هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)  
  
 
مشروعنهائي     
 Final Draft of Standard FDS 
   
 
 
 
اعداد اللجنة الفنية الخليجية رقم 05 TC  
 
 
Prepared by GSO Technical Committee No.TC 05 
 
 
GSO 05/ FDS 1003/2021  
 
 
حبوب الأرز 
RICE KERNELS 
 
 
هذه الوثيقة مشروع لائحة فنية خليجية تم توزيعها 
لإبداء الرأي والملحوظات بشأنها، لذلك فإنها عرضة 
للتغيير والتبديل، ولا يجوز الرجوع إليها كلائحة فنية 
خليجية إلا بعد اعتمادها من الهيئة. 
 This document is  a draft Gulf Technical 
regulation circulated for comments. It is, 
therefore, subject to alteration and 
modification and may not be referred to 
as a Gulf Technical Regulation until 
approved by GSO.  
 
 
ICS : 67. 060  
 
 
  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
2 
  
 
تقديم 
 
هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية هيئة إقليمية تضم في عضويتها الأجهزة للوطنية 
للمواصفات والمقاييس في دول الخليج العربية، ومن مهام الهيئة إعداد المواصفات القياسية بواسطة لجان فنية 
متخصصة. 
قرر مجلس ادارة هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية في اجتماعه رقم .... الذي عقد بتاريخ 
.../.../... ه ـ، الموافق ... / ... / ... م اعتماد تحديث المواصفة القياسية الخليجية    GSO 1003/ 2012 "حبوب
الأرز" التي تم دراستها ضمن برنامج عمل اللجنة الفنية رقـم ( 5 " ) قطاع مواصفات المنتجات الغذائية
والزراعية " بتحديث المواصفة القياسية الخليجية رقم ، المدرجة في خطة سلطنة عمان. 
على أن تلغي المواصفة رقم  GSO 1003/ 2012 وتحل محلها 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
3 
 RICE KERNELS  
 
 
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
This standard applies to husked rice , milled rice , enriched and parboiled rice, all for 
direct human consumption, presented in packaged form or sold loose from the package 
directly to the consumer. It doesn’t apply to other products derived from rice or to 
glutinous rice  
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1                  GSO 9 “Labeling of Prepackaged Foods”.  
2.2               GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and their Personnel”.  
2.3               GSO 168 “Conditions of Storage Facilities for Dry and Canned Food Stuffs”.  
2.4               GSO ISO 950 “Cereals -Sampling (as grains)”.  
2.5              GSO 382 “Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residue in Agriculture and Food”      
Products”.  
2.6              GSO 150 -2 “Expiration dates for food products - Part 2: Voluntary expiration dates”.  
2.7             GSO 839 “Food Packages, Part I, General Regulations”.  
2.8             GSO 193   Contaminant and Toxin in Food and Feed.  
2.9             GSO 1016 “Microbiological Limits Permitted in Food Products.  
2.10            GSO 1806 “Methods of Test for kernels Rice”.  
2.11            GSO  1307  " Methods of test for milled rice "  
2.12            GSO 1863 “Food Packages, Part II, Plastic Packages, General Regulations”.  
2.13            GSO 2142 “General  Requirements for Genetically Modified Processed Food and     
Feed”.  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
4 
 2.14             GSO 2333 ”Requirements for Nutrition  and Health Claim in the Food”.  
 
3.               DEFINITIONS  
3.1              Rice: is whole  and broken kernels obtained from the species Oriza Sativa L.  
3.2              Paddy rice ((: is rice that has retained its husk.  
3.3             Husked rice  (Brown rice or Cargo rice) : is paddy rice from which only husk has been 
removed. The process of husking and handling may result in some loss of bran.  
3.4              Milled rice (White rice ): is husked  rice from which all or pa rt of the bran and germ 
have been removed by milling.  
 3.5            Parboiled rice: maybe husked or milled rice processed from paddy or husked rice that 
has been soaked in water and subjected to a heat treatment so that the starch is fully 
gelatinized, f ollowed by a drying process.  
3.6             Glutinous rice (waxy rice): kernels of special varieties of rice which have a white and 
opaque appearance. The starch of glutinous rice consists almost entirely of 
amylopectin. It has a tendency to stick togeth er after cooking.  
3.7             Enriched rice: white rice which has been enriched with suitable vitamins and minerals.  
3.8              Basmati Rice: Basmati is the customary name for certain varieties of rice that having  
special characteristics (fluffy , length, aroma, taste, separate grains) and are grown 
exclusively in specific areas of India and Pakistan, and include the following nine 
approved rice varieties:  
1- Basmati 370  
 2- Basmati 386 -India  
3- Basmati 217  
4- Type 3 (Dehradun)  
5- Kernel (Pak Basmati)  
 6- Taraori (Karnal Local, HBC -19)  
7- Ranbir Basmati (IET 11348)  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
5 
 8- Pusa Basmati -1 (IET - 10364)  
 9- Super Basmati  
                      Or any Basmati rice variety that will be approved in the future  
3.9                Heat -damaged kernels: ker nels, whole or broken, that have changed their normal color as a 
result of heating. These include whole or broken yellow kernels that are yellow due to 
alteration and  parboiled rice in a batch of non -parboiled rice.  
3.10            Damaged kernels: kernels , whole or broken, showing obvious deterioration due to moisture, 
pests, diseases, or other causes, but excluding heat -damaged kernels.  
3.11              Chalky  kernels: are whole or broken kernels except for glutinous rice, of which at least three -
quarte rs of the surface have an opaque and floury appearance.  
3.12             Red kernels: are whole or broken kernels with a red -colored pericarp covering more than one -
quarter of their surface . 
3.13               Red -streaked kernels: are kernels, whole or broken, with red streaks, the lengths of which may 
be equal to or greater than one -half of that of the whole kernel, but the surface area covered by 
these red streaks shall be less than one -quarter of the total surface.  
3.14             Pecks: are whole or broken kernels of parboiled rice of which more than one quarter of the    
surface is dark brown or black in color.  
3.15              Immature kernels: are unripe and/or undeveloped whole or broken kernels.  
   3.16              Extraneous (foreign) matter: organic and inorganic components other than kernels of   rice.  
   3.16.1            Filth (animal organic impurities): impurities of animal origin (including dead insects or their 
parts, ro dents, birds, and mites excreta).  
3.16.2              Other organic impurities : organic components of plant origin (such as foreign seeds, husk,  
bran, straw, paper, wood and thread… etc). 
3.16.3              Inorganic impurities: such as stones, sand dust, plastics, glass and  metals. etc). 
4.                CLASSIFICATION  
   4.1               If rice is classified as long grain, medium grain or short grain, the classification should 
be in accordance with one of the following specifications:  
4.1.1               Option 1 : kernel length/ width ratio as shown in Table (1).  
Table (1): Classification of rice according to kernel  
length/width ratio (Option 1).  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
6 
 Class  Kernel length /width ratio  
Husked rice (Brown rice)  
Parboiled or non -parboiled  Milling rice (White rice )  
Parboiled or non -parboiled  
Long grain rice  3.1 or more  3.0 or more  
Medium grain rice  2.1 – 3.0  2.0 – 2.9  
Short grain rice  2.0 or less  1.9 or less  
 
4.1.2                 Option 2 : the kernel length (mm) as shown in Table (2).  
Table (2): Classification of rice according to the kernel length mm (Option 2)  
Class  Kernel length (mm)  
Long grain rice  6.6 or more  
Medium grain rice  6.2 or more but less than 6.6  
Short grain rice  Less than 6.2  
                     
4.1.3           Option 3 : a combination of the kernel length (mm) and the length/width ratio as 
shown in Table (3).  
Table (3): Classification of rice according to the kernel  
length  and the length/width ratio (Option 3)  
 
Class  Kernel length (mm)  Length/width ratio  
Long grain rice  More than 6.0  more than 2 but less than 
3 or 3 or more   
Medium grain rice  5.2 – 6.0 Less than 3.0  
Short grain rice  5.2 or less  Less than 2.0  
 
4.2              White rice color may be classified according to the following degrees of milling:  
4.2.1          White brown rice (Under -milled rice):  is obtained by milling brown rice but not to 
the degree necessary to meet the requirements of white rice.  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
7 
 4.2.2           White rice (Well -milled rice ): is obtained by milling brown rice in such a way that 
some of the germ, all the external layers and most of the internal layers of the bran 
have been removed.  
 4.2.3          Extra -white rice (Extra -well milled ri ce): is obtained by milling brown rice in such 
a way that exceed white rice degree. Almost all of the germ, all of the external layers 
the largest part of the internal layers of the bran, and some of the endosperm have 
been removed.  
4.3               Rice  may be classified according to broken part as the following specifications:  
4.3.1            Whole kernel : kernels without any broken part.  
 4.3.2          Head rice : kernels, the length of which is equal to or greater than three quarters    of 
the averag e length of the corresponding whole kernels.  
4.3.3           Large broken kernels : are fragments of kernel, the length of which is less than three -
quarters but greater than one -half of the average length of a corresponding whole 
kernels.  
 4.3.4          Medium broken kernels : are fragments of kernel, the length of which is equal to or 
less than one -half but greater than one -quarter of the average length of a corresponding 
whole kernels.  
4.3.5           Small broken kernels : are fragments of kernel, the leng th of which is equal to or less 
than one -quarter of the average length of a corresponding whole kernels but which does 
not pass through a metal sieve with round perforation 1.4 mm in diameter.  
4.3.6        Chips : are fragments of kernel which pass through a metal sieve with round perforations 
1.4 mm in diameter.  
5.               REQUIREMENTS  
                 The following requirements shall be met in kernels of rice:  
5.1             It shall be clean, sound  and free from abnormal odours or odour which indic ates 
deterioration.  
5.2             It shall be free from fungi growth, live insects in all their life stages and live mites ... 
etc. 
5.3            It shall be free from toxic or harmful seeds.  
5.4            It shall have similar color, shape, kind and variety.  
5.5            The moisture content shall not be greater than 15% (m/m).  
5.6             It shall be processed according to hygienic regulations for food plants and their     
personnel proscribed in the GSO standard mentioned in item 2.2.  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
8 
 5.7             Pesticide residues shall not exceed the limits prescribed in the GSO standard   
mentioned in item 2.5.  
5.8            Contamination, toxins and radiation level shall  not exceed the Limits prescribed in the 
GSO standard mentioned in item 2. 8 
5.9            Microbiological criteria shall not exceed the limits prescribed in the GSO standard 
mentioned in item 2.9 
5.10            The classification shall comply with specifications of one of the options described in 
item 4.  
5.11            In case of enriched rice, the minimum and maximum allowance of vitamins and 
minerals  as mentioned  in Table 4.  
 5.12          The maximum contents of defective kernels, other kinds of rice and extraneous   
matter shall not be greater than the values specified in Table 5.  
5.13            In case of modified genetic rice shall be according to GSO standard mentioned in 
item 2.13  
5.14           In case of Basmati rice item (3.8) the product shall contain at least 93% Basmati rice, 
if it is below than that it cannot be named Basmati rice.  
Table (4): Minimum and maximum allowance of vitamins  
and minerals in enriched rice  
Vitamins and 
minerals  Minimum  
allowances ppm  Maximum  
allowances ppm  
Thiamin (B1) 4.4 8.8 
Riboflavin (B2) 2.6 5.3 
Niacin (B3) 35 70 
Iron  29 57 
                         
 
 
Table (5): Maximum contents of defective kernels, other kinds of rice and extraneous matter.  
 
(A) Defective kernels  
 GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
9 
 Defect described  Maximum content % m/m  
Husked 
rice 
(brown)  Milled rice 
(White)  Husked  ( brown) 
rice Parboiled  Milled  (White) 
rice parboiled  
Heat -damaged  4.0* 3.0 8.0* 6.0 
Damaged (no heat)  4.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 
Immature  12.0 2.0 12.0 2.0 
Chalky  11.0*  11.0 - - 
Red 12.0 4.0 12.0 4.0 
Red-streaked  - 8.0 - 8.0 
Pecks  - - 4.0* 2.0 
Chips  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
* After milling for control purposes.  
(B) Other types of rice:  
other types of rice  Maximum content % m/m  
Husked 
rice 
(brown)  Milled rice 
(White)  Husked  ( brown) 
rice Parboiled  Milled  (White) 
rice parboiled  
Paddy  rice 2.5 0.3 2.5 0.3 
 Husked  (Brown) Rice  - 1.0 - 1.0 
Milled (white )rice  - - 2.0 2.0 
Glutinous  rice 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 
 
 
 
(C)Extraneous matter:  
 
Extraneous matter  Maximum content % m/m  GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
10 
 Husked 
rice 
(brown)  Milled rice 
(White)  Husked  ( brown) 
rice Parboiled  Milled  (White) 
rice parboiled  
Other Organic 
impurities  1.5 0.5 1.5 0.5 
Filth  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Inorganic impurities  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
 
  
6.                SAMPLING  
                   Samples shall be drawn according to the GSO standard mentioned in item 2.4  
7.                METHODS OF TEST   
7.1             All necessary tests on the representative sample drawn according to item (6), shall be  
carried out according to the GSO standard mentioned in items 2.11.  
7.2              In case of quantitative and qualit ative analysis of Basmati rice, the following 
protocols are applied as guidelines: -  
- Protocol for the identification of selected Basmati Rice varieties" - Food Standards    
Agency, london,and CAZS, Univeristy of Wales,Bangor – February 2005  
 - Protocol fo r the quantitative analysis of adulteration of Basmati rice with sherbati, 
mugad sugandha, pak 386 or superifine " - Food Standards Agency, london,  and 
CAZS, Univeristy of Wales,Bangor – February 2006 .  
  
 
8.               PACKAGING TRANSPORTATION AND STORA GE 
The following specifications shall be observed on packaging, transportation and 
storage.  
8.1             Packaging :  
without prejudice to the previsions of the GSO standard mentioned in items 2.7 and 
2.14, kernels shall be packaged in suitable, clean, sufficiently strong, sealed and well 
stitched sacks or containers and, not previously used and have no contaminating effect 
on the product  or its quality characteristics.  
8.2              Transportation   GSO STANDARD                                                              GSO 1003/……  
 
 
11 
 Rice kernels shall be transported in such a suitable way as to protect their quality 
characteristics. Transportation methods shall not be used for carrying pesticides or any 
other harmful or poisonous materials.  
8.3               Storage  
Without prejudice to t he provisions of the GSO standard mentioned in item 2.3, rice 
kernels shall be stored in such a way as to safeguard the quality characteristics and to 
protect them from mechanical damage and contamination. Stores shall comply with 
hygienic requirements and  shall prevent rice exposure to insects, rodents, birds, high 
moisture or temperature.  
9.                LABELLING   
Without prejudice to the previsions of the GSO standard mentioned in item 2.1, the 
following information shall be indicated on each sack or container:  
9.1             Rice type: white, brown, parboiled (white, brown).  
 9.2             Country of origin.  
9.3            Length of kernels (long, medium, short) with indication of which  classification option 
is chosen according to clauses 4.  
9.4               White rice color non parboiled (white brown, white, extra white).  
9.5               Cooking method. (voluntary)  
9.6               Production date or  Crop year (……… crop) and expiry  date in case the rice is 
packaged and fortified.  
 9.7             Vitamins and minerals (if found).  
9.8               Additives (if found).  
9.9               produced from genetically modified organism or irradiated  (if found).  
 9.10           In addition to the above mentioned, it shall only be indicated on sack or container if 
product contains at least 93% Basmati rice, if it is below  93% Basmati word cannot 
be used.  
 
 
 
References:  
CODEX STAN CAC 198 -19 Amendment 2009 .