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.
EAS 146: 2000
ICS 67.160
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
© EAC 2000
First Edition 2000
iiiDevelopment 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
© EAC 2000 – All rights reserved
ivEAST AFRICAN STANDARD
Rum — Specification
This East African Standard prescribes the requirements and methods of sampling and testing for rum.
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 144, Standard specification for neural spirit for manufacture of alcoholic beverages
For the purposes of this standard, the following term and definition shall apply.
rum
potable alcoholic distillate obtained from sugarcane products fermented by the action of yeast or a mixture of yeast and other organisms or a mixture of such distillates, which has been aged and held for a period of not less than one year in oak or pine wood, may contain caramel and may be flavored with fruit or other botanical substances.
Rum shall comply with the quality requirements stipulated below.
Rum shall have the aroma and taste characteristic of the product known in the trade.
Rum shall be free from sediments or suspended matter of any type even at subzero temperature.
1The quality of the spirit used for rum blending shall conform to East African Standard Neural spirit – Specification (EAS 144).
The ethyl alcohol content in rum shall be not less than 37.5 % by volume at 20 °C when determined according to the methods prescribed in Standard Methods of test for alcoholic beverages (wines, spirits and brandies).
Rum shall be free from any ingredients injurious to health.
Rum shall possess the colour developed during maturation in oak or pine wooden vans or barrels or by addition of caramel. Rum not so treated shall be designated as ‘White Rum’.
Rum when labelled, as ‘Matured’ shall have been matured for not less than one year in wooden vats or barrels.
A certificate of age issued by the country of origin shall be required to support the declaration for ‘Matured’ rum.
Rum shall comply with the requirements in Table 1.
| Sl No. | Characteristic | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| i | Total solids, g/100 ml, max | 0.8 |
| ii | Total acids as tartaric acid, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. | 160 |
| iii | Volatile acids as acetic acid, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, Max. | 50 |
| iv | Esters as ethyl acetate, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. | 10 |
| v | Higher alcohols as amyl alcohol, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. | 200 |
| vi | Methyl alcohol mg/l, max | 150 |
| vii | Aldehydes as acetaldehyde, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. | 45 |
| viii | Furfural, g/100 L of absolute alcohol, max. | 12 |
The maximum limits in mg/kg for trace elements in the product shall comply with the requirements in Table 2.
| Contaminant, mg/Kg |
Maximum Limit |
|---|---|
| Arsenic | 0.1 |
| Copper | 0.2 |
| Iron | 1.5 |
| Lead | 0.1 |
| Zinc | 0.1 |
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 EAS 39 Code of practice for hygiene for food and drink manufacturing industries.
The contents of the products shall occupy not less than 90 % of the total volume capacity of the container.
Rum shall be packaged in food grade containers, which protect the product from damage without reacting with the product.
The product shall be legibly and indelibly labelled in compliance with the requirements EAS 38 Standard specification for the labelling of pre-packaged foods. In addition the following information shall appear legibly on each container:
Tests shall be carried out in accordance with EAS 104 Methods of test for alcoholic beverages.
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