Uganda Imposes Cheese Standards Across Key Dairy Products

Uganda has issued new regulatory specifications for multiple cheese types, including Caciotta, Ricotta, Paneer, and Goat cheese, to ensure quality and safety for human consumption and processing

UGANDA – CHEESE

Uganda Sets New Standards for Key Cheese Types

Importers and producers must meet new quality and safety rules for Caciotta, Ricotta, Paneer, and Goat cheese.

4 Cheese types covered

8 Aug 2026 Comment deadline

4 New DEAS standards

What changed

Caciotta cheese specification established under DEAS 1356: 2026 for quality and safety.

Ricotta cheese specification introduced under DEAS 1358: 2026 defining testing standards.

Paneer cheese specification adopted regionally under DEAS 1360: 2026 from Tanzania.

Goat cheese specification adopted regionally under DEAS 1359: 2026 from Kenya.

Who it affects

Cheese importers must ensure products meet the new DEAS specifications for each cheese type.

Domestic producers must follow production, sampling, and testing requirements in the standards.

Food processors using cheese as ingredients must verify compliance with the specifications.

Key dates

8 Aug 2026 — public comment deadline.

Uganda — cheese product standards and specifications

Compliance Requirements for Cheese Types in Uganda Under East African Standards

Uganda, as a member of the East African Community (EAC), adheres to the East African Standards (EAS) for cheese products, including Caciotta, Ricotta, Paneer, and Goat cheese. These standards specify requirements for raw materials, composition, hygiene, contaminants, packaging, and labelling to ensure quality and safety for human consumption. Below is a structured compliance overview based on the provided Draft East African Standards (DEAS).

1. Applicable Standards

The following Draft East African Standards (DEAS) govern the specified cheese types in Uganda:

DEAS 1356:2026: Caciotta cheese¹
DEAS 1358:2026: Ricotta cheese²
DEAS 1360:2026: Paneer cheese³
DEAS 1359:2026: Goat cheese⁴

These standards are developed under the East African Standards Committee (EASC) and are legally binding for compliance in Uganda¹.

2. Key Compliance Requirements by Cheese Type

A. Raw Materials and Ingredients

All cheese types must use milk from cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, or camels (or combinations thereof) that comply with relevant EAC standards^{1, 2, 3, 4}. Additional requirements:

Cheese Type	Raw Material Requirements	Essential Ingredients	Optional Ingredients
Caciotta	Milk from permitted animals¹	Starter cultures, rennet/coagulating enzymes, acidulants¹	Spices (flavoured variants), salt (EAS 35)¹
Ricotta	Whey or milk/whey mixtures²	Acidulants (e.g., citric acid)²	Not specified²
Paneer	Milk from permitted animals³	Acidulants (e.g., lactic acid, citric acid, vinegar)³	Spices (flavoured variants), salt (EAS 35)³
Goat Cheese	Goat milk (or other permitted milk)⁴	Not specified⁴	Not specified⁴

B. Compositional Requirements

Each cheese type must meet specific fat, moisture, and acidity thresholds when tested using prescribed methods:

Cheese Type	Parameter	Requirement	Test Method
Caciotta	Not specified in sources	Not specified¹	Not specified¹
Ricotta	Not specified in sources	Not specified²	Not specified²
Paneer	Moisture (max)	60% by mass³	AOAC 926.08³
	Milk fat (dry matter basis)	High fat: >60%, Full fat: >45–60%, Medium fat: >25–45%, Low fat: >10–25%, Fat-free: ≤10%³	ISO 23319³
	Titratable acidity (max)	0.50% as lactic acid³	ISO/TS 22113³
Goat Cheese	Not specified in sources	Not specified⁴	Not specified⁴

C. Contaminants and Hygiene

All cheese types must comply with maximum residue limits (MRLs) for contaminants and adhere to hygiene codes:

Requirement	Standard	Test Method
Pesticide residues	Codex Alimentarius MRLs^{3, 4}	Not specified
Veterinary drug residues	Codex Alimentarius MRLs^{3, 4}	AOAC 962.14 (Beta-lactams)⁴
Aflatoxin M1	≤0.5 μg/kg³	ISO 14501³
Heavy metals (Lead)	≤0.02 mg/kg³	AOAC 999.10^{3, 4}
Arsenic	Not specified (Goat cheese)⁴	AOAC 942.17⁴
Hygiene	Comply with CXC 1 (General Principles for Food Hygiene) and CXC 57 (Milk and Milk Products)^{1, 2, 3, 4}	ISO 4832, ISO 11290-2, ISO 16649-2²

Microbiological Limits (Paneer example):

Limits for coliforms, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli are specified in Table 3 of DEAS 1360:2026³.

D. Packaging and Labelling

Requirement	Standard	Details
Packaging	Food-grade materials^{1, 2, 3, 4}	Must not impart toxic substances, odours, or flavours^{1, 2, 3, 4}
Labelling	EAS 38 (General requirements) + specific additions^{1, 2, 3}	Mandatory declarations:
		– Name and category of cheese^{1, 2, 3}
		– Source of milk (e.g., "goat milk")^{1, 2, 3}
		– Milk fat content (%, dry matter, or g/serving)^{1, 2, 3}
		– Country of origin^{1, 2, 3}
		– Date of manufacture/expiry^{1, 2, 3}
		– Storage instructions^{1, 2, 3}
		– Manufacturer/packer details^{1, 2, 3}
		– Batch/code number^{1, 2, 3}
		– Net weight (metric units)^{1, 2, 3}

E. Sampling and Testing

Sampling: Must comply with ISO 707 (general guidance) and ISO 8197 (inspection by variables) or ISO 5538 (inspection by attributes)^{2, 3, 4}.
Test Methods: Referenced standards (e.g., AOAC 926.08 for moisture/fat, ISO 1735 for fat content) must be used^{1, 2, 3, 4}.

3. Summary Answer

Uganda enforces compliance with Draft East African Standards (DEAS) for Caciotta, Ricotta, Paneer, and Goat cheese, which mandate:

Raw materials from permitted animals (cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, camels)^{1, 2, 3, 4}.
Compositional limits (e.g., Paneer: ≤60% moisture, fat categories from >60% to ≤10%)³.
Contaminant controls (e.g., Aflatoxin M1 ≤0.5 μg/kg, Lead ≤0.02 mg/kg)^{3, 4}.
Hygiene under CXC 1 and CXC 57, with microbiological limits for pathogens^{1, 2, 3, 4}.
Packaging in food-grade materials and labelling per EAS 38, including fat content, origin, and expiry dates^{1, 2, 3}.
Sampling/testing via ISO 707 and referenced methods (e.g., AOAC 999.10 for heavy metals)^{2, 3, 4}.

These standards are harmonized across the EAC to remove trade barriers and ensure consumer safety¹. Manufacturers must use the latest versions of the standards, as they are subject to periodic review^{1, 4}.

Sources

↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03060 — Rwanda https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/RWA/26_03060_00_e.pdf
↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03030 — Rwanda https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/RWA/26_03030_00_e.pdf
↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03031 — Rwanda https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/RWA/26_03031_00_e.pdf
↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03029 — Rwanda https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/RWA/26_03029_00_e.pdf