COMPULSORY STANDARDS ACT, 2017: SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

INDEX TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

Compulsory Standards Act (Commencement) Order

Compulsory Standards (Potable Spirits) (Declaration) Order

COMPULSORY STANDARDS ACT (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER

[Section 1]

Arrangement of Paragraphs

   Paragraph

   1. Title

   2. Commencement of Act No. 3 of 2017

SI 84 of 2017.

1. Title

This Order may be cited as the Compulsory Standards Act (Commencement) Order, 2017.

2. Commencement of Act No. 3 of 2017

The Compulsory Standards Act, 2017, shall come into operation on 1st January, 2018.

COMPULSORY STANDARDS (POTABLE SPIRITS) (DECLARATION) ORDER

[Section 11]

Arrangement of Paragraphs

   Paragraph

   1. Title

   2. Declaration of compulsory standard

      SCHEDULE

SI 18 of 2020.

1. Title

This Order may be cited as the Compulsory Standards (Potable Spirits) (Declaration) Order, 2020.

2. Declaration of compulsory standard

The compulsory standard set out in the Schedule is declared as a compulsory standard.

SCHEDULE

[Paragraph 2]

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ZAMBIAN COMPULSORY STANDARD ZS 808

SPECIFICATIONS FOR POTABLE SPIRITS

1. Scope

This Zambian Compulsory Standard prescribes the safety requirements, in the methods of sampling and testing for ethanol from fermentation intended for direct human consumption.

2. Terminology

In this Standard unless the context otherwise requires—

"applicant"  means the manufacturer or importer seeking approval of potable alcohol. The applicant shall be an existing legal entity within the Republic of Zambia;

"approval"  means attestation by the ZCSA that a particular brand type of potable spirit satisfies the requirements of this compulsory specification;

"conformity of production"  means proof that potable spirit offered for sale has been manufactured under conditions conforming to applicable factory requirements as prescribed by ZCSA and will continue to comply with the requirements of this compulsory standard;

"declaration report"  means a report that is issued by an accredited conformity assessment body, indicating the equivalence of products or standards;

"ethyl alcohol (ethanol)"  means ethyl alcohol, also called ethanol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colourless liquid produced by the fermentation of carbohydrates with a molecular formula of C_2H5OH;

"potable spirit"  means an alcoholic drink which is suitable for direct human consumption; usually being a mixture of neutral or fine spirit, water and other adjuncts as provided in clause 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4;

"Proof of conformity"  means documented evidence of conformity with the requirements of this compulsory standard; and

"ZCSA"  means the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency as established by the Compulsory Standards Act, 2017 (Act No. 3 of 2017).

3. Requirements

3.1   Safety requirements

3.2   Ethyl alcohol content

The ethyl alcohol content in potable spirits shall be between 34 per cent and 55 per cent by volume, at 20°C when determined according to AOAC Method 957.03. The tolerance limit (relative standard deviation) for ethyl alcohol content shall be ± 0.5 per cent of the declared strength. The specific gravity shall range from 0.9549 to 0.9592.

3.3   Permitted food additives

Spirits may contain food additives which are prescribed in ZSCXS 192.

3.4   Taste and aroma

The spirit shall possess the characteristic taste and aroma associated with the product. Potable spirits may also be flavoured with fruit or other botanical substances that are intended to impart the characteristic taste and aroma associated with the product. Such additions shall not be injurious to health.

3.5   Hygienic conditions

Spirits shall be manufactured in premises built and maintained under hygienic conditions. The handling equipment like tanks, bottling machines and packing equipment shall be hygienically clean. In all cases ZS 034 shall apply.

3.6   Chemical requirements

When tested the chemical characteristics of potable spirits shall conform to the requirements specified in Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3.

TABLE 1: MAXIMUM LIMITS FOR ORGANIC IMPURITIES IN POTABLE SPIRITS

TABLE 2: MAXIMUM LIMITS FOR METAL CONTAMINANTS

TABLE 3: ORGANOLEPTIC REQUIREMENTS FOR POTABLE SPIRITS

4. Sampling and analysis

4.1   Sampling

The method of drawing representative samples of the material and criteria for conformity shall be as prescribed in BS 5309 parts 1 and 3.

4.2   Analysis

All analysis shall be carried out by the appropriate methods referred to in Tables 1, 2 and 3.

NOTE: Quality of reagents unless otherwise specified analytical grade reagents shall be used.

5. Packaging, marking and labelling

5.1   Packaging

Potable spirit shall be filled into clean glass bottles or new food grade containers made from materials which do not affect the product safety and quality. Each bottle or container shall be adequately scaled to prevent leakage, contamination or adulteration of the content.

The net volume of the spirit content in the bottle or container shall be the volume indicated, subject to a tolerance of ± 1 per cent on individual bottle, measured at room temperature.

5.2   Marking and labelling

Packaged spirits shall be indelibly and legibly marked in English with the following information—

   (a)   Brand name and/or trade mark, if any;

   (b)   Common name of the product e.g. whisky;

   (c)   The net volume in ml;

   (d)   The ethyl alcohol content, in per cent, volume by volume;

   (e)   The name and address of the manufacturer;

   (f)   Batch number (in code or in clear);

   (g)   Country of origin;

   (h)   Date of manufacture.

6. The applicant shall ensure that each type of potable spirit has been approved by the ZCSA before offering it for sale, in accordance with the requirements of Annex A.

7. The applicant shall inform the ZCSA of any change in content or materials affecting any mandatory requirement in terms of this compulsory specification. In the event of such change/s the ZCSA may, at its discretion, demand that the applicant submit a new application for approval.

8. The applicant shall, on request, provide the ZCSA, within five working days, with satisfactory proof of approval in respect of any type of potable spirit included in the scope of this compulsory standard.

9. The applicant shall, on request, provide the ZCSA, within five working days, with satisfactory proof of conformity of production.

10. Failure to provide such proof shall constitute reasonable grounds for suspicion of non-compliance with the requirements of this compulsory standard.

11. Equivalence of standards

Standards issued by different standardisation bodies such as National standards bodies, regional standards bodies, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), and European Norm (EN), shall only be accepted if it is proven, in the form of a declaration report from an accredited conformity assessment body, to be technically equivalent to this compulsory Zambian standard.

The applicant shall be responsible for obtaining such a declaration report. Proof of conformity with such a standard shall be accepted as conformity with this compulsory Zambian standard.

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