UGANDA STANDARD
 
  US ISO 5563
      First Edition
         2009-09-04
 
    Reference numbe r
         US ISO 5563:1984
 © UNBS 2009
  
Dried peppermint (Mentha piperita  Linnaeus) — Specification 
 US ISO 5563:1984 
 
© UNBS  2009 – 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 2009 
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      US ISO 5563:1984  
© UNBS  2009 - 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 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 Uganda Standard, US ISO 5563, Dried peppermint (Mentha piperita Linnaeus) — Specification,
is identical with and has been reproduced from an International Standard, ISO 5563:1984, Dried peppermint 
(Mentha piperita Linnaeus) — Specification, and adopted as a Uganda Standard.  
This standard was developed by the Food and agricu lture Standards Technical Committee (UNBS/TC 2).  
Wherever the words, "International Standard" a ppear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 ~~- --~-~ 
International Standard 
INTERNATlONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATlON.ME)I(flYHAPOAHAR OPrAHM3Al&lR fl0 CTAH~APTM3AL(MM.ORGANlSATlON INTERNATIONALE DE NORMALISATION 
Dried peppermint (Mentha piperita Linnaeus) - 
Specification 
Menthe poivrde (Mentha piperita Linnaeus) s&h&e - Spkcifications 
First edition - 1984-10-01 
UDC 633.822 Ref. No. IS0 55634984 (E) 
Descriptors : agricultural products, seasonings, spices, peppermint, specifications, packing, marking, storage. 
Price based on 5 pages Foreword 
IS0 (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of 
national standards bodies (IS0 member bodies). The work of preparing International 
Standards is normally carried out through IS0 technical committees. Every member 
body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has 
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, govern- 
mental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. 
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to 
the member bodies for approval before their acceptance as International Standards by 
the IS0 Council. They are approved in accordance with IS0 procedures requiring at 
least 75 % approval by the member bodies voting. 
International Standard IS0 5563 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, 
Agricultural food products. 
0 International Organization for Standardization, 1984 
Printed in Switzerland INTERNATIONAL STANDARD IS0 5563-1984 (E) 
Dried peppermint (Mentha piperita Linnaeus) - 
Specification 
1 Scope and field of application 
This International Standard specifies requirements for dried 
leaves, or broken or rubbed dried leaves, of peppermint. 
The term “dried mint” includes dehydrated mint, i.e. artificially 
dried mint. 
It does not apply to dried mint (spearmint), for which re- 
quirements are given in IS0 2256. 
The recommended procedure for identifying leaves of Mentha 
rubra Hudson is given in annex A, a method for the detection 
of carvone is given in annex B and recommendations relating 
to storage and transport conditions are given in annex C. The leaves are slightly glossy in appearance. Their colour is 
dark green on the adaxial surface and lighter on the abaxial sur- 
face. 
4 Requirements 
4.1 Odour and flavour 
Dried peppermint, particularly after rubbing, shall have a highly 
mentholated odour and a spicy, pungent and refreshing 
flavour. It shall be free from off-flavours (for example 
mustiness, or other foreign or disagreeable odours or flavours). 
4.2 Freedom from insects, moulds, etc. 
2 References 
IS0 920, Spices and condiments - Determination of totalash. 
IS0 930, Spices and condiments - Determination of aci’d- 
insoluble ash. Dried peppermint shall be free from living insects and moulds, 
and shall be practically free from dead insects, insect fragments 
and rodent contamination visible to the naked eye (corrected, if 
necessary, for abnormal vision) or with such magnification as 
may be necessary in any particular case. If the magnification 
exceeds X 10, this fact shall be stated in the test report. 
IS0 939, Spices and condiments - Determination of moisture 
content - En trainmen t method. 
4.3 Extraneous matter 
IS0 948, Spices and condiments - Sampling. 
IS0 2825, Spices and condiments - Preparation of a ground 
sample for analysis. 
IS0 3588, Spices and condiments - Determination of degree 
of fineness of grinding - Hand sieving method (Reference 
method). 
IS0 6571, Spices, condiments and herbs - Determination of 
volatile oil con tent. 
3 Description 
Dried peppermint is constituted of dried leaves, or broken or 
rubbed dried leaves, of the cultivated perennial Mentha piperita 
Linnaeus var. piperita (M. aquatica Linnaeus x M. spicata 
Hudson) collected prior to, or at the commencement of, 
flowering. The proportion of leaves of species of mint other than pepper- 
mint or parts of other plants shall not exceed the value given in 
table 1 for extraneous plant material. 
The product shall not contain more than 0,5 % (m/m) of 
leaves of Mentha rubra Hudson (M. arvensis Linnaeus x 
M. aquatica Linnaeus x M. vidis Linnaeus) having a strong 
off-odour (of carvone). 
A recommended procedure for identifying leaves of Mentha 
rubra Hudson is given in annex A. Annex B gives a procedure 
for detection of carvone, for use when necessary in checking 
for or confirming the presence of Mentha rubra. 
4.4 Particle size 
The particle size of crushed peppermint leaves shall be deter- 
mined by the method specified in IS0 3588. 
1 IS0 5563-1984 (El 
4.5 Grading 
Two grades of dried peppermint can be distinguished accord- Sample the dried peppermint by the method specified in 
ing to the size of leaf, i.e. IS0 94%. 
- grade I, for whole or broken leaves of size greater than 
5,6 mm 6 Methods of test 
- grade II, for broken leaves of size between 5,6 and 
2,0 mm. The samples of dried peppermint shall be tested for conformity 
to the requirements of this International Standard by the 
methods of test referred to in 4.3, 4.4, table 1 and table 2. 
Requirements for the two grades are given in table 1. 
Table 1 - Requirements for grades of dried peppermint 
Characteristic 
Proportion of undersize par- 
ticles, % (m/m), max. 
Proportion of mouldy 
and insect-damaged particles, 
% bnlm), max. 
Proportion of brown, pale 
leaves, % (m/m), max. 
Proportion of extraneous plant 
material, % (m/m), max. Requirement 
Grade I Grade II 
5 IO 
5 8 
5 8 
1 2 
4.6 Chemical requirements’) 
Dried peppermint shall comply with the requirements given in 
table 2, according to the grade. 
Table 2 - Chemical requirements for dried peppermint 
Characteristic Requirement Method 
Grade I Grade II Of test 
Moisture content, % (m/m), 
max. 
Total ash, % (m/m) on dry 
basis, max. 
Acid-insoluble ash, % (m/m) on 
dry basis, max. 
Volatile oil content, ml/100 g on 
dry basis, min. 
For the detection of the 
presence of carvone, see 
annex B. 13 14 IS0 939 
13 15 IS0 928 
2 2 IS0 930 
I,0 W3 IS0 6571 5 Sampling 
The ground sample for analysis shall be prepared in accordance 
with IS0 2825. 
7 Packing and marking 
7.1 Packing 
Dried peppermint shall be packed for transport in cases, or in 
plywood or fibreboard boxes, or in sacks, in such a manner that 
the product is loosely packed. Cases and plywood or fibreboard 
boxes shall be lined with paper to facilitate loose packing. The 
containers used shall be clean and sound and shall be made of a 
material which does not affect the product and which protects 
it from moisture. 
7.2 Marking 
The container shall be marked or labelled with the following 
particulars : 
a) name of the product, and the trade name or brand 
name, if any; 
b) grade; 
c) producing country; 
d) code, batch, or test certificate number, or similar 
means of identification; 
e) any other marking required by the purchaser, such as 
the year of harvest and date of packing (if known); 
f) possibly, a reference to this International Standard. 
1) Limits for toxic substances will be included later, in accordance with the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius 
Commission. 
2 IS0 55634984 (El 
Usi ng an appropriate quantity of sample, examine the leaves visually and 
the following criteria. By corn Pa rison with Mentha piperita Linnaeus Annex A 
Recommended procedure for identifying leaves of Mentha rubra Hudson 
- 
- 
- the leaves of Mentha rubra Hudson are smaller; 
the leaves are shorter, broader and oval; 
the serration is looser; identify the leaves of Mentha rubra Hudson on the basis of 
the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaves are usually hairy, especially along the veins; 
the leaves are light greyish green, both on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces; 
the odour, after crushing, is unpleasant, reminiscent of carvone; 
the peduncle is shorter by approximately 1 to 10 mm. IS0 5563-1984 (El 
Annex B 
Detection of carvone - Thin layer chromatographic method 
8.1 Principle 
Separation of carvone by thin layer chromatography and detec- 
tion of carvone by colour reaction with vanillin and from its I?, 
value. 
B.2 Reagents 
All reagents shall be of recognized analytical grade. The water 
used shall be distilled water or water of equivalent purity. 
B-2.1 Light petroleum, boiling between 40 and 60 OC. 
B.2.2 Carvone, standard 2 % solution in 95 % (V/V) 
ethanol. 
B.2.3 Solvent. 
Just before use, mix 90 volumes of hexane with 20 volumes of 
ethyl acetate. 
B.2.4 Indicator solution. 
Just before use, prepare a solution containing 3 % of vanillin in 
a 10 % (V/ V) solution of sulfuric acid in 95 % (I// V) ethanol. 
B.3 Apparatus 
Usual laboratory equipment, and 
B.3.1 Developing tank, circular, of height 350 mm and 
diameter 305 mm. 
B.3.2 Absorbent filter paper sheets, medium fine. 
B.3.3 Silica gel plates, of dimensions 200 mm x 50 mm 
and thickness 0,25 mm. 
B.3.4 Graduated micropipette, of capacity 25 ~1. 
8.3.5 Aerosol spray gun, with a facility for attachment to a 
compressed air line. 
B.3.6 Oven, capable of being maintained at 105 _+ 2 OC. 
B.3.7 Conical flask, of capacity250 ml, with a ground glass 
joint. 
B.3.8 Filter paper, medium fine, of diameter 90 mm. 
4 B.3.9 Filter funnel, made of glass, of diameter 90 mm. 
B.4 Sampling 
See clause 5. 
B.5 Procedure 
B.5.1 Preparation of the apparatus 
Wash the developing tank (B.3.1) with distilled water and allow 
to dry. 
B.5.2 Preparation of test sample 
Prepare the test sample by the method specified in IS0 2825. 
B.5.3 Test portion 
Weigh, to the nearest 0,001 g, about 2,0 g of the test sample 
(B.5.2) into the previously tared conical flask (B.3.7). 
B.5.4 Determination 
8.5.4.1 Line the developing tank (B.3.1) with the absorbent 
filter paper (B.3.2) and pour 500 ml of the solvent (B.2.3) into 
the tank. Cover the developing tank and leave for 12 h to attain 
equilibrium. 
B.5.4.2 Activate the silica gel plates (B.3.3) by placing them 
in the oven (B.3.6), maintained at 105 _+ 2 OC for 1 h. 
B.5.4.3 Add to the test portion (B.5.3) in the conical flask, 
15 ml of the light petroleum (B.2.1), shake the flask, filter 
through the filter paper (B.3.8) and evaporate the filtrate. 
Dissolve the residue obtained in 0,5 ml of the light petroleum 
(B.2.1). 
B.5.4.4 Scrape the silica gel from the edges of the plates 
(B.3.3) to leave a border of 10 mm. Draw a line, approximately 
25 mm from the base, across each plate. Draw a second line, 
parallel to this baseline and 100 mm from it. 
B.5.4.5 Spot, successively, on to the baseline of the plates, 
10 PI and 20 MI of the test solution (B.5.4.3) and 2 ~1 and 4 &II 
of the standard carvone solution (B.2.2). Place the plates in the 
developing tank such that the plates are immersed below the 
baseline in the solvent (B.2.3). After the solvent front has ad- 
vanced to the second line, remove the plates and allow them to 
dry in a fume cupboard at room temperature. Lightly spray the 
plates with the indicator solution (B.2.4), and dry them for 
5 min in the oven (B.3.6) maintained at 105 + 2 OC. IS0 5563-1984 (El 
B.6 Expression of results 
The presence of purplish pink spots, with an I?, value of about 
0,44, confirms the presence of carvone. 
The Rf value of carvone is given by the formula 
dl R, = - 
d2 B.7 Test report 
The test report shall show the method used and the results ob- 
tained. It shall also mention any operating details not specified 
in this International Standard, or regarded as optional, together 
with details of any incidents likely to have influenced the 
results. 
The test report shall include all the information necessary for 
the complete identification of the sample. 
where 
dl is the distance, in millimetres, travelled by the spot; 
d2 is 
front. 
Cl . distance, in millimetres, travelled by the solvent 
Annex C 
Recommendations relating to storage and transport conditions 
(This annex does not form part of the Standard.) 
Containers of dried peppermint should be stored in covered premises, well protected from the sun, rain and excessive heat. 
c.2 The store-room should be dry, free from objectionable odours, and proofed against the entry of insects and vermin. The ven- 
tilation of the store-room should be controlled so as to give good ventilation under dry conditions and to be fully closed under damp 
conditions. In a storage warehouse, suitable facilities should be available for fumigation. 
Fumigation should only be performed using products authorized in the importing country. 
C-3 Containers of dried peppermint should be ha ndled and transported so that they are protected from rain, fro 
sources of excessive heat, from unpleasant odours and from cross-infestation, especially in the holds of ships. m the sun or other This page intentionally left blank