,"Uganda has officially adopted a revised national standard for UHT milk, strengthening safety and quality requirements for dairy products in the country. The adoption of US EAS 27:2023 UHT Milk – Specification (4th Edition), marking the transition of the previously circulated Draft East African Standard (DEAS 27:2022) into a binding national standard.
The updated specification introduces defined microbiological limits, heavy metal requirements and mycotoxin controls to ensure UHT milk placed on the Ugandan market meets internationally aligned safety benchmarks. Under the new standard, total plate count must not exceed 10 CFU/ml, and key pathogens including coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. must be absent, following ISO test methods referenced in the adopted text.
In addition to microbiological safety, the standard tightens chemical risk parameters. Lead content is capped at 0.02 mg/kg when tested under AOAC 999.10, supporting broader regional efforts to minimize heavy metal exposure through dairy products. The regulation also sets a maximum of 0.5 μg/kg for aflatoxin M1, a major concern in milk safety across East Africa, with testing prescribed under ISO 14501.
The adoption aligns Uganda with updated East African Community (EAC) harmonization efforts and provides dairy processors with a clear compliance framework. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards has made the finalized text available for purchase through its official webstore.
Key Points / Highlights:
• Uganda adopts US EAS 27:2023, replacing the draft DEAS 27:2022
• Requires strict microbiological limits including absence of pathogens
• Sets Lead (Pb) limit at 0.02 mg/kg under AOAC 999.10
• Establishes Aflatoxin M1 limit of 0.5 μg/kg using ISO 14501"