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Five East African countries release draft standards for food contact plastic cups

Time：

2025-06-23

Five East African countries have released a draft standard for food contact plastic cups, which applies to plastic cup products with or without handles for food contact purposes.

On May 12, 2025, the five East African countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) issued the notification of the East African standard DEAS 1256:2024 Plastic Cup - Specification (the first version) through the WTO, and the review period ended on July 11. This standard applies to plastic cup products with or without handles for food contact purposes, excluding disposable plastic cups and medical plastic cups.

The main requirements of the new standard

（1） General requirements

All materials used for manufacturing plastic cups should be brand new food grade.

2. The cup mouth should be reinforced to prevent deformation, and the edges should be smooth to avoid harm to the user.

3. The handle should have sufficient size, grip strength, and strength to support the weight of the cup and its contents, and should not cause harm to the user; Except for the connection between the handle and the cup, the average thickness of the handle shall not be less than 1.5 times the thickness of the cup wall.

4. Plastic cups should be smooth, clean, well crafted, and free of any visible defects such as spots, bubbles, holes, cracks, impurities, molding burrs, color changes, peeling, cracking, and surface scratches; The cup decoration should be inseparable from the cup as a whole and be as durable as the undecorated surface.

（2） Specific requirements

When tested according to standard methods, plastic cups should meet the following specific requirements:

1. It should be kept intact in the impact resistance test; No deformation or ovalization occurs during the load resistance test; The full load capacity of the volumetric test should be at least 4% greater than the nominal capacity; The handle must not be damaged during the strength test.

2. The thickness and depth of the cup should meet the following requirements, and the compliance should account for at least 80% of the total area of the plastic cup: for a nominal capacity limit of 100 milliliters, the minimum depth should be 40 millimeters, and the minimum wall thickness should be 2.0 millimeters; A nominal capacity of 101-150 milliliters, with a minimum depth of 40 millimeters and a minimum wall thickness of 2.5 millimeters; A nominal capacity of 151-250 milliliters, with a minimum depth of 40 millimeters and a minimum wall thickness of 3.0 millimeters; The nominal capacity is 251-550 milliliters, with a minimum depth of 40 millimeters and a minimum wall thickness of 4.0 millimeters.

3. The moisture and dry heat resistance of plastic cups should meet the following requirements: there should be no cracks, surface markings, or any other defects that may damage their usability or appearance; The internal volume shall not decrease by more than 4% of the initial value; When the plastic cup is placed on a flat surface in the usual way and firmly secured with a slight pressure applied by one finger at the center of the cup bottom, it is impossible to insert a 0.375mm feeler gauge at any point between the plastic cup foot or cup bottom and the flat surface.

4. Plastic cups with printing should not show signs of ink or paint peeling off.

5. Plastic cups should be packaged to maintain their integrity during storage, transportation, and handling.

6. Marking and labeling requirements:

(1) Plastic cups should be clearly and permanently labeled in English and/or other official languages with the product's nominal capacity (liters), resin identification code and recycling symbol in accordance with EAS 1086, manufacturer's name and/or trademark, food grade material symbol, batch number or code, and country of origin information.

(2) The cups in bulk packaging should have the same size and brand, and the packaging should be clearly and indelibly marked with the manufacturer's and/or registered trademark name and actual address in English and/or other official languages, the product name as "plastic cup", the quantity statement and country of origin of the plastic cups in bulk packaging, and other information.

Jiayu Testing Reminder

The standards for consumer goods in East African Community countries are constantly improving, and access requirements are constantly increasing. Export enterprises should pay timely attention to the implementation of relevant standards, standardize product design, strengthen production management, ensure compliance with raw material grades and quality, and prevent trade risks.

Jiayu Testing has a professional testing technology team, equipped with advanced instruments and equipment, proficient in various regulatory standards, and specializes in providing FCM food contact material testing services for various food contact materials (such as plastics, coatings, metals, silicone, glass ceramic enamel, bamboo, paper, cardboard, etc.) in China, the European Union and its member countries (France, Italy, Germany, etc.), the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries. Welcome to consult us at 400-9268-886.