PREAMBLE (NOT PART OF THE STANDARD)

In order to promote public education and public safety, equal justice for all, a better informed citizenry, the rule of law, world trade and world peace, this legal document is hereby made available on a noncommercial basis, as it is the right of all humans to know and speak the laws that govern them.

END OF PREAMBLE (NOT PART OF THE STANDARD)

Image

EAS 142: 2000
ICS 67.160

EAST AFRICAN STANDARD
Vodka — Specification

EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY

© EAC 2000

First Edition 2000

iii

Foreword

Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed.

In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated to develop and issue East African Standards.

The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circulated 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 the procedures of the Community.

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 2000 – All rights reserved*
East African Community
P.O. Box 1096
Arusha
Tanzania
Tel: 255 27 2504253/8
Fax: 255 27 2504255
E-mail: eac@eachq.org
Web: www.eachq.org

* © 2000 EAC — All rights of exploitation of any form and by any means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs

iv

Vodka — Specification

1 Scope

This East African Standard prescribes the requirements and methods of test for vodka.

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 12, Standard specification for drinking (potable) water

EAS 38, Standard specification for the labelling of pre-packaged foods

EAS 39, Code of practice for hygiene for food and drink manufacturing industries

EAS 104, Alcoholic beverages — Methods of sampling and test

EAS 144, Neutral spirit – Specification

3 Composition and quality parameters

3.1

For the purposes of this standard vodka shall be the potable alcoholic beverage obtained by the treatment of grain, potato, molasses spirit or spirit from any other fermentable carbohydrate source with charcoal or activated carbon so as to render the product without distinctive character, aroma or taste; but may be flavoured and/or coloured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

3.2

Vodka shall comply with the quality requirements indicated as follows:

3.2.1

Vodka shall be free from any sediment or suspended matter.

3.2.2

The ethyl alcohol content in vodka shall not be less than 37.5 % by volume at 20 °C when determined in accordance with EAS 104, Alcoholic beverages — Methods of sampling and test.

3.2.3

The maximum limits in milligrams per litre for trace elements in the product shall comply with the requirements in Table 1.

1
Table 1 — Limits of heavy metal contaminants in vodka
Contaminant, mg/L Maximum Limit
Arsenic 0.1
Copper 2.0
Iron 1.5
Lead 0.1
Zinc 0.1

3.2.4

Vodka shall comply with the compositional requirements indicated in Table 2

Table 2 — Quality requirements for vodka
Sl No. Characteristic Requirement
i Ethyl alcohol content, % (v/v), min. 37.5
ii Total solids, g/100 mL, max 0.005
iii Methyl alcohol, mg/L, max. 50
iv Volatile acids as acetic acid, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. 2
v Esters as ethyl acetate, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max 10
vi Higher alcohol as amyl alcohol, % (v/v) of absolute alcohol, max. 0.03
vii Aldehydes as acetaldehyde, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. 2
viii Furfural, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. NIL

3.3 Hygiene

The degree of cleanliness in respect of containers, premises of manufacture, persons engaged in the handling of the product and equipment shall meet the requirements of the EAS 39 Code of practice for hygiene for food and drink manufacturing industries.

4 Weights and measures

In the filling of the container, the contents of the products shall occupy not less than 90 % of the total volume capacity of the container.

2

5 Packaging

Vodka shall be packaged in food grade containers, which protect the product from damage without reacting with the product.

6 Labelling

The product shall be legibly and indelibly labelled in compliance with the requirements of the EAS 38 Standard specification for the labelling of pre-packaged foods. In addition the following information shall appear legibly on each container:

  1. the name ‘Vodka’ and brand name or trade mark if any;
  2. list of ingredients;
  3. net volume of contents;
  4. ethyl alcohol content
  5. name and full address of manufacturer, packer, distributor, importer, exporter or vendor of the food shall be declared.
  6. date of manufacture in code form.
  7. country of origin;
  8. lot identification.

7 Sampling and methods of test

Sampling and testing shall be carried out in accordance with EAS 104 Alcoholic beverages — Methods of sampling and test.

3 4