AFDC 7 (2601) DTZS  
ICS: 67.220.10  
  
     
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
Mixed masala  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
  
 
0 FOREWORD  
Mixed masala is the mixture of two or more dried and grounded spices. This mixture can be in equal ratios 
of spices or depending on consumers’ preferences.   
This standard is being prepared to ensure the safety and quality of mixed masala produced and/ or traded 
in the country.  
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard if the fin al value, 
observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in ac cordance with TZS 4 Rounding off 
numerical values.  
1.0 SCOPE  
This Tanzania Standard specifies the requirements , methods of sampling and test for mixed masala 
which is used as a flavouring material for fish, chicken, meat and other products. This standard is not 
applicable to masala products with specific standard.  
2.0 NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies;  
TZS 4 Rounding off numerical values   
TZS 29 Spices and condiments - Nomenclature  
TZS 3 3 Spices and condiments - Sampling   
TZS 457 Code of hygienic practices for Spices and condiments  
TZS 538  General standard on packaging marking and labeling  
TZS 1318 Spices and condiments - Determination of moisture content Entrainment method   
TZS 1316 Spice s and condiments - Determination of total ash  
TZS 1317 Spices and condiments - Determination of acid insoluble ash   
TZS 1315 Spices and condiments - Determination of extraneous matter and foreign matter content  
TZS 1319 Spices and condiments - Determination of  non-volatile ether extract  
TZS 1320  Spices and condiments - Determination of volatile oil content (hydrodistillation method)   
TZS 109 Codes of hygiene for food processing units - General . 
TZS 730 (Part 2)  Colony count technique at 44 0C using 5 -Bromo -4-Chloro-3-indolyl --D-glucuronide  
 TZS 119 Microbiology – General guidance for the enumeration of Coliforms – Most probable number 
technique   
TZS 118 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -Horizontal method for enumeration of micro -
organisms - Colony  count technique at 30ºC  AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
 TZS 131 Microbiology -General guidance for enumeration of yeast and moulds - Colony count technique at 
250C 
TZS 122 Microbiology of food and feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of salmonella spp.   
TZS 268, General atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for determination of lead in food stuffs  
TZS 799, Foodstuffs – Determination of aflatoxin B 1, and the total content of aflatoxins B 1, B2, G1 and G 2 in 
cereals, nuts and derived products – High\-performance liquid chromatographic method  
 
TZS 1501, Fruits and vegetables — Determinatio n of mercury content  
 
 
CODEX STAN 193 General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods  
  
3.0  TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 For the purpose of this standard the terms and definitions given in TZS 29 (see clause 2) and the 
following shall apply;  
3.1  
mixed masala  
A mixture of two or more clean, d ry and wholesome aromatic herbs and spices obtained by grinding 
with or without addition of condiments and/or common salt used for spicing fish, chicken, meat and 
other products  
3.2  
extraneous matter  
 
all matter present in the sample which is not from le aves of the species under consideration  
 
3.3 food grade container  
container which shall safeguard the hygienic, safety, nutritional, technological, and organoleptic qualities of 
the product  
 
 
4.0  REQUIREMENTS  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 Raw material  
The major raw materials shall include coriander, cumin seed, black pepper, turmeric and ginger 
which shall not be less than 90%.  Other spices and condiments listed in TZS 29 may be used.  
The spices and condiments used in preparation of mixed masala shall be clean, dry and sound.  
4.1.2 Taste and aroma   
The taste and aroma  of the mixed masala shall be fresh, pleasant and characteristic of the 
designated product. It shall not give rancid taste or must odour and shall be free from adulteration.  
4.1.3 Fineness  AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
 Mixed masala shall be ground to such fineness that all of it passes through a sieve of 500 micron 
(0.500 mm).  
4.1.4 Extraneous matter  
This includes foreign matter like chaff, dried leaves, stones, soil particles dust, dirt or any other physi cal 
foreign matter. The per cent by mass when tested in accordance with the methods prescribed under TZS 
1315 (See clause 2) shall not exceed 1% (m/m)  
4.1.5 Freedom from insects, moulds, etc.  
Mixed masala shall be free from living insects, and practically  free from moulds, dead insects, insect 
fragments and rodent contamination.  
4.2 Specific requirements  
Mixed masala shall comply with the chemical requirements given in Table 1 . 
Table 1 – Chemical requirements for mixed masala  
S/No  
Characteristic  Requiremen ts Methods of test  
(See clause 2)  
i.  Moisture % m/m, max.  10 TZS 1318  
ii.  Volatile oil ml/100 g %m/m,  min 0.5  TZS 1320  
iii.  Total ash % m/m, max  8 TZS 1316  
iv.  Acid insoluble ash % m/m,max  2 TZS 1317  
v.  Non-volatile ether extract % m/m, min  12 TZS 1319  
vi.  Crud e fibre % m/m, max 15 Annex A  
NOTE - Requirements from ii  to vi are on moisture  free basis.  
 
4.3 Additives  
Mixed masala shall be free from added colouring matter and preservatives, other than common sal t. 
5.  CONTAMINANTS  
5.1 The product shall comply with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission  
 
5.2 Heavy metals and Metallic contaminants  
 The product shall not contain any heavy and metallic contamin ants in excess of levels specified in Table 2.  
 
Table 2 — Limit for Heavy metals and metallic contaminants for  mixed masala  
 
S/No  Characteristics  Limits (Max) mg/kg  Test method  
(see clause 2)  
i  Lead (as Pb)  0.3   TZS  268 
ii  Mercury  0.1  TZS 1501  AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
  
5.3 Aflatoxin  
 
Mixed masala  shall not have more than 5 ppb aflatoxin B 1 and total aflatoxin of max  10 ppb when 
tested according to TZS 799 . 
6 HYGIENE  
Mixed m asala shall be prepared under good hygienic practices as stipulated in TZS 109 and shall comply 
with microbiological limits given in Tab le 3 when tested in accordance with  the methods specified 
therein.  
Table 3 Microbiological limits for mixed masala  
S/No  Characteristic:  
 Limits (Max)  Test method  
(see clause 2)  
i.  Total aerobic count,  CFU/g  105 
 TZS 118  
 
ii.  Yeasts and  Moulds,CFU/g  
 103 
 TZS 730  
 
iii.  Escherichia coli, CFU/g  
 Absent  
 TZS 731  
 
iv.  Salmonella spp per 25 g.  Absent  TZS 122  
 
 
7.0 SAMPLING  AND TEST  
7.1 Sampling  
Sampling shall be carried out in accordance with the method specified in TZS 33.  
 
7.2 Testing  
Tests shall be done in accor dance with methods prescribed in Tables  1, 2 and 3 . 
 
8.0 PACKING, MARKING AND LABELLING  
8.1 Packing  
Mixed masala shall  be well packaged in a food grade container.  
8.2 Marking and labelling  
8.2.1  In addition to marking and labelling requirements prescribed  in TZS 538, the following 
particulars shall legibly and inde libly be labelled or marked on each container:  
a) common name of the product (beef masala, fish masala, chicken masala or ―X masala) , 
whereby ―X stands for kind of product to be spiced; trade nam e or brand name if any;  
b) Name, physical and postal address of manufacturer and/or packer;  
c) Batch or code number;  
d) Net weight;  
e) Manufacture and expiry date;  AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
 f) Country of origin;  
g) A complete list of ingredients in descending order of proportions;  
h) Storage condi tions.  
8.2.2  Each secondary or tertiary package shall be marked with the particulars (a) to (h) in 8.2.1.  
8.2.3  The language on the label shall be “Kiswahili” or Kiswahili and English. A second language may 
be used depending on the designated market.  
8.3 The packages may also be marked with TBS certification mark.  
NOTE:  The TBS Mark of Quality may be used by manufacturers only under licence from TBS. 
Particulars of conditions which the licences are granted may be obtained from TBS offices.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX  A 
DETERMINATION OF CRUDE FIBRE  
A.1 Reagents  
A.1.1 Petroleum ether:    
A.1.2  Dilute sulphuric acid: 1.25 % (m/v) accurately prepared.  
A.1.3  Sodium hydroxide solution: 1.25 % (m/v) accurately prepared.  
A.1.4  Ethanol: 95 % (v/v) 
 
A.2 Procedure :  AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
 Weigh accur ately about 2.5 g of the ground material into a thimble and extract for about 1 
hour with petroleum ether using a Soxhlet apparatus. Transfer the material in the thimble 
to a one -litre flask. Take 200 ml of the dilute sulphuric acid in a beaker and bring t o boil. 
Transfer the whole of the boiling acid to the flask containing the fat -free material and 
immediately connect the flask with a water -cooled reflux condenser and heat so that the 
contents of the flask begin to boil within 1 minute. Rotate the flask f requently taking care 
to keep the material from remaining on the sides of the flask and out of contact with the 
acid. Continue boiling for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the flask and filter through fine 
linen (about 18 thread to the centimetre) or through a c oarse acid washed hardened filter 
paper, held in a funnel  and wash with boiling water until the washings are no longer 
acidic to litmus paper. Bring some quantity of sodium hydroxide solution to boil under 
reflux condenser. Wash the residues on the filter  into the flask with 200 ml of boiling 
sodium hydroxide solution. Immediately connect the flask with the reflux condenser and 
boil for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the flask and  immediately filter through the linen or 
the filter paper.  
Thoroughly wash the re sidue with boiling water and transfer to a Gooch crucible 
prepared with a thin but compact layer of ignite asbestos. Wash the residue 
thoroughly first with hot water and then with about 15 ml of ethyl alcohol and with 
three successive washings of 15 ml of petroleum ether each.  Dry the Gooch crucible 
and contents at 105 ± 1o C in an air -oven for 3 hours, cool and weigh. Repeat the 
process of drying for 30 minutes, cooling and weighing until the dif ference between two 
consecutive weighings is less than 1 mg . Incinerate the contents of the Gooch crucible in 
the muffle furnace at 550 ±20 oC until all the carbonaceous matter is burnt. Cool the 
Gooch crucible containing the ash in a desiccator  arid weigh.  
 
 
A.3 Calculation   
Crude fibre (on dry basis), per cent by mass  
 
    = l00 (M 1 – M2)  *   100 
                                 M          (100 -H) 
 
Where:   M 1 = mass in g of Gooch crucible and contents before ashing,  
               M2 = mass in g of Gooch crucible containing asbestos and ash.  
               M = mass in g of the material taken for the test  
     H= moisture cont  
 
 
 AFDC 7 (2601 ) DTZS  
                                                                                                                   
  