STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION  
FOR G.C.C.  
Draft Standard  
 
SWEETENERS PERMITTED FOR USE  
IN FOOD PRODUCTS  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PREPARED BY  
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT GULF STANDARD CIRCULATED FOR 
COMMENTS.  IT IS, THEREFORE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY NOT 
BE REFERRED TO AS A GULF STANDARD UNTIL APPROVED BY THE 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.  
  GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 2  
 
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
The standard is concerned with sugar substitutes permitted for use in energy -reduced  
Food as sweeteners, or food without added sugar or diabetics and foods for special 
nutrition uses.  
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1       GSO  9   "Labelling of Prepackaged Foods"  
2.2       GSO 654 "General Requirement for Prepackaged Food for Special Diet ary 
Use.  
2.3       GSO 840  "Meth ods for determination of  sweeteners  permitted  for use in food 
products  - part 1". 
2.4       GSO/CAC/GL1 "General guidelines on claims  
2.5        GSO 2233 "Requirements of nu tritional labeling . 
 
3. DEFINITION  
3.1 Acceptable daily intake: The amount of a sweeteners, expressed on a body  
weight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without apprecible  
health risk and expressed as mg/kg body weight.  
3.2 The term infant means a person not more than 12 months of age.  
3.3 Children mean person s between 1 to 3 years of age.  
3.4         Polyols:  chemically  defined  as saccharide  derivative in which a  ketone  or aldehyde group is 
replaced by  a hydroxyl group, and are classified according to the number of existing saccharide 
unit in the molecule . 
 
4. REQUIREMENTS  
             The followin g shall be met in foods containing  sweeteners : 
 
4.1        Sweeteners shall comply with the relevant GSO  standards.  
4.2        Sweeteners mentioned in table (1) shall be permitted  only.  
4.3        The maximum limits of sweeteners in the product shall not exceed the levels  
             mentioned in table 2.  
4.4        Acceptable daily intake from sweeteners s hall not  exceed the limits mentioned in 
table (1).  
4.5        Combination of more than one sweetener  shall be permitted, the maximum  
              limits of each sweetener shall not exceed the maximum permitted level in  
              individual form calcul ated on percent of combination.  
4.6  Combination of sweeteners and polyols  with sugar is  permitted.  
4.7  Sweeteners are not allowed in all foods  for infant and children , except foods for 
special dietary uses.  
 
 
 
 
  GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 3  
Table (1)  
Sweeteners permitted for  use in  food products  
 
INS sweeteners  Acceptable daily intake  
  (mg/kg from body weight  
954 Saccharin and its salts  0  -  5  
951 Aspartame      0   -   40  
950 Acesulfam potassium  0   -  9  
955 Sucralose  0   - 5  
957 Thaumati n Not specified  
420 Sorbitol  Not specified  
420 Sorbitol syrup  Not specified  
421 Mannitol  Not specified  
953 Isomaltitol  Not specified  
965 Maltitol  Not specified  
965 Maltitol syrup  Not specified  
966 Lactitol  Not specified  
967 
968 
961 
956 
960 
962 Xylitol  
Erythritol * 
Neotame  
Alitame  
Steviol glycosides  
Aspartame -acesulfame salt  Not specified  
Not specified  
0  -  2 
Not specified  
0 - 4 
Not specified  
*The maximum limit from the erythritol  in beverages shall not exceed 2.5% for purposes other 
than  sweetening . 
 GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 4 Table 2  
Maximum Limit of sweeteners in Foodstuff  
MG/KG or L in final product  
Sweeteners/product Acesulfam 
potassium Aspartame -
acesulfame 
salt Aspartame Sucralose Saccharin 
and its 
salts Thaumation     
Neotame  
           
Alitame  
 Stevia 
(Steviol 
glycoside)  Stevia 
(Steviol  
equivalent )  polyols 
Non-alcoholic drinks 
(such as milk drinks) 350 - 600 300 80 - 20 (except 
milk powder 
& cream 
powder 65) 100 600 198 GMP 
Breakfast cereals  350 - 1000 400 100 - 32 - 1000 330 GMP 
Canned or bottled 
fruits   350 350 1000 (except 
fruit nectar 
600) 300 
(except 
frozen 
400  
dried 
1500 )  200 - 32 (except 
cooked fruit 
65) - 1000 330 GMP 
Jams jellies & 
marmalades   1000 1000 1000 400 200 - 32 100 1000 200 GMP 
Edible ices  800 - 800 320 100 - 26 100 800 200 GMP 
Confectionery, 
chocolate, pudding. 500 - (Solid & soft 
sweet and 
nojah and 
powder  
mixtures of 
cocoa , cocoa  
 templates , 
chocolate 
filling  and 
coverage 
3000) 1800 500 50 chocolate 65 
sweet and 
chocolate 
pudding 
filling and 
coverage 65  
mixtures of 
cocoa as 
liquid 32  
 300 Solid sweet 
1000 soft 
sweet and 
nojah and 
cocoa 2000  270 GMP GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 5 (mixtures of 
cocoa as 
liquid 1000) 
Chewing gum  2000 1000 5500 3000 1200 50 250 300 10000 3300 GMP 
Bakery product  1000 1000 1700 700 170 - 70 - 1000 330 GMP 
Vinegar - - 3000 - - - 12 - - - - 
Sauces, mustard, 
mayonise 350 350 350 Sauce 450 
 mustard 
140 Sauce 160 
mustard 
320 - 12 - Sauce 350 
mustard 
350  120 - 
Food formula Solid 500 
Liquid 350 
Syrup type 
or 
Chewable 
2000 Solid  500  
Liquid 350 
Syrup type or 
Chewable  
2000   Solid 2000 
Liquid 600 
Syrup type or 
Chewable  
5500 Solid 800 
Liquid 240 
Syrup type 
or 
Chewable  
2400 Solid 500 
Liquid 80 
Syrup type 
or 
Chewable  
1200 Syrup type or 
Chewable 400 Solid 60 
Liquid 20 
Syrup type 
or Chew able  
185 - - Solid 670 
Liquid 200 
Chewable 
1800 
Syrup type or 
Chewable 
1800 Syrup 
type or 
Chewable 
GMP 
Soups and sauces  
 - 110 110 - - - 5 40 110 36.3 - 
Nectar vegetables 
and concentrates  
 - - 600 - - - 20 - 200 100 - 
 GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 6 Table (3)  
 
Table  top sweeteners  
 
Powder Sweeteners  
Compound  
 Quantity  
(ml/kg)  
Acesulfame potassium  - 
Aspartame  - 
Saccharin and its salts, sodium and 
potassium.  - 
Sucralose  - 
Thaumatin  - 
Neohesperidine DC  - 
Neotame  - 
Aspartame -acesulfame salt  - 
Calcium lactate  - 
Citric acid  - 
Sodium citrates  - 
Potassium tartrates  - 
Calcium phosphates  - 
Carrageenan  - 
Locust bean gum  - 
Guar gum  - 
Tragacanth  - 
Gum Arabic (acacia gum)  - 
Xanthan gum  - 
Gellan gum  - 
Pectins  - 
Cellulose  - 
Methyl cellulose  - 
Hydroxypropyl cellulose  - 
Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose  - 
Ethyl methyl cellulose  - 
Carboxy methyl cellulose  - 
Cross -linked sodium carboxy methyl 
cellulose  50.000  
Sodium carbonates  - 
Potassium carbonates  - 
Silicon dioxidـــــsilicates  10.000  
Glucono -delta -lactone  - 
Sodium gluconate  - 
Potassium gluconate  - 
Calcium gluconate  - 
Glycine and its sodium salt  - 
Polydextrose  - 
Polyethylene glycol  - GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 7 Table (4)  
Table top sweeteners  
 
Tablets Sweeteners  
Compound  
 Quantity  
(ml/kg)  
Acesulfame potassium  - 
Aspartame  - 
Saccharin and its salts, sodium and potassium.  - 
Sucralose  - 
Thaumatin  - 
Neohesperidine DC  - 
Neotame  - 
Aspartame -acesulfame salt  - 
Malic acid  - 
Citric acide  - 
Sodium citrates  - 
Tartaric acid (L(+) -) - 
Potassium tartrates  - 
Gum Arabic (acacia gum)  - 
Pectins  - 
Cellulose  - 
Microcrystalline cellulose  - 
Powdered cellulose  - 
methyl cellulose  - 
Hydroxypropyl cellulose  - 
Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose  - 
Ethyl methyl cellulose  - 
Carboxy  methyl cellulose   
Cross -linked sodium carboxy methyl 
cellulose  50.000  
Sodium, potassium and calcium of fatty 
acids  - 
Magnesium salts of fatty acids  - 
Mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids  - 
Sodium carbonates  - 
Potassium carbonates  - 
Silicon dioxidـــــsilicates  - 
Glucono -delta -lactone  - 
Sodium gluconate  - 
Potassium gluconate  - 
Calcium gluconate  - 
Glycine and its sodium salt  - 
Polydextrose  - 
Polyvinylpyrrolidone  - 
Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone  - 
 GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 8 5. SAMPLING  
 
Sampling shall be carried out according to the method prescribed in the appropriate  
food product standard.  
 
6. METHOD OF TEST  
Determination of permitted sweeteners shall be carried out according to Gulf  
Standard mentioned in item 2.3.  
 
7. LABELLING  
 
Withou t prejudice to what is stated in items (2.1 , 2.2 ,4.5) the 
following shall be declared on the label.  
7.1  The name of sweeteners or  E number.  
7.2  Food products formulated specifically for use by diabetics or for other special  
nutritional uses shall contai n the statement "Food for special dietary use, or  
food for diabetic.  
7.3  The amount of sweeteners matter, mg/ liter or kg, in case of using combination  
of sweeteners, the amount of each in combination shall be declared  
7.4 Food containing sweetener  (s) or mixture of sweetener  (s) and sugar  (s) shall be 
marked or labeled with the indication " with sweeteners" next to the name of the 
product .   
7.5 In case of Suc ralose as table top sweeteners ” temperature should not ex ceed 25C”  
shall be mentioned the following warnings: (clearly and prominently in the same 
font size) . 
7.6 The following warning statements shall be written clearly and prominently as the 
same type size of the product's name:  
7.6.1     In the case of aspartame, "Not to be  used by persons who have phenyl  ketonuria ". 
7.7.2 In the case of saccharine " Use of this product may be hazardous to your  health ". 
7.6.2 In the case of Mannitol "Excess of consumed quantity 20 gm per day could be 
cause  laxative effects ". 
7. 6.3      In the case of Sorbitol or Xylitol "Excess of consumed quantity 40 gm per day    
could be cause laxative effects.  
7.6.4       In the case of Erythritol  or Lactitol "Excess of consumed quantity could be cause 
laxative effects.  
7.6.5       "Not suitable for children under  three  years  old", excluded  those  with special  
nutritional  uses. 
7.6.6        Shall not include any misleading statements.  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  GULF STANDARD  GS ...../2013  
 
 9 References  
 
 
 
-The sweeteners in food (UK) Regulation 2003 (labelling).  
 
-Code federal Regulation part 1 (170.3) (Sucralose).  
 
-European Regulation Directive sweeteners 115/EC.  
 
-European Union Legislation L 259/122.  
 
-European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)  
EFSA Panel on food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS)  
Statement in relation to the safety of Erythritol (E 968).