounced. A.2.3 Evaluation is on the basis of the net score, and  the final evaluation shall be under the following 
categories. 
Fine    Good   Fair    Failing of   Poor 
16 - 20   12 - 15   9 - 11   7 - 8     0  -  6  
A.2.4  The roasted and ground coffee shall be deemed to have passed the test, if the net score is above 11. FDUS 907:2011 
8 ©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 SCORECARD 
N a m e               D a t e       
Batch/Code No.            T i m e       
a) Assign scores for each quality attribute: 
Quality Attribute     Max Score     Score  
1) Acidity     4 
2 ) B o d y       8  
3) Flavour     8 
b) Indicate, if any, the degree of the defects, such as the following, by denot ing Suspicion (S), Slight (Sl) or 
pronounced (P) 
B r i c k y                       
C h e m i c a l                      
G r a s s y                       
E a r t h y                       
M u s t y                       
S o u r                       
H a r s h                       
W o o d y                       
U n c l e a n                       
Signature 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  FDUS 907:2011 
©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  9
 Annex B  
(normative)  
 
Determination of total ash 
B.1 Procedure 
Weigh accurately about 5 g of the material in a porcelai n dish. Heat at 100 °C ± 2 °C until water is expelled 
then heat slowly over a flame until swelling ceases. Ignite in a muffle furnace at 550 °C ± 10 °C until grey ash 
results. Heat the dish again at 550 °C ± 10 °C for 30 min.  Cool the dish in a desiccator and weigh. Repeat this 
process of heating for 30 min, cooling in a desiccator and weighing, until the difference between two 
successive weighings is less than one milligram. Record the lowest mass. 
NOTE The dish containing this ash for the determinat ion of acid insoluble ash should be preserved. 
B.2 Calculation 
mc) (100 mW) (W 000 10mass by percent basis) dry (on ash Total2
−−=  
where 
W2 is the mass, in grams, of the dish with the ash; 
W is the mass, in grams, of the empty dish; 
mc is the percentage of moisture as determined by FDUS ISO 20938:2008; and 
m is the weight of sample taken. 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 FDUS 907:2011 
10 ©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved
 Annex C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of solubility in water 
C.1 Procedure 
C.1.1 Solubility in hot water 
Add 150 mL of freshly boiling water to 2.5 g of sample placed in a 500 mL beaker. The coffee powder shall be 
readily soluble with moderate stirring within 30 s, leaving no appreciate sediment. 
C.1.2 Solubility in cold water 
Place 2.5 g of the sample in a 500 mL of water at 16 ºC ± 2 ºC. The powder shall be soluble with moderate 
stirring in 3 min, leaving no appreciable sediment. 
 FDUS 907:2011 
©UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  11
 Bibliography 
KS 175:2008,  Instant coffee – Specification   
 FDUS 907:2011 
© UNBS 2011 – Certification marking 
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be  marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is gove rned by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licens ed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in co njunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and  testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National  Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of  licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 
All rights reserved
 FDUS 907:2011
 
ICS 67.140.20  
Price based on 18 pages 
© UNBS 2011– All rights reserved