1 
 
 
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION FOR G.C.C (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 
Final  Draft
 
 
 
GSO 05/ FDS 1341  / 201 3  
 
 
 
 
 
HOT SAUCE  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared By  
GSO Technical Committee for standards of food and a griculture 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   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HOT SAUCE  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Bodi es of 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 a nd agriculture products". The Draft Standard has been renew  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 1341 / ……  
 
1 HOT SAUCE  
 
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
 This GSO  standard is concerned with the types of hot sauce.  
2. COMPLIMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1 GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”.  
2.2 GSO 1287 “Methods of Sampling of Prepackaged Fruit and  Vegetable Products”  
2.3 GSO 177 “ Methods of Physical and Chemical Test of Canned Vegetables”.  
2.4 GSO 178 “Microbiological Methods for Testing of Canned Vegetable”.  
2.5 GSO 20 “Methods for the Determination of Contaminating Metallic  Elements in 
Foodstuffs”.  
2.6 GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulatio ns for Food Plants and Their Personnel”.  
2.7 GSO 244 “Methods of Test for Vegetable, Fruits and Their Products, First Part: 
Organoleptic Examination, Determination of net weight and Drained Weight, 
Determination of Apparent Viscosity, Determination of Head  space, Determination of 
Extraneous Matter and Defective Fruits”.  
2.8 GSO 363 “Methods of Test for Spices and Condiments -First Part:  Determination of 
the Defected Fruits Percentage, Mass Per Liter, Degree of Fineness of Grinding, Crude 
Fiber Percentages total Nitrogen Percentage, Starch Percentage, Scoville Index and 
Volatile Content.  
2.9 GSO 150 “Expiration Periods of Food Products - Part 1”.  
2.10 GSO 381“Emulsifiers, Stabilizers and Thickeners Permitted for use in Foodstuffs”.  
2.11 GSO 382 “Maximum Limi ts for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food Products 
- Part 1”.  
2.12 GSO 383 “Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food Products 
- Part 2”.  
2.13 GSO ISO 763 : 1997 “Fruit and Vegetable Products - Determination of Mineral 
impurit ies content”.  
2.14 GSO 839 “Food Packages -Part 1: General Requirements”.  
2.15 GSO 988 “Limits of Radioactivity Levels Permitted in Foodstuffs – Part 1”.  
2.16 GSO 998 “Methods for Detection of Permissible Radionuclides Limits in Food – Part 
1:  Gamma Spect rometry Analysis:  A -Cs-134, Cs -137”.  
2.17 GSO 1016 “Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs – Part 1”.  GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
2  GSO  Standard  TO BE APPROVED BY GSO  CONCERNING THE 
FOLLOWING:  
2.18 GSO Standard  ON “Methods for the Determination of Pesticide Residues in 
Foodstuffs” . 
2.19 GSO Standard  ON “Methods for Determination of Methanol in Foodstuffs”.  
2.20 GSO Standard  ON “Food Package Part 3 : Glass Package General  
                  Requirements”.  
3. DEFINITION  
3.1 Hot Sauce  
 A ground, homogeneous, semi -liquid product made  of ripe, wholesome, fresh chillie, 
from the plant (capsicum annum L or Capsicum frutescens L),  dehydrated chillies or 
chillies in brine  and added with salt and vinegar which may be naturally fermented or 
not fermented.  And other components may be added op tionally  in item ( 5.7 )  
according to good manufacturing practices or additives in item ( 5.6  ).  
4. CLASSIFICATION  
  Hot sauce shall be classified as follows:  
4.1 Fermented Hot sauce : A smooth suspension of uniform small particle size and shall 
not strat ify nor separate, with pungent odour and well balanced and peppery flavour 
(hot taste ) without flavour of other condiments. It is divided in two types:  
4.1.1  Fermented hot sauce: Prepared from fermented and cured red pepper ( capsicum annum 
variety cayenne ) 
4.1.2  Very hot fermented hot sauce: Prepared from fermented and aged (2 to 3 years) red 
pepper ( capsicm frutescans variety tabasco).  
4.2 Non Fermented hot sauce . It is divided in two types:  
4.2.1  Hot sauce, is hot sauce without a dominant flavour of any added spice.  
4.2.2  Sweet hot sauce: As i n Item 4.2 and contains not less than 30% (m/m) sugars.  
4.2.3  Garlic hot sauce: Hot sauce with garlic and has a characteristic garlic taste.  
5.  REQUIREMENTS  
 Hot sauce shall fulfill the following:  
5.1 All the raw ma terials used for the manufacture of hot sauce shall comply with the 
relevant GSO  standards.  
5.2 The fruits of chilli used shall be sound, ripe, red, wholesome, clean, and free of pedial. 
They shall be free from insect and fungal attack and their residue, f ilth and obnoxious 
odours.  GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
3 5.3 The processing shall be in accordance of the rules of GMP and hygienic requirements in 
the  GSO  standard mentioned in item (2.6).  
5.4 The non fermented product shall be free of seeds and their parts, stem p arts and visible 
pieces of cortex.  
5.5 It shall have a smooth, uniform and homogenous texture, and shall not be too viscous 
for dispensing purposes.  
5.6      Food Additives  
     Allow the use of food additives as follow:  
 
5.6.1      ACIDITY REGULATORS  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
334 Tartaric acid 5000 mg/kg 
452(i) Sodium polyphosphate 
note33 1000 mg/kg 
 
 Note 33: As phosphorus . 
5.6.2   ANTIOXIDANTS  
 
 INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
  301 Sodium ascorbate 1000 mg/kg 
303 Potassium ascorbate 1000 mg/kg 
307a Tocopherol, d -alpha -  600 mg/kg 
(Singly or in combination) 
 307b Tocopherol concentrate, 
mixed 
307c Tocopherol, dl -alpha -  
320 Butylated hydroxyanisole 100 mg/kg 
321 Butylated hydroxytoluene 100 mg/kg 
386 Disodium ethylene 
diam ine tetra acetate  75 mg/kg 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
4 5.6.3  Colours  
 
 
5.6.4   PRESERVATIVES  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
210 Benzoic acid note 13 1000 mg/kg 
(singly or in combination) 
 211 Sodium benzoate note 13 
 
212 Potassium benzoate note 13  
213 
 Calcium benzoate note 13  
200 
 Sorbic acid note 42 1000 mg/kg 
(singly or  in combination)  
 201 
 Sodium sorbate note 42  
202 Potassium sorbate note 42   
203 Calcium sorbate note 42 
300 mg/kg  INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
100(i) Curcumin GMP 
101(i) Riboflavin, synthetic 350 mg/kg 
(Singly or in combination) 101(ii) Riboflavin, 5’ -phosphate 
sodium  
102 Tartrazine 100 mg/kg 
110 Sunset yellow FCF 300 mg/kg 
120 Carmines 50 mg/kg 
124 Ponceau (4R) (cochineal 
red A) 50 mg/kg 
127 Erythrosine 50 mg/kg 
129 Allura Red AC 300 mg/kg 
133 Brilliant blue, FCF 100 mg/kg 
141(i) Chlorophylls, copper 
complexes 30 mg/kg (as Cu) 
150c  Caramel III – ammonia 
process 1500 mg/kg 
150d   Caramel IV – sulphite 
ammonia process 1500 mg/kg 
155 Brown HT 50 mg/kg 
160a (ii)   Carotenes, beta 
(vegetable) 2000 mg/kg 
160b(i)   Annatto extracts, bixin 
based 10 mg/kg 
160c Paprika oleoresin GMP 
160d(i)   Lycopene (synthetic) 390 mg/kg GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
5 220 
 Sulfur dioxide note 44 300 mg/kg  
(singly or in combination) 
221 Sodium sulfite note 44  
222 
 Sodium hydrogen sulfite 
note 44  
223 Sodium metabisulfite note 
44 
224 Potassium metabisulfite 
note 44  
225 
 Potassium sulfite note 44  
227 Calcium hydrogen sulfite 
note 44 
 
228 Potassium bisulfite note 44  
539 
 Sodium thiosulfate note 44  
218 Methyl para -
hydroxybenzoate 
 1000 mg/k g  
Note 13: as benzoic acid.  
Note 42: as sorbic acid.  
Note 44: as residual SO 2 
5.6.5   EMULSIFIERS  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
432 Polyoxyethylene (20) 
sorbitan monolaurate 5 000 mg/kg 
433 Polyoxyethylene (20) 
sorbitan monooleate (singly or in c ombination)  
 
434 Polyoxyethylene (20) 
sorbitan monopalmitate  
435 
 Polyoxyethylene (20) 
sorbitan monoesterate  
473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids 5 000 mg/kg 
475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty 
acids 10 000 mg/kg 
477 Propylene glycol esters of 
fatty acids 20 000 mg/kg 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
6 5.6.6   SWEETENERS  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
951 Aspartame 350 mg/kg 
950 Acesulfame potassium 1000 mg/kg 
955 Sucralose 450 mg/kg 
954(iv) Sodium saccharin 150 mg/kg 
 
5.6.7   STABILIZERS  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
472e Diacetyctartaric and fatty acid 
esters of glycerol 10 000 mg/kg 
 
5.6.8   THICKENERS  
 
INS No. Food Additive Maximum level 
405 Propylene glycol alginate 8 000 mg/kg 
1204 Pullulan 50 000 mg/kg 
 
5.7    Optionally Components  
         Garlic, onion, gin ger, tomatoes, sugar, vegetables or fruit added according to 
manufacturer believes with good manufacturing practices.  
5.8 Methanol shall not exceed 50 ppm.  
5.9  Fermented hot sauce with its two types shall meet the following characteristics:  
Quality chara cteristics  Fermented Hot Sauce  Very Hot Fermented  
Hot Sauce  
Nonvolatile solids  
Salt (Nacl)  
Acidity (as acetic acid)  
pH 
Scoville index  7.5 to 16.0 %  
5.0 to 11.5 %  
3.5 to 5.0 %  
not more than 3.2  
not less than 650  
scoville  units (43 ppm)  3.9 to 6.2 %  
1.2 to  3.5 %  
8.0 to 9.5 %  
2.7 to 3.0  
not less than 3000 scoville 
units (200 ppm)  
5.10  Types of unfermented hot sauce shall meet the following characteristics:  
Quality characteristics 
nor volatile  Hot Sauce  Sweet hot sauce  Garlic hot sauce  
Total sugars (as inv ert sugar 
(m/m)  
Total dissolved solids 
(m/m) minimum  
Volatile acidity (as acetic 20 % maximum  
 
 
25 %  30 % minimum  
 
 
 20 % maximum  
 
 
25 %  GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
7 acid) minimum  
pH, maximum   
0.8  %  
3.5  
0.6  %  
3.5  
0.8 %  
3.5 
 
5.11 The contaminating metallic  elements content shall not exceed the following:  
Element  Maximum limit 
mg/kg  
Arsenic  
Lead  1 
2 
5.12 The filled product shall occupy not less than 90 % (v/v) of the water capacity of the 
container  
5.13 The pesticide residue shall be within the limits mentioned in the GSO  standa rd 
mentioned in I tems (2.1 1 and 2.1 2). 
5.14 Radiation levels shall be in accordance with the GSO  standard mentioned in I tems 
(2.15). 
5.15 The Microbiological limits shall be in accordance with the GSO  standard mentioned in 
Item (2.1 7). 
 
6. SAMPLING  
 Sample s shall be taken according to the GSO  Standard mentioned in I tem (2.2).  
 
7. TESTING  
 Shall be carried out on the representa tive sample taken according to I tem (6) to 
determine its compliance with all the items of this standard.  
7.1 Net weight and extraneou s matter shall be determined according to the GSO  standard 
mentioned in I tem (2. 7). 
7.2 Physical and chemical tests  
 Shall be carried out according to the GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2.3).  
7.3 Microbiological test  
 Shall be carried out according to the  GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2.4).  
7.4 Determination of contaminating elements shall be carried out according to the GSO  
standard mentioned in I tem (2.5).  
7.5 Radioactivity limits  GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
8  Shall be carried out according to the GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2 .16). 
7.6 Determination of pesticide residue  
 Shall be carried out according to the GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2. 18). 
7.7 Determination of methanol  
 Shall be determined according to the GSO  standards mentioned in I tem (2. 11). 
7.8 Determination of  Sco ville index  
 Shall be determined according to the GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2. 8). 
7.9  Determination of mineral impurities content.  
 Shall be determined according to the GSO  standard mentioned in I tem (2.1 3). 
 
8. PACKAGING, STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION  
8.1 The product shall be packaged in bottles or in any suitable container according to the 
GSO  standards mentioned in Items (2.14 and 2. 20), and  packaging temperature shall 
not be less than 80oC. 
8.2 Transportation shall be carried out in such away as to  protect the product from damage 
and contamination.  
8.3 Containers shall be kept in well ventilated stores away from heat, humidity and  
                  contamination sources.  
 
9. LABELING  
 Without prejudice to what is stated in the GSO  standard mentione d Items (2.1) and 
(2.19) the labeling shall include the following information.  
9.1 Name of the product and it should be “ hot sauce”.  
9.2    The level of chili pungency (heat value) may be declared in conjunction with, or in  
                 close proximi ty to, the name of the product in a manner not to mislead the  
                 consumer, and must be accepted by or be acceptable to competent authorities of the  
                 country where the product is sold.  
 
 
 
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO 1341 / ……  
 
1  
 
 
 
References:  
 
 (CODEX STAN 306R -2011) for chili sauce.