GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 1 THREE PIECE ROUND STEEL CANS  
USED FOR CANNING FOOD STUFFS  
 
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
 This standard is concerned with the single & double reduced three  piece round 
steel cans (tin coated or tin free steel) used for canning food stuffs.  
2.  COMPLIME NTARY REFERENCE  
2.1 GSO  1797  “Round Metal Cans Used for Canning Food stuffs Definitions, 
Construciton, Dimensions and Capacities”.  
2.2 GSO 1795 “Methods of Test for the Three Piece Round Steel Cans Used for 
Canning Food stuffs”.  
2.3.           GS O ISO 1194 9: Cold-reduced tinmill products -Electrolytic tinplate  
 
3. DEFINITIONS  
 For the purpose of this standard, all definitions mentioned in the Gulf Standard 
specified in items (2.1 & 2.3 ) shall apply.  
3.1            Food tin cans : They are cans made  of lamina ted steel and covered with tin, chrome 
or aluminum and its alloys with magnesium and manganese and may be covered 
with a layer of paint or without a layer of paint  . 
3.2            The tinning process : It is the process of covering the tin with a layer of t in to 
prevent corrosion resulting from chemical reactions with food components or 
preservative solutions (salt, acidic or sugary) in packaging operations  . 
3.3             The chromium process : It is the process of covering the tin with a layer of  
chromium and electrically precipitated chromium oxide as an alternative to the 
tinning process  . 
3.4              Sealing : It is the process of double sealing the top cover of metal containers after 
the filling process to ensure the safety of food inside t he package . 
3.5              Single cold -reduced  : description of product in which the black plate has been 
reduced to the desired thickness in a cold reduction  mill and subsequently 
annealed and temper rolled  
3.6             Double cold -reduced  : descript ion of pro duct in which the black plate has had a 
second major reduction after annealing  
 
4. REQUIREMENTS  
 The hermetically sealed round steel cans used for canning food stuffs shall have 
the following:  
4.1 Plate  
4.1.1  Tin Plates  GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 2 4.1.1.1  Tin plates used in  the manuf acturing tin cans shall be made from steel sheets with 
0.12 maximum carbon percent and galvanized either by hot tin dipping or 
electrolytic process with a coating layer. Appendix (1) gives the analysis of some 
types of steel used in food can manu facture an d the class of food according to 
corrosivity.   
4.1.1.2  Plate thickness should not be less than 0.10 mm for double reduced and less than 
0.15 mm for single reduced.  
4.1.1.3  The tin layer weight grams per meter square shall be as shown in Appendix  (2). 
4.1.2 Tin Free Steel (Chrome Coated and Oxide Chrome Electrolitically)  
4.1.2.1  The chemical analysis of some type of steel in cans manufacture shall be as shown 
in Appendix (1).  
4.1.2.2  Plate thickness shall not be less than 0.10 mm for double redu ced and le ss than 
0.15 mm for single reduced . 
4.1.2.3  The chrome weight should not be less than 50 milligram per meter square and 
chrome weight in oxide chrome as 7 milligram per meter square.  
4.1.3  Plate shall neither alter the taste, odour or properties of the can ned food nor form 
harmful compounds with it.  
4.2 Lacquer (interior coating )  
4.2.1  It shall neither affect the taste , odour of food nor form harmful  compounds with 
it. 
4.2.2  The lacquer shall be smooth and uniformly distributed on sheet surface s, and it 
shall withstand the thermal treatment degree  for sterilization  and/or pasteurization 
for the food material, and also filling and storing condition.  
4.2.3  The interior coating shall be one of these specified for use in food industry 
according to t he nature of the food, as shown for example in Appendix 3.  
4.2.4          The paint layer should completely cover all the internal parts of the can  
4.3 Elastic matter  
4.3.1  The elastic matter used in the double seaming shall be resistant to chemical 
change s and free  from poisonous compounds, i.e. Sulphur & Antimony.  
4.3.2  It shall not cause change in the taste or oder or properties of food, and shall 
withstand the temperature and pressure during filling, storing and handling.  
4.4 Double seaming  
4.4.1  The ca n shall be  hermetically sealed by double seaming so as to prevent leakage 
into or from it.  
4.4.2  It shall be regular in shape all around the can diameter.  
4.4.3  It shall be free from sharp edges.  
4.4.4  It shall be uniform in thickness.  
4.4.5          It is not allowe d to use the gasket for side welding of cans that will be sterilized 
after filling with food.  GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 3 4.5 The side seam for three pieces cans be formed by electric welding or any other 
regular method shall be free from defects causing leakage into or fro m it and s ide 
stripe varnish applied Permitted to be used in contact with food . 
4.6 Covers   
4.6.1  Covers used for bottom and top of three piece cans.  It shall be suitable for double 
seaming with sealing compound on cover.  
4.6.2  Common covers standards or  easy open  ends can be made of tin plates or tin free 
steel or aluminium.  It shall be lacquered depending on the canned food stuffs and 
shall be resistant to internal pressure or vacuum and shall not impair food nor 
affect odour, taste, colour.  
4.7 The ca n shall be  internally and externally clean and free from swells or 
deformation (can bulged at both ends)  or other defects.  
4.8 Permitted wrinkle number in the cover hook shall be from 1 to 2.  
4.9 The can shall be easily opened by any of the widely used ca n openers.  
4.10 Dimensions and capacities  
4.10.1  The preferred nominal internal diameters of cans and their tolerance in mm 
according to Gulf Standard mentioned in item 2.1  
4.10.2  The preferred nominal capacities and their tolerance according to Gulf stand ard 
mentio ned in item 2.1.  
4.11 Performance Requirements  
4.11.1  Pressure Test  
4.11.1.1  It shall be capable of withstanding  air pressure as below :  
   
Common Food Can with Common Lid  0.1 N/mm2 (Mega Pascal)  
Common Food Can with Easy Open End  0.05 N/mm2 ( Mega Pasca l ) 
Carbonated Drink Can  0.655 N/mm2 (Mega Pascal)  
 
4.11.2  The average enamel rater level shall be less than 5 mA and not more than  15 mA.  
5. LABELLING  
5.1 The following information shall be declared on each pallet containing cans:  
5.1.1  Manuf acture’s n ame and/or his trade mark.  
5.1.2  Country of origin  
5.1.3  Can nominal capacity in ml  
5.1.4  Production date  
5.1.5  Number of cans  
5.1.6           Storage and handling conditions when needed.  
5.2 Each can shall be marked with the following:  
5.2.1  Trade mark of  the manufacturer.  GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 4 5.2.2  Code number (this code shall trace the information needed about the can such as 
year, month and day of manufacture ....... from the records of manufacturer)  or the 
date of manufacture (year, month and day).  
6. TESTING  
 All necessa ry tests shall be carried out on samples taken according to item (7) to 
ensure their conformity to the requirements of this standard.  
7. SAMPLING  
7.1 Samples necessary for visual inspection and air pressure tests shall be taken at 
random as shown  in Table 1. 
Table 1  
No of cans in 
the consignment  Sample 
number  Sample 
size Visual inspection  Air pressure test  
Acceptance 
No. Rejection  
No. Acceptance 
No. Rejection  
No. 
Up to 3000  First 50 3  7 0 3 
 Second  50 8  9 3 4 
From 3001  First 80 5 9 1 4 
up to 10000  Second  80 12 13 4 5 
From 10001  First 125 7 11 2 5 
up to 35000  Second  125 18 19 6 7 
Over 35000  First 200 11 16 3 7 
 Second  200 26 27 8 9 
 
7.2 The dimensions measurement test shall be carried out on 20 of the samples which 
have passed both th e visual i nspection and air pressure tests.  
7.3 The capacity test shall be carried out on 10 of the samples which have passed the 
dimensions measurement test.  
7.4 The lacquer test shall be carried out on 5 cans which passed the dimensions and 
capacity test . 
7.5 The wrinkling number test shall be carried out on 5 of the samples which have 
passed the capacity test.  
7.6 To carry out the chemical analysis test, a number of samples shall be taken at 
random according to the equation.  
             N 
               ——    
             2 
 Where:  
n =  number of cans in sample  
N =  number of cans in consignment  
 An area 1250 mm2 shall be taken from cans at a distance from edges and side 
seaming. Pieces of the same area shall be taken from covers and bottoms in case o f 
large si ze cans. An area of 625 mm2  taken from covers and bottoms in case of n = GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 5 small size cans, and a suitable quantity of elastic matter shall be taken from double 
seam.  
8. METHODS OF TESTS  
 The tests shall be carried out in accordance with Gulf standard  mentioned  in item 
2.2.  
9. RULES OF ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION  
9.1 Samples shall be examined in accordance with the test methods specified in 
Clause 8.  
9.2 The consignment is deemed to be complying with the visual test, if the defectives 
are equal to or les s than the  acceptance number as shown in Table 1.  If the 
defectives are more than or equal to rejection number as shown in Table 1, the 
consignment is deemed to be non -complying. If defectives are more than the 
acceptance number and less than the rejectio n number, a second sample shall be 
taken and retested.  If the combined number of defectives of the first and the 
second samples is less than or equal to the corresponding acceptance number, the 
consignment shall be considered complying as regards to visua l test, ot herwise it 
shall be considered non -complying.  
9.3 The consignment is deemed to be acceptable as regards other test (dimension –air 
pressure –......etc.) if the sample passes the tests mentioned in the standard 
mentioned in item 2.2.  If the sampl e does not  pass any of the tests a second 
sample double the number of the first sample shall be taken.  The consignment 
shall be considered complying if the second sample passes the repeated tests, 
otherwise it shall be considered non complying.  
 GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 6 Appendix  1 
Chemica l analysis of some types of steel used in cans manufacture  
and class of food according to corrosivity.  
 
Class of food 
according to 
corrosivity   
Type 
of  
steel  
Food 
characteristics   
Chemical analysis of steel elements in percent  
(maximum)  
   C P Cu Si Mn S Ni Cr Mo As 
Most strongly 
corrosive   
L High acidic fruit 
products. Acidic, 
salty foods & 
dark coloured 
fruits  0.12 0.015  0.06 0.01 0.25 to 
0.60 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.05 0.02 
Moderately 
corrosive   
MR Acidic vegetables 
and mildly acidic 
fruits  0.12 0.015  0.1 0.01 0.25 to 
0.60 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.05 0.02 
   0.12 0.02 0.2 0.01 0.25 to 
0.60 0.05 – – – – 
Mildly or non 
- corrosive   
D Low acidity 
products, dry and 
non processed 
products  0.12 0.07 0.2 0.01 0.25 to 
0.60 0.05 – – – – 
 
 GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 7 Appendix 2  
Tin layer weight  
Class of food 
according to 
corrosively  Food characteristics  Tin layer weight 
internal g/m2  Tin layer weight 
external g/m2  
Most strongly 
corrosive  High acidic fruit 
products. Acidic, 
salty foods & dark 
coloured fruits   
               + 0 
      8.4    – 0.65           
        2.8  + 0  
               – 0.35 
Moderately 
corrosive  Acidic vegetables 
and mildly acidic 
fruits   
      5.6    + 0  
               – 0.50     
        2.8   + 0  
                – 0.35 
Mildly or non -
corrosive  Low acidity 
products, d ry and 
non processed 
products   
      2.8    + 0  
               – 0.35  
        2.8   + 0  
                – 0.35 
 GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 8 Appendix  3  
Examples of interior coating types used in cans  
Type  Product resistance  Fabricability  
   
Epoxy amino  Excellent  Good  
Epoxy phen olics  Good   Good  
Epoxy acrylates  Excellent  Good  
Epoxy acrylates/phenolics  Excellent  Good  
Solution vinyls  Good to excellent  Excellent  
Dispersion vinyls  Excellent  Excellent  
Polyesters  Excellent  Excellent  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GSO 1791/2022 GSO  STANDARD  
 
 9 المصطلحات الفنية   
تجعيد    ................................................................ ..............  Wrinkling  
عدد القبول .............................................................  Acceptance number  
عدد الرفض  ...............................................................  Rejection number  
علبة ................................................................ .......................  Can  
سعة ................................................................ .................  Capacity  
شديد التآكل .............................................................  Strongly Corrosive  
صفيح مقصدر ................................................................ ......  Tin Plate  
صفيح غير مقصدر ............................................................  Tin free steel  
وصل جانبي ................................................................ ....... Side seam  
مادة مرنة  ................................................................ ...... Elastic matter  
محكمة القفل آلياً  .......................................................  Hermetically sealed  
معاملة حرارية  ...........................................................  Thermal treatment   
مطاط ................................................................ .................  Rubber