هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية 
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION ( GSO ) 
 
 
 
 
 
 Final  : Draft  
 
 
 
GSO 5/  FDS / ........   : 201 4 
 
 
 
معجون الفلفل الأحمر الحار ( الهريسة  
 Red hot pepper paste ( Harissa )  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by : 
Gulf technical committee for standards of food and agriculture products  
 
 
This document is a draft Gulf standard circulated for comments, it is 
therefore, subject to change, and may not be referred to it as a Gulf 
standard, until approved by the board of direct ors 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ICS :  67.080  
 
FOREWORD 
 
 
 
 
    The Gulf 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 / Technical 
regulation through specialized techni cal committees ( TCs ).  
 
GSO through the technical program of committee TC NO.5 "Gulf technical 
committee for standards of food and agriculture products " has prepared " Red 
hot pepper paste ( Harissa )    " the draft standard has been prepared by the 
state of Qatar. The draft standard has been prepared based on relevant ADMO, 
International and national foreign standards and references.  
 
This standard has been approved as Gulf standard without any technical 
modifications by GSO Board of Direction in its mee ting No…/…. ……held on   
/  /   /  H,  /  /  G    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  GULF STANDARD                                                                                               GSO      
/2014   
 
1  
Red hot pepper paste ( Harissa )  
 
1.  Scope and filed of application:  
 This Gulf  standard is concer ned with  harissa (red hot pepper paste) as defined in 
Section 2, manufactured and intended for direct human consumption.  It does not 
apply to other traditionally -prepared types of harissa. .  
 
 
 
2.  Complementary standards :  
2.1   GSO  9   “ Labelling  of prepackaged foods” .  
2.2  GSO 21   “  Hygienic regulations for food plants and their personnel” .  
2.3   GSO 150 “ Expiration periods at food products “.  
2.4   GSO 1 67  “ General requirements of products safety and their suitability for use  “. 
2.5   GSO 177” Methods of Physical and Chemical Test of Canned Vegetables  “ 
2.6  GSO 178 “  Microbiological Methods for Testing of Canned Vegetable “. 
2.7 GSO 244   “ Methods of test for vegetables , fruits and their products: part 1 : 
Organoleptic examina tion, determination of net weight and drained weight , 
determination of  apparent viscosity , determination of head – space, 
determination of extraneous matter, defective fruits”.  
2.8   GSO 382 “ Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Fo od Products - 
Part 1 ”.  
2.9  GSO 383 “ Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food Products - 
Part 2  “.  
2.10  GSO 839  “ Food Packages -Part 1: General Requirements  “. 
2.11  GSO 1016 “ Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs – part 1”  
2.12  GSO 1287 “ Methods of Sampling of Prepackaged Fruit and  Vegetable Products  “. 
2.13  GSO CAC 193 “ General standard for contaminants and toxins in food  “. 
 
GSO standard to be approved by GSO concerning the following :  
2.14 GSO Standard  ON “Methods for the Determination of Pesticide Residues in 
Foodstuffs”.  
 
 
 
 
  GULF STANDARD                                                                                               GSO      
/2014   
 
2  
3.  Definition :  
 
 Harissa  :  designates the preserved pulp of fresh red hot pepper, of the Capsicum annuum  
variety, concentrated and with the composition provided for in Item (4) and preserved using 
thermal treatment only.  
 
                                                              
 
 
 
4.   Requirements :  
The following requirements should be met in ( harissa ) red hot pepper paste  :  
 
4.1 The ingredient of red hot pepper paste should  be the following :   
 
4.1.1 Fresh red hot peppers of the Capsicum annuum  variety  
4.1.2  Fresh garlic  
4.1.3  Coriander  
4.1.4 Caraway  
4.1.5  Salt  
  
4.2  The peppers used in the preparation of processed Harissa should  be sufficiently ripe, 
wholesome, with a deep red colour, free of spoilage, rot and impurities and free of insects..  
 
4.3  Natural homogenous red color with a minimum of color on a “hunter” scale of the value 
of a/b not less than 1/4 and free of black particles.  
 
4.4  The taste should  be typical to the product, spicy (hot), free from bitterness or burned taste 
or any other f oreign taste.  
 
4.5  The smell should  be typical of the product and free of foreign smells.  
  
4.6  Consistency/texture  
The final product should  be free of crusts and seeds using a 2 mm sieve.  
 
4.7   Acidity, expressed as citric acid, should  not exceed 3.6% of total dry residues.  
 
4.8  Dry extract should  be not less than 14% of total soluble solids (excluding salt) . 
 
4.9   The percentage of added salt should  not exceed 1.5% of dry weight basis.  
 
4.10  The percentage of acid insoluable ash should not exceed 0.15% of the total weight of dry 
extract.  
 
4.11  No food additives should  be used in harissa.  
 
412 Contaminants and toxins  should  not exceed  the limits given i n the Gulf standard  GULF STANDARD                                                                                               GSO      
/2014   
 
3 mentioned   in Item ( 2.13 ) . 
 
4.13 The Limits of Pesticide Residues should  not exceed  the limits given i n the Gulf standard 
mentioned   in Items ( 2.8 )  ( 2.9 )  . 
4.14 Hygienic regulation and general requirements should  be as given in the Gulf standard 
mentioned   in Items ( 2.2 ) ( 2.4 )  . 
 
4.15 The limits of  Microbiological criteria  should  be as given in the Gulf standard mentioned   
in Item ( 2.11 ). 
 
 
 
 
   
5. Smapling :  
 Sampling should  be carried out according to Gulf Standard mentioned in Item ( 2.12 ) . 
 
 
 
 
6.  Methods of test s and examination:   
Should  be carried out on the representative sample taken according to Item (5) to determine its 
compliance with  all the items of this standard :  
 
6.1Determination of pesticide Residues in Foodstuffs should  be according to the Gulf 
Standard mentioned  in  Item ( 2.14 ). 
6.2 Determination of p hysical and chemical tests should  be according to the Gul f Standard 
mentioned in  Item ( 2.5 ). 
6.3 Determination of m icrobiological tests should  be according to the Gulf standard 
mentioned in  Item ( 2.6 ). 
6.4 Methods of test for vegetables , fruits and their products  should be according to the Gulf 
standard mentioned in I tem ( 2.7 ) 
 
 
 
7.  Packaging , transportation and storage.  
 
 
7.1  The packaging  should be  m et the requirements of Gulf Standard mentioned   in Item           
( 2.10 ).  GULF STANDARD                                                                                               GSO      
/2014   
 
4 7.2 The container should be well filled with the product, which should occupy not less than 
90% (minus any necessary head space according to good manufacturing practices) of 
the w ater capacity of the container  
7.3 Flexible containers should be filled as full as commercially practicable.  
 
7.4  Harissa must be packed in suitable and clean containers, tightly closed, and all materials 
in contact with the product must be authorized for  use in food packaging  
 
 
 
 
8.    Labelling :  
Without prejudice to what has been mentioned in Gulf  Standard mentioned in I tems ( 2.1) ,      
( 2.3 ) and the following information should  be declared on the container’s label :  
 
8.1 The name of the product shall be “harissa ” . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  GULF STANDARD                                                                                               GSO      
/2014   
 
5  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Main reference   :      
 
                                                                          
Codex standard  
 
 
 
No. 803  R - 2011  
 
Red hot pepper paste ( Harissa )