هيئة التقييس لدول مجمس التعاون لدول الخميج العربية 
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
  
Draft : Final  
 
 
  
GSO 05/ FDS  …… /2014  
 
 
 
  
الفاكهة والخضر ومنتجاتهما– البامية  الطازجة 
Fruit and v egetables and their products  – Fresh Okra  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by  
The Gulf Technical committee for Standards of Food and Agriculture products  
 
 
 
ICS: 67.080.10  
This document is a draft GSO Standard circulated for comments. It is, therefore, 
subject to alteration and modification and may not be referred to as a GSO 
Standar d until approved by GSO.  GSO STANDARD  GSO FDS ……/ 2014  
 
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Foreword 
 
GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional Organization which consists of the 
National Standards Bodies of GCC member States. One of GSO main functions is to issue 
Gulf Standards /Technical regulations through specialized technical committees (TC5).  
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No.:  5 " The Gulf Technical committee 
for Standards of Food and Agriculture products  " has prepared this Standard. The Draft 
Standard has been prepared by ( Republic o f Yemen ). 
This standard has been approved as a Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation) without any 
technical modification s / with technical modification s (to be stated ) by GSO Board of 
Directors  in its meeting No.(       ),held on      /     /             H  ,      /     /             G.  
 
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO FDS ……/ 2014  
 
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 Fruit and vegetables and their products – Fresh Okra  
 
 
1  Scope  
 
 This Gulf standard is concerned with the requirements of (Hibiscus esculentus.L) 
Okra from different varieties which as being fresh consumed or Directly c onsumed, 
and okra for industrial processing are excluded .  
 
2  Complementory references  
 
2.1 GSO 9, Labelling of Prepackaged food stuffs  
2.2 GSO 124, General requirements for fresh fruits of vegetables Boxes.  
2.3 GSO 382, Maximum limits of Pesticide resi dues in agricultural and food products – 
Part 1.  
2.4 GSO 383, Maximum limits of pesticide residues in agricultural and food products – 
Part 2.  
2.5 GSO 988, Limits of radioactivity levels permitted in food stuffs – Part 1.  
2.6 GSO  1016, Microbiological c riteria for foodstuffs – Part1.  
2.7 GSO , Maximum limits of metal contaminants in food products.  
 
3 Quality Requirements  
 
 The fruits shall met the following requirement:  
3.1 Complying to the chararcteristics of the variety.  
3.2 Sound, free from infecti ons of fungi, insects, mechanical injury damage which make 
it unfit for consumption.  
3.3 Fresh with its distinctive colour, style, size.  
3.4 Clean, free from any abnormal foreign matter.  
3.5 Free from abnormal moisture and foreign taste and odor.  
3.6 It should have along fresh green neck, length shall not exceed 3m.  
3.7 Free from the effects of internal bulge seeds.  
3.8 Straight with it's distinctive normal shape.  
3.9 Tender and not woody or stiff.  
3.10 Contaminating metallic elements content shall not exceed to what mentioned in Gulf 
standard stated in item (2.7).  
3.11 Pesticide residues in the product shall not exceed the allowable limits according to 
Gulf standard stated in items (2.3, 2.4).  
3.12 Microbiological criteria of the product shall not  exceed what mentioned in Gulf 
standard stated in item (2.6).  
3.13 The radioactivity contaminant limits for the product shall comply with Gulf standard 
stated in item (2.5).  
 
4 Classification  
 
 Okra is classified into three classes defined bellow;  
4.1 Extra class (E):  
 The fruits of this class shall be of extra quality, complying to the variety from which 
style, size and colour in addition to the following:  GSO STANDARD  GSO FDS ……/ 2014  
 
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 4.1.1  Very tender.  
4.1.2  With very small seeds.  
4.1.3  With its distinctive green colour.  
4.1.4  Free from any defects.  
4.2 Class (I):  
 The fruits of this class shall be of good quality, tender with small seeds.  
4.3 Class (II):  
 This class includes okra which do not qualify for inclusion in extra class and class (I) 
but satisfy the minimum requireme nts. The fruits of this class shall not be very big.  
 The following defects, however, may be allowed, provided the fruits retain their 
essential characteristics as regards the quality:  
4.3.1  Some slight defects.  
4.3.2  Defect in colouring.  
4.3.3  Defect in shape.  
 
5 Provisions Concerning sizing  
 
5.1 Very small fruits: length shall not exceed 20 – 25 mm.  
5.2 Small fruits: length shall not exceed 26 – 34 mm.  
5.3 Medium fruits: length shall not exceed 35 – 45 mm.  
5.4 In varieties with bigger size, the fr uits shall be tender in an maturity gardener stage 
and wuitable for consumption and comply with the requirements mentioned in item 
(3).  
 
6 Provisions concerning tolerances  
 
6.1 Quality tolerances:  
6.1.1  Extra class  
 5 percent of weight of okra not satis fying the requirements of extra class, but 
meeting those of class (I) or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of extra 
class.  
6.1.2  First class (I)  
 10 percent by weight of package okra not satisfying the requirements of first class or, 
exceptiona lly, coming within the tolerances of first class.  
6.1.3  Second class (II)  
 10 percent by weight of okra not satisfying the requirements of second class nor the 
minimum requirements, with the exception of produce offected by rotting or 
deterioration render ing it unfit for consumption.  
6.2 Sizing tolerances;  
 For small fruits okra allows all grades to exceed 10% the weight of the fruit in one 
package don't match the minimum and maximum size.  
 
7 Provisions concerning presentation and handling  
 
7.1 Uniformi ty 
 The okra fruits shall be uniform in each packageand contain only fruits from same 
variety, quality. The visible part of the contents of the package must be presentative 
of the entire contents.  
7.2 Packaging  GSO STANDARD  GSO FDS ……/ 2014  
 
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  Okra fruits shall  be packed in suitable con tainers with properly to protect the product 
from all damaged during handling. The weight of the package comply with importer 
order and comply with the standard stated in item (2.2).  
 The materials which used inside the package must be new and of a qualit y such as to 
avoid causing any external or internal damages to the fruits.  
 The use of materials, practicularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specification us 
allowed provided the printing or labeling has been done with non toxic ink or glue, 
undeletab le.  
 
8 Labeling  
 
 With out prejudice to what mention in Gul f standard stated in item (2.1), each 
package shall have all commercial data on the same side, shall be clear can be 
watched from the outer side, and the following detailes shall be written on ev ery 
package:  
8.1 The name of the product (okra).  
8.2 Country of origin.  
8.3 (Optinal). Production area place.  
8.4 The name of the address of exporter and trade mark.  
8.5 Net weight for each package.  
8.6 Name and address of the organization responsibl e for superuision.  
8.7 Charachteristic of the variety.  
8.8 Method of keeping.  
8.9 Packaging date.