هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
مشروعنهائي  
Final  Standard FDS 
 
 
 
اعداد اللجنة الفنية الخليجيةTC 05  
Prepared by GSO Technical Committee No.  TC 05  
 
 
GSO 05/ FDS  2458 : 20 17 
 
 
 الأسماك المملحة والمملحة المجففة  
Salted fish and dried salted fish  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ICS: 67. 120 
 
 
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. هذه الوثيقة مشروع لمواصفة قياسية خليجية تم 
توزيعها لإبداء الرأي والملحوظات بشأنها، لذلك 
فإنها عرضة لتغيير والتبديل، ولا يجوز الرجوع 
إليها كمواصفة قياسية خليجية إلا بعد اعتمادها 
من الهيئة. 
 
  
 
 
 
Foreword  
 
Standardization Organization for GCC (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 through specialized technical committees (TCs).  
 
The GSO Board of Directors in its meeting No ( ) held on / /H,     Corr espond to     /       
/      .   Has been decided to approve the Technical Regulation No. (   ) " Salted fish 
and dried salted fish " in English language, which has been study through the technical 
program of committee TC No 5 "The Gulf Technical Committee for Food and 
Agricultural Standards Products" listed in State of Qatar plan.   
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Gulf  STANDARD  GSO   / 2017 
 
 
Salted fish and dried salted fish 
1-Scope and field of application: 
 
    This Gulf Standard is concerned with salted fish and dried salted fish of the 
family Ga didae,  which has been fully saturated  with salt (heavy salted) or to 
salted fish which has been preserved by partial saturation to a salt content 
not less than 12% b y weight of the salted fish which may be offered for 
consumption without further industrial  process es.  
 
 
2-Complementary 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 150 " Expiration periods for food products - Part 2 : Voluntary  
periods ". 
2.5             GSO 168" Requirements for stores of keeping dry and packaged food 
products".  
2.6 GSO 382 ,383 “Maximum Limits of Pesticide Residue – Permitted in Food 
Products:  Part 1  and part 2 ”. 
 2.7 GSO 589 “Methods of Physical and Chemical Analysis o f Fish, Shellfish 
and Their Products”.  
2.8 GSO 655 “Methods of Microbiological Examination for Meat, Fish and 
Shellfish”.  
 2.9 GSO 839 “Food Packages – Part I – General Requirements”.  
2.10         GSO 998 “Methods for Detection of Limits of Radioactivity Levels 
Permitted in Agriculture and Food Products  – Part 1".  
 
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Gulf  STANDARD                                                          GSO    /2017  
 
2.11  GSO 1000  " METHOD OF SAMPLING FOR PREPACKAGED  
  FOOD PRODUCTS  
2.12 GSO 1016 “ Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs – Part 1”.  
2.13         GSO/CAC 193" General Standard for contaminants and toxins in foods".  
2.14 GSO Standard  which the Organization shall be approved  on “Methods of 
Sampling Fish, Shellfish and Their Products”.  
3. Definitions: 
 
3.1 Salted fish : is the product obtained from fish of the species belonging to 
the family Gadidae; and  which has been bled, gutted, beheaded, split or  
filleted, washed and salted.   . 
     . 
 
3.2 Dried salted fish : Salted fish and dried.  
3.3 Dry Salting : Is the process of mixing fish with suitable food grade salt and 
stacking the fish in such a manner that the excess of the resulting brine 
drains .  
  
 (  3.4 Wet Salting (pickling) : is the process whereby fish is mixed with 
suitable food grade salt and stored  in watertight containers under the 
resultant brine (pickle) which forms by solution of salt in the water  extracted 
from the fish tissue. Brine may be added to the container. The fish is 
subsequently removed from the container and stacked so that the brine 
drains away. 
 
 (  3.5 Brine Injection : is the process for directly injecting brine into the fish 
flesh and is permitted as a part  of the heavy salting process . 
  
3.6 Natural Drying : the fish is dried by exposure to the open air                         
             ( 3.7 Artificial Drying : the fish is dried in mechanically circulated air, 
the temperature and humidity of  which may be controlled .  
 
 
 
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STANDARD                       Gulf  GSO    /2017 
4.  Presentation: 
 
  4.1 Split fish: split and with the major length of the anterior of the backbone 
removed (about two -thirds).  
     
  4.2 Split fish with entire backbone : split with the whole of the backbone 
not removed.  
 
 4.3 Fillet  : is cut from the  fish, strips of flesh is cut parallel to the central 
bone of the fish and from which fins main bones and sometimes belly flap is 
removed.  
  4.4 Other presentation : any other presentation of the product shall be 
permitted provided that it :  
 4.4.1 Is  sufficiently distinctive from the other forms of presentation laid down 
in this Standard .   
 4.4.2 Meets  all other requirements of this Standard    
 4.4.3  Is adequately described on the label to avoid confusing or misleading 
the consumer  
    
5. Requirements: 
The following requirements shall be met in the product: 
    5.1           The fish intended for processing shall be  sound, clean and fit for 
human consumption. 
5.2              Using salt in the processing shall be comply with the specific Gulf  
Standard, and shall be clean, free from foreign  materials, and not contain 
any sings of contaminations, dirt, oils or any other extraneous matters. 
5.3 The production shall be carried out according to the hygienic regulations 
mentioned in Gulf Standard stated in Item 3.2.  
5.4 The product shall be free from  visual defects on the surface, and free from 
molds, insects and their parts.    
 5.5             The flesh of the pr oduct shall be hold texture and not to be soft or  
                     With kneading -trough texture.   
5.6              The product shall be free from extraneous matter. 
5.7              The product shall be free from extraneous flavors which indicates 
for spoilage or rancidity.   
 
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5.8             Only the use of sorbets with INS 200 -203 as preservatives with 
maximum level 200 ppm singly or in combination as sorbic acid.   
5.9              The microbiological requirements shall be comply with what 
mentioned in Gulf Standard stated in Item 2.13. 
5.10              The level of contaminants and toxins in the product shall not 
exceed to what mentioned in Gulf Standard stated in Item 2.14. 
5.11             The level of pesticides residues in the product shall not exceed to 
what mentioned in Gulf Standard stated in Item 2.5. 
5.12 The sample unit shall be considered defective when it exhibits any of the 
properties defined below : . 
 5.12.1  Foreign Matter :  
The presence in the sample unit of any matter which has not been derived 
from Gadidae fish, does not pose a  threat to human health, and is readily 
recognized without magnification or is present at a level determined by any 
method including magnification t hat indicates non -compliance with good 
manufacturing and sanitation practices. 
  5.12.2 Odor :  
A fish affected by persistent and distinct objectionable odors  indicative of 
decomposition (such as sour, putridetc.) or contamination by foreign 
substances (such  as fuel oil, cleaning compounds, etc ..) 
: 5.12.3 Pink  
Any visible evidence of red halophilic bacteria .  
 5.12.4 Appearance :  
Textural breakdown of the flesh which is characterized by extensive cracks on 
more than 2/3 of the surface  area or which has been mutilated, torn or broken 
through to the extent that the split fish is divided into two or 
more pieces but still held together by skin .  
  5.12.5 when 30% or more of the fish in the sample unit are affected by  any of 
the following defects: 
5.12.5.1 A fish showing an aggregate area of pronounced halophilic mold  
clusters on more than 1/3 of the total surface  area of the face side.  
5.12.5.2 A pronounced yellow or yellowish orange discoloration caused by the 
presence of liver and affecting more  than 1/4 of the total surface area of the 
face of the fish.   
5.12.5.3 Any fish showing more than 1/2 of the face of the fish with intense 
bruising .   
  
4 
 
  
STANDARD                         Gulf  GSO    /2017 
 STANDARD                         Gulf  GSO    /2017 5.12.5.4 A fish with more than 1/2 of the back (skin side) tacky or sticky due 
to overheating during drying. 
 
6. Sampling: 
Samples of the product shall be taken according to what mentioned in Gulf 
Standard stated in Item 2.11. 
 
 
7. Methods of examination and test: 
 Examination and test of the product shall be carried out according to Gulf 
Standards stated in Items 2.2, 2.7, 2.8, 2.10. 
 
8. Packaging: 
8.1 The product shall be packing in containers comply with what mentioned in 
Gulf Standard stated in Item 2.9. 
8.2 The  container shall contain one only one form of presentation from one 
species of fish. 
 
9. Labeling: 
 Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in Items 2.1, 
2,4 the following information shall be declared on the product label: 
9.1 Product  name:  
Product name shall be salted fish, wet salted fish, and salted fish fillet,         
dried salted fish or any salted fish with another presentation according to the 
Stander d.  
9.2 Product presentation: According to what declared in Item (4). 
9.3T he term "klippfish" can only be used for dried salted fish which has been 
prepared from fish which has reached salt saturation prior to drying  
95%. 
9.4 The term "wet salted fish" can only be used for fish fully saturated with 
salt.  
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STANDARD                         Gulf  GSO    /2017 
 
 
10. Transportation and storage:  
 
10.1 Transportation: 
10.1.1 The pro 
 
 
 
 
duct shall be transport with suitable transport means, far from any toxic 
materials or harmful to health. 
10.1.2 All transport means surface which contact with product containers 
during transportation shall be easy clean and disinfectant. 
 
10.2 Storage: 
The product shall be store in stores far from the sources of heat, contamination 
and direct sunrise, the stores shall be comply w ith the Gulf Standard stated in 
Item 2.5. 
 
 
 
 
 
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
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