هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
G.C.C STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION 
FOR (GSO)  
 
 
Final  draft  
GSO/ FDS…./201 4 
  
 
الفواكه الحمضية المعلبة  
Canned Citrus Fruits  
  
Prepared by:  
 Gulf technical committee for  Food and agriculture products  
 
This document is a draft Gulf standard circulated for comments, it is therefore, subject 
to alteration and modification, and may not be referred as a Gulf standard, until 
approved by the Board of  Directors                                                                                                                                       
 
ICS: 67: 060 
  Foreword  
 
GCC Standardization Organization (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 regulations through specialized technical 
committees (TCs).  
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No.(5) “Gulf technical 
committ ee for Foods and Agricultural products” has prepared the Gulf Standard  for "   
Canned citrus fruits" " . The draft Standard has been prepared by State of Qatar.  
This Standard has been approved as a Gulf Technical Regulation without any 
technical modifications by GSO Board of Directors in its meeting No. (    ), held on     
/    /     H,      /      /     G.  
 
 
 
 
 
 Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
 
Canned Citrus Fruits  
 
1-Scope and field of application:  
 
This Gulf Standard is concerned with the requirements which should be met in canned 
citrus fruits , and offered for direct human consumption, or for repacking, and  does 
not apply when intended for further processing.  
 
2-Complementary Standards:  
 
2.1 GSO 9"  Labeling of prepackaged food stuffs".  
2.2 GSO 21" Hygienic regulations for food plants and their personnel" .  
2.3 GSO 123" General requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables" .  
2.4 GSO 150 - 2" Expiration periods of food products – Part 2: Guidelines exp iration 
period" .  
2.5 GSO 168" Conditions of storage facilities for dry and packed food stuffs".  
2.6 GSO 177" Methods of physical and chemical tests of canned vegetables"  .  
2.7 GSO 178 Microbiological methods for testing of canned vegetables'" .  
2.8 GSO 3 82, 383" Maximum limits for pesticide residues in agricultural and food 
products - Parts 1, 2" .  
 2.9 GSO 839" Food packages - Part 1: General requirements".  
2.10 GSO 841" Maximum limits of fungi toxins permitted in food and animal feeds - 
Aflatoxine".  
2.11GS O 988" Limits of radioactivity levels permitted in food stuffs - Part 1"  . 
2.12 GSO 998" Methods for the detection of permissible radionuclide in food - Part 1: 
Gamma spectrometry analysis: A, Cs 134, Cs 137".  
2.13 GSO 1016"Microbiological criteria for food stuffs - Part 1".  
2.14 GSO 1287" Methods of sampling of prepackaged fruit and vegetable products" .  
2.15GSO 1791" Three piece steel round cans used for canning food stuffs".  
2.16 GSO/CAC 192" General Standard for food additives" .  
2.17 GSO/CAC 193: General  Standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed".  
2.18 Gulf Standards which Organization shall be approved concerned with:  
2.18.1 Methods for the determination of fungi toxins in food and animal feeds" .  
2.18.2 Methods for the determination of pesti cide residues" .  
  Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
3- Definitions:  
 
3.1 Canned citrus fruits:  
Food product prepared  from washed, sound and mature ripe grapefruit ( Citrus 
paradise Macfadyen), mandarin oranges ( Citrus reticulate Blanco, including all the 
suitable commercial varieties for canning), sweet orange varieties (Citrus  sinensis 
(L.), osbeck, including all the suitable commercial varieties for canning) or pummel o 
(Citrus Maxima Merr. Or Citrus grandis (L.), which before processing shall have 
been properly washed and peeled and the membrane, seeds and core and fiber strands 
shall have been removed, packed with water or other suitable liquid packing medium, 
sugars, honey, suitable spices or flavoring appr opriate to the product, and processed 
by heat, in an appropriate manner, or after being hermatically sealed in a container, so 
as to prevent spoilage.  
 
4- Styles:  
 
4.1The styles of the products shall be  shall be sufficient large to stay on sieve surface 
8 mm2, and its diameter openings 2 mm,  according Table No. (1):  
 
 
  Table No. (1)  
Product  Whole  Broken  Twin  Pieces  
Canned 
grapefruits and 
canned sweet 
orange  Not less than 
75% of 
original 
segment  Less than 75% 
of original 
segment    
Canned 
Pummelo  Not less  than 
50% of 
original 
segment  Less than 50% 
of original 
segment   Large 
enough to 
remain on a 
sieve screen 
of 2 mm 
diameter  
Canned 
mandarin 
orange  Not less than 
75% of 
original 
segment  Not less than 
50% of 
original 
segment but 
Large enough 
to remain on a 
sieve screen of 
2 mm diameter  Less than 50% of 
original segment, 
except two or 
three segments 
joined together, 
which have not 
been separated 
during processing   
 
4.2 Other styles:  Any other styles of the product should be permitted provided that 
complies  with the Items of this Standard.  
 
 Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
5- Sizes (in canned mandarin oranges in whole segment style  may be designed 
according to size in the following manner ): 
5.1 “ Large” - 20 or less whole segments per 100 g of drained fruit .  
5.2 “Medium” - 21 to 35 whole segments per 100 g of drained fruit .  
5.3 “Small” - 36 or more whole segments per 100 g of drained fruit .  
 
6- Requirements:  
The following requirements shall be met in the product:  
6.1 The fruits used in the production shall be complying with what mentione d 
in Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.3). 
6.2 The production shall be carried out according to the requirements mentioned in 
Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.2).  
6.3 The raw materials used in the production shall be complying with Gulf Standards 
specific to each.  
6.4 The product shall have color, flavor, odor and texture characteristic of the product:  
6.4.1 Color (for canned grapefruits or canned pummelo): White or pink or pale yellow 
according to the color of product flesh, the color of packing medium shall be 
reasonably clear or according to the color of added fruit juice.  
6.4.2  Flavor and odor: The canned  product shall have a normal flavor  and odor, free 
from foreign flavor and odor,the flavor of canned grapefruitshall be complying with 
the specific substan ces used.  
6.4.3  Texture: Canned product shall be firm and free from dry cells or fibrous portions 
affecting the appearance or edibility of the product, the w hole seg ments shall be 
practically free from sings of distinegration.  
6.5 The wholeness in the styl e of whole segments shall be not less than 50% by 
weight of the product drained weight.  
6.6 The uniformity of size for canned mandarin oranges whole segments shall be not 
less than 95% by count, and the weight of largest  unit shall be no more than twice th e 
weight of the smallest unit.  
6.7 Defects :  
6.7.1 The total surface covered by membrane shall not exceed 20 cm2 per 500 g of 
total contents.  Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
6.7.2  The seeds shall not exceed 4 per each 500 g of the total content.  
6.7.3  Blemished units  not more than 15% by  weight of the drained weigt of the 
product.  
6.7.4 Defects for canned mandarin oranges shall not exceed the limits declared in 
Table (2):  
Table (2)  
Defect  Maximum limit in the drained product  
Broken segments ( in whole segments)  10% (m/m)   
Broken segments ( in twin segments)  15% (m/m)  
Mambrane ( aggregate area)  7 cm2 /100 g ( based on sample average)  
Fibre strands (aggregate length)  5 cm /100 g ( based on sample average)  
Seeds ( that measure more than 4 mm in 
any dimension)  1/100 g ( based on sample average)   
 
6.8 Pesticide residues in the product shall not exceed the allowable limits according to 
Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.8).  
6.9 Microbiological criteria of the product shall comply with Gulf Standard stated in 
Item (2.13).  
6.10 The radioactivity contaminant limits for the product shall comply with Gulf 
Standard stated in Item (2.11).  
6.11 Contaminating metallic elements content sh all not exceed to what mentioned in 
Gulf Standard stated in Item (2. 17). 
6.12 The additives shall be according to Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.16).  
 
7- Sampling:  
Samples shall be taken according to Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.14).  
 
8- Methods of exa mination and test:   
8.1 Physical and chemical examination shall be carried out according to Gulf 
Standard stated in Item (2.6).  
8.2 Microbiological examination shall be carried out according to Gulf Standard 
stated in Item (2.7).  Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
8.3 Determination of aflatoxins shall be carried out according to Gulf Standard stated 
in Item (2.18.1).  
8.4 Determination of pesticides residues shall be carried out according to Gulf 
Standard stated in Item (2.18.2).  
8.5 Detection of radioactivity limits s hall be carried out according to Gulf Standard 
stated in Item (2.12).  
 
9- Packaging, transportation and storage: 
 
9.1 Packaging:  
9.1.1 Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in Items (2. 9, 
2.15), the product shall be packaged in suitable containers to keep the it and protect it 
from any contamination lead to change its properties or its fitting for human 
consumption.  
9.1.2 The cans shall be coated from inside with varnish material suitable with medium 
or solution packaging.  
9.1.3 The vacuum inside the cans shall not be less than 1000 mm mercury.  
9.1.4 Volume content shall not be less than 90% from water capacity of the container.  
9.1.5 The drained weight shall not be less than 50% of the product net weight for 
canned grapefruit an d other sweet orange verities, and 40% for canned pummel and 
65% for canned mandarin oranges.  
 
Transportation: 9.2 
Product transportation shall be carried out by means of sound and clean means, do not 
previously used in transportation of any poisoning or h armful materials, and the 
transportation shall be carried out with a way do not lead to spoilage of the product.  
 
9.3 Storage:  
Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in Items (2. 5), the 
stores shall be good ventilation and far from heat and contamination sources.  
 
10 - Labeling :  
 
Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standards stated in Items (2.1, 2.4), the 
following shall be declared on the label:  
10.1 Name of the product: Canned grapefruit, mandarin oranges, pummel or sweet 
orange according to Item (3).  
10.2 Style of the product:   
10.2.1 For canned grapefruit, sweet orange and pummel:  Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
10.2.1.1 Style of the product shall be according to Item (4).  
10.2.1.2 The statement "pink color" shall be included as part of the name for canned 
grapefruit and pummelo.  
10.2.1.3 If an added flavor , the name of the flavor shall be included as part of the 
name of the product.  
10.2.2 For canned mandarin oranges: The s tyle shall be declared as a part of the name 
as follows:  
10.2.2.1Whole and broken segments:  A size classification for whole or broken 
segments may be declared as in Item (5), in addition, the number of units present in 
the container.