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)

EAS 143: 2003
ICS 67.160

EAST AFRICAN STANDARD
Brandy — Specification

EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY

First Edition 2003

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

P.O. Box 1096

Arusha

Tanzania

Tel: 255 27 2504253/8

Fax: 255 27 2504255

E-mail: eac@eachq.org

Web: www.eachq.org

Brandy — Specification

1 Scope

This East African Standard prescribes the requirements for brandies.

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 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.

3.1
grape brandy

distillate obtained solely from the fermented juice of fresh, ripe and sound grapes and aged in pine or oak wooden containers for a period of not less than three years.

3.2
cognac brand (cognac)

grape brandy distilled in the Cognac region of France in accordance with the French Regulations on cognac.

3.3
fruity brandy

distillate obtained from the fermented juice of fresh, ripe and sound fruits other than grapes.

3.4
blended brandy

mixture of at least 10 % grape brandy (3.1) with neutral spirit conforming to the requirements of EAS 144, Neutral spirit – Specification.

3.5
blended fruit brandy

mixture of at least 10 % specific fruit brandy with neutral spirit conforming to the requirements of EAS 144, Neutral spirit – Specification.

4 General requirements

4.1

Brandies shall contain not less than 37.5 % ethyl alcohol by volume at 20 °C.

4.2

Brandies shall be clear and free from haze.

4.3

Brandy shall be of a pale yellow or amber colour. Fruit Brandy may be colourless and may-contain some permitted food grade colouring substances.

4.4

Brandies shall be manufactured in premises built and maintained under hygienic conditions in accordance with EAS 39 Code of practice for hygiene for food and drink manufacturing industries. The handling equipment such as fermentation tanks, storage tanks, filters, bottling machinery and packing equipment shall be maintained in clean and hygienic conditions.

4.5

Brandies shall comply with the requirements in Table 1

**Table 1 — Requirements for Brandies**
Sl No	Characteristic	Requirement
i	Total solids, % (m/v), max	2.0
ii	Total ash, % (m/v), max	0.2
iii	Volatile acids as acetic acid g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max	180
iv	Esters as ethyl acetate, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, min	Grape or fruit brandies, 50 Cognac brandy, 30 Blended brandies, 10
v	Higher alcohols as amyl alcohol, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max	1000
vi	Aldehydes as acetaldehyde, g/100 L absolute alcohol, max	Cognac brandy, 60 Other brandies, 50
vii	Furfural, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, g, max	Cognac brandy, 7 Other brandies, 5
viii	Methyl alcohol, mg/L	2000
ix	Copper (as Cu), mg/kg, max	Cognac brandy, 3 Other brandies, 2
x	Lead (as Pb), mg/kg, max	0.1

5 Weights and measures

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

6 Packaging

Brandies shall be filled into liquor bottles or any food grade container not affecting quality and satisfying requirements of relevant East African Standards.

7 Labelling

Labelling shall be done in accordance with EAS 38 Standard specification for the labelling of pre-packaged foods and shall include the following particulars legibly and indelibly marked on the container:

name of product, which shall be ‘Brandy’ or ‘X’ brandy in cases of fruit brandy, where X is the name of fruit from which the brandy is made;
minimum volume of the contents in litres or millilitres;
name and address of manufacturer and packer, distributor, importer or exporter; 3
coded or open date of manufacture;
country of origin;
ethyl alcohol content (optional).

8 Sampling and methods of test

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

4 5