TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
  
 
 
           DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
                 
     Code of hygienic practice for desiccated coconut  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
    ©TBS 2019 – All rights reserved  
TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 Code of Hygienic Practice f or Desiccated Coconut  
 
0. Foreword  
 
Desiccated coconut  is the disintegrated and dehydrated coconut kernel or pulp largely comprising of 
the white portion of the kernel, after removing the brown testa or parings. Desiccated coconut  
processing includes selection of nuts, de-husking, de-shelling, removing the testa  (paring), washing, 
heating, disinteg rating, drying, sieving  and packaging.  
 
Desiccated coconut is used commonly  as in gredients  in biscuits , confectionery, bakery, and other 
food industries, and also for household  purposes ..   
 
The elaboration of a c ode of hygienic p ractice f or desiccated c oconut will provide uniform guidance for 
all people to consider in  control ling and manag ing contamination in dessicated coconut . 
 
This code has been prepared in order to guide traders, producers/processors in handling, processing, 
storage and distribution to ensure the safety and quality of desiccated coconut  for human 
consumption.  
 
In preparation of this standard considerable help was derived from (CAC/RCP 4 -1971 -Ammended  
2011)  Code of Hygienic Practice f or Desiccated Coconut  
 
1. Scope  
 
This code of hygienic practice applies to  desiccated coconut  for human consumption without requiring 
further processing .  
2.Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
2.1 coconut  
consist of an outer skin (green or brown when harvested) enclosing a thick fibrous coating or husk; 
inside the husk is a woody shell which encloses the kernel and which is separated from it by a brown 
skin. The pared kernel consists of a solid white layer enclosing an aqueous liquid known a s coconut 
water.  
 
2.2 kernel  
solid endosperm of the coconut fruit covered by a brown outer skin or testa.  
 
2.3 coconut meat  
white solid layer of the kernel.  
 
2.4 dehusking  
removal of the husk, leaving the shell intact . 
 
2.5 hatcheting  
removal of the shell. 
 
2.6 paring  
removal of the brown skin around the kernel . 
 
2.7 desiccated coconut  
dried product obtained by shredding or otherwise comminuting the pared kernel of coconuts, the fruit 
of the palm, Cocos nucifera.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 3.Raw material requirements  
3.1 Environmental Sanitation in Growing and Food Production Areas  
3.1.1 Sanitary disposal of human and animal wastes .  
Adequate precaution should be taken to ensure that human and animal wastes are disposed of in 
such a manner as not to constitute a public hea lth or hygienic hazard and extreme care should be 
taken to protect products from contamination with these wastes, particularly those products that may 
be consumed without heat treatment . 
3.1.2 Animal, plant pest and disease control.  
Where control measures are undertaken, treatment with chemical, biological or physical agents 
should be done only in accordance with the recommendations of the appropriate official agency, by or 
under the direct supervision of personnel with a thorough understanding of the hazar ds involved, 
including the possibility of toxic residues being retained by the crop.  
3.2 Sanitary Harvesting and Food Production  
3.2.1 Sanitary techniques.  
Harvesting and production operations, methods and procedures should be clean and sanitary.  
3.2.2 P rotection of product from contamination.  
After harvesting, clean and sanitary methods should be observed to protect against contamination of 
the nuts during the process of collecting and dehusking. Following dehusking, special precautions are 
necessary to ensure that contamination does not occur.  
3.3 Transportation  
3.3.1 Facilities.  
Conveyances for transporting the harvested crop, which may have the husk removed on the 
plantation, should be adequate for the purpose and should be of such material and construction as 
will permit thorough cleaning and should be so cleaned and maintained as not to constitute a source 
of contamination to the nuts.  
3.3.2 Handling procedures.  
All handling procedures should be such as will prevent the product from being contaminated. Extreme 
care should be taken in transporting dehusked coconuts to prevent s poilage or deterioration.  
 
4. Plant facilities and operating requirements  
4.1 Plant Construction and Layout  
4.1.1 Location, size and sanitary design.  
The buildings and surrounding area:  
a) should be such as can be kept reasonably free of objectionable odours, smoke, dust, or other 
contamination;  
b) should be of sufficient size for the purpose intended without crowding of equipment or 
personnel;  
c) should be of sound construction and kept in good repair;  
d) should be of such construction as to protect against th e entrance and harbouring of insects, 
birds or vermin;  
e) should be so designed as to permit easy and adequate cleaning  
Special precautions should be taken in the shredding, desiccating, and packing sections to protect 
against the entry of birds, insects and  vermin and for this purpose all openings should be covered with 
perforated metal gauze or other suitable protective covering.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 Separate and adequate space should be provided for the storage of nuts awaiting manufacture, shell 
awaiting disposal, rejected nu ts, firewood, etc.  
Floors should be constructed of material which is not capable of supporting microbial growth, and 
should be hard surfaced. They should be designed and so drained as to facilitate effective cleaning.  
4.1.2 Sanitary facilities and controls  
(a) Separation of processes.  
The husk, if it is not removed in the growing area, should be removed in a place separate fro m the 
factory. De husked nuts should be received into the factory buildings, and the processes of hatcheting, 
paring, and washing of the coconut meat should be carried out in a separate section from the 
subsequent processes. There should be no direct access from the hatcheting, paring, and washing 
sections to the other sections.  
The sections should be so arranged that the coconut passe s from the hatcheting, paring, and washing 
sections through to the packing room without retracing its path or passing through an area used for 
ancillary activities. Precautions should be taken to prevent contamination of shredding, desiccating, 
and packing  sections of the factory with dust.  
Separate rooms or compartments should be provided for the storage of inedible materials such as 
fuel and lubricants. The food handling area should be completely separated from any of the premises 
used as living quarters . 
(b) Water supply .  
An ample supply of hot and cold water should be available and an adequate supply of hot water 
where necessary. The water supply should be of potable quality.  No husk pit for the retting of husks 
should be located within 100 metres (300  feet) of any well from which water is drawn for use in the 
factory.  
(c) Auxiliary water supply.  
Where non -potable water is used - for such purposes as fire control - it must be carried in completely 
separate lines, identified preferably by colour and with no cross -connection or back -siphonage with 
the lines carrying potable water.  
(d) Plumbing and waste disposal.  
All plumbing and waste disposal lines (including sewer systems) must be large enough to carry peak 
loads. All lines must be water -tight and have adequate traps and vents. Disposal of waste should be 
effected in such a mann er as not to permit contamination of potable water supplies. The plumbing and 
the manner of waste disposal should be approved by the official agency having jurisdiction.  
(e) Lighting and ventilation.  
Premises should be well lit and ventilated. Special atte ntion should be given to the venting of areas 
and equipment producing excessive heat, direct sunlight,  steam, obnoxious fumes or vapours, or 
contaminating aerosols. Good ventilation is important to prevent both condensation (which may drip 
into the product ) and mould growth in overhead structures - which growth may fall into the food. Light 
bulbs and fixtures suspended over food in any step of preparation should be of the safety type or 
otherwise protected to prevent food contamination in the case of breaka ge.  
(f) Toilet -rooms and facilities.  
Adequate and convenient toilets should be provided and toilet areas should be equipped with self -
closing doors. Toilet rooms should be well lit and ventilated and should not open directly into a food 
handling area. Th ey should be kept in a sanitary condition at all times. There should be associated 
hand -washing facilities within the toilet area and notices should be posted requiring personnel to wash 
their hands after using the toilet.  
(g) Washing facilities.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 Adequat e and convenient facilities for employees to wash and dry their hands should be provided 
wherever the process demands. They should be in full view of the processing floor. Single -use towels 
are recommended, but otherwise the method of drying should be appr oved by the official agency 
having jurisdiction.  
In addition, where applicable, foot baths containing a suitable bactericidal solution should be provided 
at all appropriate entrances to the factory.  
The facilities should be kept in a sanitary condition at  all times . 
 
4.2 Equipment and Utensils  
4.2.1 Materials.  
All food contact surfaces should be smooth; free from pits, crevices and loose scale; non -toxic; 
unaffected by coconut meat and milk; and capable of withstanding repeated exposure to normal 
cleaning ; and non -absorbent unless the nature of a particular and otherwise acceptable process 
renders the use of a surface, such as wood, necessary.  
4.2.2 Sanitary design, construction and installation .  
Equipment and utensils should be so designed and construct ed as will prevent hygienic hazards and 
permit easy and thorough cleaning. Fixed equipment  should be installed in such a manner as will 
permit easy and thorough cleaning.  
4.2.3 Equipment and Utensils.  
Equipment and utensils used for inedible or contaminat ing materials should be so identified and 
should be used only for handling such products. Suitable containers should be provided for the 
collection of coconut shell and parings, and for rejected kernels.  
Desiccators used for the coconut meat must not under  any circumstances be used for the drying of 
coconut parings.  
 
4.3 Hygienic Operating Requirements  
4.3.1 Sanitary maintenance of plant, facilities and premises.  
The building, equipment, utensils and all other physical facilities of the plant should be kep t in good 
repair and should be kept clean and maintained in an orderly, sanitary condition. Waste materials 
should be frequently removed from the working area during plant operation and adequate waste 
receptacles should be provided.  
All equipment in the s hredding, desiccating, and packing sections coming into direct contact with the 
coconut should be cleaned, washed, and disinfected after each period of work and at least twice daily 
by means approved by the official agency. Detergents and disinfectants emp loyed should be 
appropriate to the purpose and should be so used as to present no hazard to public health.  
4.3.2 Vermin Control.  
Effective measures should be taken to protect against the entrance of insects, rodents, birds or other 
vermin into the plant,  and especially into the shredding, desiccating, packing and storage sections, 
and against the harbourage of these pests on the premises.  
4.3.3 Exclusion of domestic animals.  
Dogs, cats and other domestic animals, should be excluded from areas where coconut or coconut 
products are processed or stored.  
4.3.4 Personnel health.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 Plant management should advise personnel that any person afflicted with infected wounds, sores, or 
any illness, notably diarrhoea, should immediately report to management. Management should take 
care to ensure that no person, while known to be affected with a disease capable of being transmitted 
through food, or known to be a carrier of such disease microo rganisms, or while afflicted with infected 
wounds, sores, or any illness, is permitted to work in any area of a food plant in a capacity in which 
there is a likelihood of such person contaminating food or food contact surfaces with pathogenic 
organisms.  
4.3.5 Toxic substances.  
All rodenticides, fumigants, insecticides or other toxic substances should be stored in separate locked 
rooms or cabinets and handled only by properly trained personnel. They should be used only by or 
under the direct supervision of personnel with a thorough understanding of the hazards involved, 
including the possibility of contamination of the product.  
4.3.6 Personnel hygiene and food handling practices  
(a) All persons working in a food plant should maintain a high degree of persona l cleanliness while on 
duty. Clothing including suitable headdress  (covering all hairy)  should be appropriate to the duties 
being performed and should be kept clean.  
(b) Hands should be washed as often as necessary to conform to hygienic operating practic es.  
(c) Spitting, eating and the use of tobacco, betel nut or chewing gum should be prohibited in food 
handling areas.  
(d) All necessary precautions should be taken to prevent the contamination of the food product or 
ingredients with any foreign substanc e.  
(e) Minor cuts and abrasions on the hands should be appropriately treated and covered with a 
suitable waterproof dressing. Adequate first -aid facilities should be provided to meet these 
contingencies so that there is no contamination of the food.  
(f) Gloves used in food handling should be maintained in a sound, clean and sanitary condition; 
gloves should be made of an impermeable material except where their usage would be inappropriate 
or incompatible with the work involved.  
 
4.4 Operating Practices an d Production Requirements  
4.4.1 Raw material handling  
(a) Acceptance criteria.  
The raw material should not be accepted by the plant if known to contain decomposed, toxic or 
extraneous substances which will not be removed to acceptable levels by normal plant procedures of 
sorting or preparation.  
(b) Storage.  
Coconuts stored on the p lant premises should be maintained under conditions that will protect against 
contamination and infestation and minimize deterioration.  
4.4.2 Inspection and sorting.  
At the paring and washing stage, all kernels should be inspected and any unfit, including  germinated 
kernels, should be rejected. Such operations should be carried out in a clean and sanitary manner. 
Only clean, sound coconut meat should be permitted for further processing.  
4.4.3 Washing.  
Water used for washing the kernels should be clean an d of potable quality. It should be so frequently 
changed that the possibility of contamination is kept to a minimum and the water should not be 
recirculated unless suitably treated, for example by filtration and chlorination, to maintain it in a 
condition as will not constitute a public health hazard.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 4.4.4 Preparation and processing  
(a) Preparatory operations.  
Preparatory operations leading to the finished product and the packaging operations should be so 
timed as to permit expeditious handling of consecu tive units in production under conditions which 
would prevent contamination, deterioration, spoilage, or the development of infectious or toxigenic 
microorganisms.  
(b) Processing.  
After washing and before shredding, the coconut meat should be subjected to an effective process to 
eliminate pathogenic organisms from the surface of the meat, such as immersion in an adequate 
quantity of boiling water for a period of not less than one an d a half minutes.  
(c) Handling.  
After this process, the coconut meat should not be manually handled in any way, but mechanical 
devices, or containers and scoops or rakes or other implements constructed of impervious materials, 
should be used to prevent c ontamination. Such implements should be cleaned, washed, and 
disinfected after each period of work and at least twice daily, by means approved by the official 
agency, and suitable racks or other places provided for their placing when not in use, such that they 
do not become contaminated.  
(d) Desiccating.  
Shredded coconut should be dried in a current of clean hot air free from chemical contamination until 
the moisture content reaches a safe level for storage. There should be thin layering of shredded 
coconu t on the desiccator trays, and effective methods for the breaking up of the mat should be used. 
After drying, the desiccated coconut should be cooled before packaging.  
(e) Bulk Storage.  
If desiccated coconut is not packed at the factory into the containe rs in which it will be shipped, it 
should be transported to the packing plant in non -absorbent containers capable of being cleaned and 
which are disinfected before filling at the factory. The same hygienic precautions should be taken in 
the packing plant a s are appropriate to the packing section of the factory.  
4.4.5 Packaging of finished product  
(a) Materials.  
Packaging materials should be stored in a clean and sanitary manner, should not transmit to the 
product objectionable substances beyond limits acce ptable to the official agency having jurisdiction 
and should provide appropriate protection from contamination. The packaging material should be 
approved by the official agency and, for example, may comprise multi -wall paper sacks with 
appropriate fat - and moisture -resistant layers of aluminium lined cases.  
(b) Techniques.  
Packaging should be done in a separate clean room. Precautions such as the use of magnets or 
metal detectors should be taken to eliminate any metallic contamination. Packaging should be done 
under conditions that preclude the introduction of contamination into the product, and mechanical 
rams or vibrators should be used so as to eliminate manual handling of the desiccated coconut.  
(c) Information on label.  
All containers should be so marked as to identify the factory at which the desiccated coconut has 
been manufactured or packed.  
4.4.6 Storage and transport of finished product  
The finished product should be stored and transported under such conditions as will preclude the 
contamination with, or development of pathogenic or toxigenic microorganisms or infes tation and 
protect against deterioration of the product or of the container.  TBS/AFDC 4(6551)  P3 
 4.5 Sanitation Control Programme  
It is desirable that each plant in its own interest designate a single individual, whose duties are 
preferably divorced from production, to be hel d responsible for the cleanliness of the plant. This staff 
should be a permanent part of the organization and should be well trained in the use of special 
cleaning tools, methods of disassembling equipment for cleaning, and in the significance of 
contamina tion and the hazards involved. Critical areas, equipment and materials should be 
designated for specific attention as part of a permanent sanitation schedule.  
 
4.6 Laboratory Control Procedures  
Regular and frequent samples of desiccated coconut should be t aken from the packing section and 
examined for:  
a) contamination with any objectionable matter  
b) microorganisms  
c) fat content and free fatty acids  
d) moisture content  
 
5.End product specifications  
Desiccated coconut should be clean , sound, wholesome product of the pared kernel of sound mature 
coconuts.  
Appropriate methods should be used for sampling, analysis, and determination to meet the following 
specifications.  
a) To the extent possible in good manufacturing practice the product s hould be free from 
objectionable matter.  
b) The product should not contain pathogenic microorganisms such as salmonellae or any toxic 
substance originating from microorganisms.  
c) The product should be such that the acidity of the oil extracted by the solvent process should 
not exceed 0.3% m/m of free fatty acids calculated as lauric acid.  
d) The moisture content of the product should not exceed 4% m/m.  
 
 