هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION FOR G.C.C (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Final  Draft  
 
GSO 0 5 /FDS  / 201 6 
 
 
صلصة الصويا 
  Soy Sauce    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by:   
Gulf Technical Committee for Food and A gricultural Products  
 
 
This document is a draft Gulf S tandard circulated for comments. I t is, 
therefore, subject to Alteration and modification, and may not be referred 
it as a Gulf Standard, until  by the Board of Directors  
 
ICS : 67. 040 GSO      /2016  Gulf Standard  
1  
 
 
 
Foreword  
 
 
 
Standardization Organization for (GCC) is a regional Organization which consists of 
National Standard Bodies of GCC member States.  One of GCC main function is to issue 
Gulf Standards through specialized technical committees (TCs).  
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No. (5) 'Technical Gulf committee 
for food and agricultural products standards' has prepared the standard of "  Soy Sauce”    
The draft standard has been prepared by Saudi Arabia, after review the Arabic, for eigner 
and International standards and related complied references.  
 
This standard has been approved as Gulf technical regulation by GSO Board of Directors 
in its meeting No…./ …… held on ……/……H,        /        /    G.  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GSO      /2016  Gulf Standard  
2 Soy Sauce  
 
1. SCOPE  
1.1 This standard specifies the requirements for salty soy sauce , light 
soy sauce and  dark (thick) soy sauce produced by the fermentation 
process.  
 
2.           COMPLIMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1 GSO 9 “Labeling of prepackage food”.  
2.2 GSO 2500   “Additives Permitted for Use in Food Stuffs  ”. 
2.3 GSO  CAC  193  “General Standard for contaminants and toxins in 
food”. 
2.4 GSO 1016 “ Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs ”. 
2.5 GSO 995 “ Sweeteners Permitted In Food ” 
2.6 “The maximum limits for residues of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in 
food” which will adopted by GCC standardization organization.  
 
3.             Definitions : 
 3.1  Soy sauce is a seasoning product for edible purposes prepared  from 
fermentation of soya bean and/or defatted soya bean, Aspergillus 
oryzae  and/or Aspergillus sojae  and grain/flour   (wheat, rice, maize 
or tapioca), in a solution of brine (edible salt /sodium chloride).  It 
may contain sweetening substance (such as sucrose, dextrose and 
liquid glucose), caramel (as  colouring s ubstance), molasses, 
permitted preservatives and permitted flavour enhancer . 
 
 
4.             Requirements :  
4.1 The soy sauce shall be pasteurised and/or heat -treated product  made 
from the following ingredients:  
 
4.1.1 Basic ingredients:  
a) soya bean and/or defatted soya bean;  
b) grain/flour (wheat, rice, maize or tapioca);  
c) edible salt (sodium chloride); and  GSO      /2016  Gulf Standard  
3 d) potable water.   
 
 
4.1.2 Other permitted ingredients:              
a) sweetening  substance, such as sucrose, dextrose and liquid glucose; and  
b) molasses.          
                    
4.2  Raw materials used for the manufacture of soy sauce shall    
conform to the appropriate  GSO standards.  
4.3 The food additives  added to soy sauce  shall comply with  item (2.2). 
4.4 Soy sauce  shall be free from any foreign matter.  
4.5  The sweeteners added to soy sauce shall comply with  item (2.5).   
4.6 Soy sauce shall not contain any added colouring substance except         
caramel.  
4.7 It shall not contain hydrolysed vegetable protein.  
4.8 The aroma and taste shall be characteristic of soy sauce.  
4.9 Residual mineral contaminants shall not exceed the limits 
mentioned in GSO in item (2.3). 
4.10 The microbial limits shall not exceed the limits mentioned in  GSO 
in item (2.4). 
4.11 Soy sauce s hall be free from pig products . 
4.12 Salty s oy sauce shall comply with the requirements in Table 1.  
4.13 Dark (t hick) soy sauce shall comply with the requirements in 
Table 2. 
4.14 Light s oy sauce shall comply with the requirements in Table 3. 
 
Table 1. Requirements for salty soy sauce 
Requirements  Parameter  
35 Total solid, % w/w, min 
4.8 pH, max 
10.0 Salt (as sodium chloride), % w/v, 
min 
0.8 Total nitrogen, % w/v, min 
< 100 Halophilic yeast, count per m l  
1.2 Specific gravity, min 
 GSO      /2016  Gulf Standard  
4 Table 2. Requirements for  dark (thick ) soy sauce  
Requirements  Parameter  
55 Total solid, % w/w, min 
4.0 – 5.1  pH, max 
10.0 Salt (as sodium chloride), % w/v, 
min 
0.7 Total nitrogen, % w/v, min 
< 100 Halophilic yeast, count per m l  
1.2 Specific gravity, min 
 
 
Table 3. Requirements for light soy sauce 
Requirements  Parameter  
35 Total solid, % w/w, min  
4.0 – 5.1  pH, max  
10.0 Salt (as sodium chloride), % w/v, 
min 
0.8 Total nitrogen, % w/v, min  
< 100 Halophilic yeast, count per m l 
1.2 Specific gravity, min  
                  
 
5.               LABELLING  
Without prejudice of what stated in GSO mentioned in items     
(2.1) . The label of soy sauce  should declare the following:  
 
5.1 Name of product . 
5.2 Name and address of the manufacturer and/or packer or the owner 
of the rights of  manufacture or packing or the agent of any of them.  
5.3 Storage conditions  of soy sauce . 
5.4 Minimum net weight or volume . 
5.5 If preservative  or flavor enhancer  is added, the word "contain 
permitted preservative  or flavor enhancer " shall be written on  the 
label.  
5.6 Production  and expiry date of soy sauce.  GSO      /2016  Gulf Standard  
5  
Reference  
 
- Light soy sauce (MS 807)  
- Thick soy sauce (MS 1264)  
- Salty soy sauce (MS 2042)