EAC Experts develop baking powder standards

  31st October , 2019 ,       Hits: 795

In line with the East African Community (EAC) principles and procedures for harmonization of standards, the East Africa Standards Committee on Food additives (EASC/TC 005) has developed the Draft East African Standard (DEAS 993: 2019) for Baking powder.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is calling upon the public to comment on the suitability of the draft standard starting 24th October to 23rd  December 2019.

The request letter available on the UNBS website (https://unbs.go.ug/alerts.php?src=dsp) guides the public on how and where the comment form should be submitted.

This Draft East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for baking powder.

Baking powder shall be:

• free-flowing white powder;
• free from off odours;
• free from dirt;
• free from insect infestations;
• free from fungal infections;
• free from foreign matter and
• free from adulterants
• packaged in clean, sound and airtight food grade materials. The packages shallpreserve the quality and safety of the product and preclude contamination from the external environment.

In addition to the labelling requirements of CODEX STAN 107, the packages shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following information:

• name of the product. for example, “baking powder
• name and physical address of the processor/packer/importer;
• date of manufacture;
• expiry date;
• net weight of the product in metric units;
• list of ingredients in descending order by quantity when used; and
• declaration 'Contains edible starch', when edible starch is added

More requirements regarding the ingredients, hygiene, contaminants, weights and measures, are laid out in the draft standard, available on the UNBS website; 👉 https://unbs.go.ug/alerts.php?src=dsp  (at the bottom of the draft standards list).

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a statutory body responsible for developing and promoting standards, quality products and services to facilitate fair trade, promote local industries and protect consumers.