STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION GCC  (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 Final Draft  
 
GSO / FDS……/201 3  
  
 
 مضافات التبغ المسموحة وغير المسموحة  
 
Permissible and impermissible tobacco additives   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by:  
 
 
Gulf technical committee for sector standards of  
Food and agric ulture products  
This document is a draft Gulf standard circulated for comments, it is therefore, subject to alteration and 
modification, and may not be referred as a Gulf standard, until approved by the Board of Directors.  
 
 
CS: 65.160  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
FORWORD  
 
 
Standardization Organization for GCC (GSO) is a regional Organization which consists of the 
National Standard Bodies of GCC member States. 
One of GSO main functions is to issue Gulf Standard/ Technical regulation through specialized 
technical committees ( TCs).  
 
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No: (5) "Technical Gulf committee for food and 
agriculture product standards" has prepared this standard “Permissible and impermissible tobacco 
additives ”.                                                                                                                       
 The draft standard has been prepared by (State of Qatar).                                                                              
 
This standard has been prepared after revie w the Arabic, foreigner, 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,         /       /                                                                                
                   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
 
Permissible and impermissible  tobacco  additives   
1–Scope:  
This Gulf Standar d is concerned with permissible and im permissible tobacco additives .  
 
2–Complementary Standards  
2.1  GSO 246 :  “Labeling of tobacco products packages" .   
2.2  GSO 597:   "Cigarettes.  
2.3  GSO 1415: "Almeassel tobacco".  
2.4  GSO 1749:  “Fruit flavored Almeassel tobacco".  
2.5  GSO 2047:  "Tuscan cigars and cigarettes:.   
2.6  GSO 2050:  "A mixture for tobacco pipe".  
2.7  GSO 2051:  "Tobacco and its products - Sijaritus".  
 
3–Definitions:  
Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in item (2), the following definitions 
shall be used:  
3.1  Smoked t obacco products:  
Products made from  tobacco  for smoking directly as cigarettes, Cigar, Tuscan cigar,  sijaritus , loose 
tobacco,  pipe tobacco, or with indirect smoking as Almeassel tobacco and fruit flavored Almeassel 
tobacco .  
3.2  Smokeless tobacco prod ucts:  
Products make of tobacco for use without smoking.  
3.3  Tobacco additive:  
Any substance  added  to the tobacco  during  its processing and have a defined function in the final 
product.  
 
3.4  Reconstituted tobacco:  
A sheet made of tobacco by -products (e.g., dust, stems and stalks) that are finely chopped and ground, 
that may be mixed with binding agents of nature   gum or synthetic additives gums, and that are rolled , 
cast or extruded . 
1  Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
 
 
3.5  Processing aids  for tobacco additives : 
Substances that are used for treatment of raw materials or the product  during processing , and do not 
significantly   found in the final product, a nd not have a define d function in the final product . 
 
3.6  Tea- like product:  
A material that resembles tea but is not made from tea leaves.  
3.7  Sugars fit for human consumption:  
Sugar s that are  classified as  Food grade  . 
  
4– Permissible and impermissible  tobacco  additives to tobacco products : 
4.1  Permissible tobacco additives to tobacco products:  
Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in items (2.2,   2.5, 2.7) the use of the 
substances listed in Appendix  (1) hereto shall be permitted as tobacco  additives for the purposes 
specified therein.  
4.2  Impermissible  tobacco additives to tobacco products : 
Tobacco additives  listed in Appendix  (2)  No. 1, or obtained from plants or parts of plants listed in 
Appendix  (2) No. 2, shall not be used in the commerc ial manufacture of tobacco products.  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
   
Appendix (1)  
Permissible tobacco  additives    
1. Appr oved  tobacco  additives : 
-Food grade aroma and flavors, except those listed in Appendix (2) No. 1, or  which  obtained    
from plants or parts of plants mentioned in Appendix 2 /2.   
-Fruits, dried fruits, fruit pulps, fruit juices, concentrated fruit juices, and fruit syrups  
-Spices, except for the plants or parts of plants mentioned in Appendix (2) No. 2  
-Licorice extract  
-Coffee  extract . 
-Tea and tea -like produc ts 
-Cocoa, and cocoa products  
-Honey  
-Maple syrup  
-Sugars suitable for human consumption, includin g caramelized sugars  
-Menthol.  
-Dextrin s 
-Molasses  
-Starch  
-Modified starch  
-Acid -treated starch  
-Starch degraded by oxidation  
-Starch phosphate  
-Sodium chloride   
-Water 
-Essences containing the solvents listed below may also be used for the manufacture of  
cigarettes, cigars, and smoking  tobacco:  
- 1, 3-butylene glycol  
- Cellulose  
- Arabic gum  
- Citric acid  
- Potassium sorbate  
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
 
        - Sodium benzaoate  
        - Acetic  acid 
       - Hydroxy ethyl methyl cellulose  
2. Humectants  
2.1 For loose  tobacco, cigars, cigarettes  and reconstituted tobacco:  
 -Glycerol (E 422)  
 -Hydrogenated glucose syrup  
 -1, 3-butylene g lycol  
 -1, 2-propylene glycol  
 -Triethylene glycol  
 -Orthophosphoric acid (E 338)  
           - Glycerophosphoric acid and its sodium, potassium and magnesium compounds.  
 - Sorbitol  
  
3. Glues, Adhesives, and Thickening Agents  and binders : 
3.1 For cigars, cigarettes, loose  tobacco including black  tobacco :   
-Gelatin  
-Shellac  
-Collodion  
-Cellulose acetate  
-Ethylcellulose   
-Methylcellulose (E 461 ) 
-Carboxymethylcellulose and its sodium (E 466),  potassium, magnesium and  calcium  
compounds                                                 
-Carboxymethyl starch  
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
 
-Gum arabic (E 414)  
-Agar (E 406)  
-Alginic acid (E 400)  
-Sodium alginate (E 401)  
-Potassium alginate (E 402)  
-Calcium alginate (E 404)  
-Tragacanth gum (E 413)  
-Locust bean meal (E 410)  
-Guar seed meal (E 412)  
 With glycerol acetate permitted to be added to the above mixtures.  
 
3.2 For reconstituted tobacco:  
 - Glyoxal  or melamine   in a maximum amount of 2 % of the product on a dry -weight basis,  -
formaldehyde resin up to a maximum of 2 % of the product on a dry -weight basis  
         - Cellulose.  
         - Guar gum  
         -Carboxymethyl cellulose ( E466)  
         - Xanthan gum  
3.3 For smoking tobacco:  
 - Agar (E 406)  
 - Gum arabic (E 414)  
4.   Combustion control agents:  
-Aluminum hydroxide  
-Aluminum sulphate  
-Aluminum oxide  
-Magnesium oxide  
-Sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium compounds of carbonic acids,  formic acid, acetic acid, 
malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, and nitric acid.  
5  Gulf Standard                                                                                                                            GSO…/2013  
5.     Pre servatives for tobacco : 
-Sorbic acid (E 200), sodium sorbate, potassium sorbate (E 202), and calcium sorbate (E 203),  
-Benzoic acid (E 210) and sodium benzoate (E 211),  
-Ethyl para -hydroxybenzoate (E 214) and propyl para -hydoxybenzoate (E 216) and their 
sodium compounds (E 215 and E 217),  
-  Thiabendazole (E 233),  
 
6. Colorants:  
6.1 For reconstituted tobacco and for  cigars:  
 -Humid acid and its alkali salts  
 -Buckthorn berry extract   (Rhamnus cartharticus ).   
 -Logwood extracts (Haematoxylon c ampechianu m).   
 -Yellowwood extracts  (Morus tinctoria)    
 -Carbo medicinalis vegetabilis   (E 15 1)   
 -Brilliant Black, BN (E 151)  (artificial color).    
 -Cochineal Red, A (E 124)  (artificial color).    
 -Fast Red, (artificial color).     
 -Yellow Orange, S (E 110)  (artificial color).    
 -Indigotin, I (E 132)  (artificial color).    
 -Amaranth (E 123)  (artificial color).    
 -Tartrazine (E 102)  (artificial color).    
 -as well as their aluminum, calcium, and magnesium compounds (the so -called lakes).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                                             GSO…/2013  
 
 
6.2 Thickening agents for cigars and smoking tobacco:  
           Caramel . 
6.3 For black rolled tobacco:  
- iron (III) sulphate  
 -Tannin.  
 -Calcium chloride  
-Calcium hydroxide  
-Mono -potassium tartrate   
-1, 3-butylene glycol                                                           
 - Soda material  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7  Gulf St andard                                                                                                                             GSO…/2013  
 
Appendix ( 2) 
                        Impermissible    tobacco additives   
1- Odorants and Flavorants  
   
 -Agaric ac id (agaricine, Acidum agaricinicum ) 
-Birch tar oil ( Oleum Betulae empyreumaticum ) 
-Bitter almond oil containing free or bound hydrocyanic acid  
-Sassafras oil ( Oleum Sassafras ) 
-Juniper tar oil ( Oleum Juniperi empyreumaticum ) 
-Camphor oil  
-Camphor  
-Coumarin  
-Safrole  
- Thujone  
2- Odorants and flavorants produced from:  
-Woody nightshade stems (Bittersweet stems;  Stipites Dulcamarae ) 
-Camphor wood ( Lignum Camphorae ) 
-Polypodium rootstock ( Rhizoma Polypodii; Rhizoma Filicis dulcis ) 
-Poley mint ( Herba Pulegii ) 
-Quassia wood (bitterwood,  Lignum Quassiae ) 
-Quillaia bark ( Cortex Quillaiae,  soap bark)  
- Tansy (Herba Tanaceti)  
- Rue (Herba Rutae)  
-Sassafras wood ( Lignum Sassafras ) 
-Sassafras leaves ( Foliae Sassafras ) 
-Sassafras bark ( Cortex Sassafras ) 
-Yellow sweet cl over ( Melilotus Officinalis ) 
-Tonka beans ( Semen Toncae )                                                    
-Vanilla root ( Liatris Odoratissima ) 
-Woodruff ( Asperula Odorata ) 
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