1 
 هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION FOR G.C.C (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 
Final Draft  
 
 
 
GSO 05/ FDS …. / 201 3  
 
 
 
 
 
الكاسافا الحلوة 
Sweet Cassava 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared By  
GSO Technical Committee for standards of food and agricultu re products  
 
 
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 
Standard until approved by GSO Board Of Directors     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SWEET  CASSAVA  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval  :  (H)-  -  (   -  -      
Issuing  Status  : Technical     Regulation 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
Foreword  
 
GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional Organization which consists of the 
National Standards Bodies o f GCC member States. One of GSO main functions is to issue 
Gulf Standards /Technical regulations through specialized technical committees (TCs).  
 
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No. 5 "Gulf   technical committee for 
standards of food and a griculture products". The Draft Standard has been prepared  by 
Sultanate of Oman. The draft Standard has been prepared based on relevant ADMO, 
International and National foreign Standards and references.  
 
This standard has been approved as a Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation)  by GSO Board 
of Directors  in its meeting No.(       ),held on      /    /            H ,     /     /              G. The 
approved standard will replace and supersede the GSO standard No. (       /      ).    
 
 
 
 
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ….. / 2013  
 
1 SWEET  CASSAVA  1 
 
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
 This GSO  standard applies to commercial sweet2 varieties of cassava roots grown 
from Manihot esculenta Crantz , of the Euphorbiaceae family, to be supplied fresh to the 
consumer, after preparation and packaging. Cassava fo r industrial processing is excluded.  
 
2. COMPLIMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1 GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”.  
2.2 GSO 20 “Methods for the Determination of Contaminating Metallic  Elements in 
Foodstuffs”.  
2.3 GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and  Their Personnel”.  
2.4  GSO 125  “Methods of sam pling fresh fruits and veg etables ”. 
2.5 GSO 150 “Expiration Periods of Food Products - Part 1  :Mandatory Expiration Date ”. 
2.6    GSO 299  “Methods of test for vegetables, fruits and their products - second par t : 
determination of moisture,  alcohol - insoluble solids, total ash,  calcium,  mineral oil 
and ascorbic acid ”. 
2.7   GSO 842  “Microbiology - general guidance for enumeration of yeast and molds -  colony  
count technique at 25oc”. 
2.8     GSO 1016 “Microbiol ogical Criteria for Foodstuffs – Part 1”.  
 
2.9   GSO ISO 762:2007  “Fruit and vegetable products – Determination of mineral impurities 
content ”. 
2.10    GSO ISO 2448:2008  “Fruit and vegetable products – Determination of ethanol       
content ”. 
2.11     GSO ISO 4832:2010  “Microbiology  of food and animal feeding stuffs  – horizontal 
method for the enumeration of coliforms – colony count technique ”.    
2.12   GSO ISO 6579:2007  “Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal 
method for the detection of Salmonella spp ”. 
2.13   GSO 244  “Methods of test for vegetables, fruits and their products, Part 1: Organoleptic 
examination, determination of net weight and drained weight, determination of 
apparent viscosity ”. 
 
1Commonly known in certain regions by: manioc, mandioca, tapioca, aipim, yucca, etc.  
2Sweet varieties of cassava are those that contain less than 50 mg/kg hydrogen cyanide (fresh weight basis). In  
any case, cassava must be peeled and fully cooked before being consumed  GSO STANDARD  GSO ….. / 2013  
 
2 2.14   GSO Standard ON (Te sting for Pork Fat in Food Products).  
2.15   GSO 1306  “Metho ds microbiological testing of pl ant bab y foods. ” 
 
3.     DEFINITIONS  
       Sweet Cassava: Cassava roots grown from Manihot esculenta Crantz , of the 
Euphorbiaceae family  
4       REQUIREMENTS  
4.1 General Requirements  
 4.1.1    Production shall be carried out according to health requirements and shall be in    
            accordance with the GSO standard mentioned in  ( 2.3  ). 
4.1.2   Sound, produce affected by rotting, mould or deterioration such a s to make it unfit for     
           Consumption is excluded;   
4.1.3    Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter, except permitted substances used    
            to prolong its shelf life;  
4.1.4    Practically free of pests affecting the gene ral appearance of the produce;  
4.1.5    Free from pork products and its derivatives.    
4.1.6    Free from ethanol.  
4.1.7   Free of any foreign smell and/or taste.  
4.1.8   Practically free of mechanical damage and bruising;  
4.1.9     Free of loss of color i n the flesh.  
4.1.10  The cut at the distal (narrow) end of the cassava should not exceed 2 cm in diameter.  
4.1.11  The stalk end of the root should have a clean cut between 1 cm and 2.5 cm in length.  
4.1.12  The cassava must have reached an appropriate de gree of physiological development    
             account being taken of the characteristics of the variety and the area in which they  are    
             grown.  
4.1.13   The development and condition of the cassava must be such as to enable it  to    
             withstand transport and handling; and to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place    
              of destination.  
 
4.2       Contaminant metallic elements content shall not exceed the ratios mentioned  
             against each (ppm):  
                 Cadmium          0.1 ppm  
                 Lead                  0.1 ppm  
 
4.3      Microbiological Characteristics  
          The microbiological characteristics for sweet cassava shall be according GSO standard    
         Which mention in item (2.8) . 
 
4.4 Requirement concerning sizing  
            Size is determined by the diameter at thickest cross -section of the produce, in     
            accordance with  the following table:  
 
                           GSO STANDARD  GSO ….. / 2013  
 
3 Size Code  Diameter  
(in centimeters)  
A 3.5 – 6.0 
B 6.1 – 8.0 
C > 8.0  
 
            In all cases, cassava must not be less than 300 g in weight nor less than 20 cm in        
            length.  Size tolerances  For all classes, 10% by number or weight of cassava    
            corresponding to the size immediately above and/or below that indicated on the    
            package.  
 
  5. CLASSIFICATION :  
Cassava is classified in three classes defined below:  
5.1 “Extra” Class  
             Cassava in this class must be of superior quality. It must be characteristic of the    
                       variety and/or  commercial type. It must be free of defects, with the exception of very      
                      slight superficial defects, provided   these do not affect the general appearance of the   
                       produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in  the package.  
 
5. 2 Class I  
            Cassava in this class must be of good quality. It must be characteristic of the variety    
           and/or  commercial type. The follow ing slight defects, however, may be allowed,    
          provided these do not affect the  general appearance of the produce, the quality, the     
          keeping quality and presentation in the package:  
 
5.2.1 slight defects in shape;  
5.2.2 scarring or healed damage, not exceeding 5% of the surface area;  
5.2.3 scraped areas, not exceeding 10% of the surface area.  
            The defects must not, in any case, affect the pulp of the produce.  
5.3  Class II  
 This class includes cassava which does not qualif y for inclusion in the higher classes,     
           but  satisfy the  minimum requirements specified in Section 4.1 above. The following   
          defects,  however, may be allowed,  provided the cassava retains its essential   
           characteristics  as regards   the quality, the keeping quality and  presentation : 
 
5.3.1   defects in shape;  
5.3.2   scarring or healed damage, not exceeding 10% of the surface area;  
5.3.3   scraped areas, not exceeding 20% of the surface area.  
The defects must not, in any case, affect the pulp of the produce.  
 
 
6. SAMPLING  GSO STANDARD  GSO ….. / 2013  
 
4  Samples shall be taken according to the GSO  Standard mentioned in I tem (2. 4). 
 
7. METHODS OF EXAMINATION AND TEST  
 7.1    Examination : 
       7.1.1  Sensory Test : 
                Sensory test shall be ta ken according to the GSO Standard mentioned in item (2. 13). 
7.1.2 Detection of foreign materials:  
            Foreign materials shall be detect according to the GSO standard mentioned in item 
(2.13). 
7.1.3     Determination of Moisture  
            Moistur e shall be determine according to the GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 6). 
7.1.4    Determination of contaminated metallic elements  
            Contaminated metallic elements shall be determine according to the GSO standard 
mentioned in item (2.2).  
 
7.1.5 Detect of rancidity  
          Rancidity shall be detected according  to GSO mentioned in item (2.2).  
7.1.6   Detection of pork fat  
 Pork fat shall be detected according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 14). 
7.1.7 Detection of Ethanol  
           Ethano l shall be detected according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2.1 0). 
 7.1.8   Detection of salmonella  
                   Salmonella shall be detected according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 12). 
        7.1.9   Yeast and molds  
                   Yeast and molds shall be detected according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 7). 
7.1.10  Determination of total count bacteria  
           Total count bacteria shall be determined according to GSO standard mentioned in item 
( 2 . 15 ). 
7.1.11  Detect of coliform bacteria  
            Coliform bacteria shall be detected according to GSO standard mention in item (2. 11). GSO STANDARD  GSO ….. / 2013  
 
5 7.1.12 Detect of mineral impurities content . 
           Mineral impurities content  shall be detected according to GSO standard mention in    
           item (2.9).  
7.2 Tests shall be carried out on the representative sample taken according to item ( 5 )to  
            determine its compliance with all the items of this standard.  
 
8. PACKAGING, STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION  
8.1 Packaging : Cassava must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.     
           The  materials used inside  the package must be new4, clean, and of a quality such as to    
           avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce. The use of materials,   
           _ particularly of paper or stamps_ provided the  printing or labelling has been done   
           with non -toxic ink or glue.  The product shall be packed in clean, suitable, sound,    
            moisture proof, and well sealed cont ainers that have no effect on product properties.  
 
8.2 Storage : The product shall be stored under suitable conditions in ventilated stores.  
 
8.3 Transportation:  shall be carried out in such a way as to protect the product from  
            mechanical dama ge and contamination.  
9. LABELING  
 Without prejudice to what is stated in the GSO  standard mentioned I tems (2.1) and (2. 6) 
must indicate the following on the cover of the product:  
 
9.1 Name of the produce and type (sweet)  
9.2    The name of the variety (optional)