GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)
ﻨﻬﺎﺌﻲ
GSO05/FDS978/2012
Black Tea
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 it as a Gulf standard, until approved by
the Board of Directors.  .
GULF STANDARD GSO978/2012
2Foreword
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 GulfTechnical regulations through
specialized technical committees (TCs) .
GSO through the technical program of committee TC No 5  " The Gulf
Technical Committee for Food and Agricultural Standards Products "has
updated the GSO Standard No. : GSO 978:1998 "TEA" . The Draft Standard
has been prepared by ( KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ).
This standard has been approved as Gulf (Technical Regulation) byGSO
Board of Directors inits meeting No. (           ), held on    /    /   /  H ,  /    /   G .
The approved standard will replace and supersede the GSO standard No.
(GSO 978:1998 ).GULF STANDARD GSO978/2012
3Black Tea
1.SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION
This GSO standard is c oncerned with tea black and does not include flavoured
(scented) tea , green, and instant .
2.COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES
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 of Food Products”.
2.4GSO 382, GSO 383 “Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residue in Agricultural
andFood Products -Part 1 and Part 2”.
2.5 GSO 671 “ Methods Of Examination And Test For Tea ”.
2.6 GSO 988 “Limits of Radiation Levels Permitted in Foods stuff part -1”.
2.7 GSO 1016  “Microbiological Criteria For Foodstuffs –Part 1”.
2.8 GSO ISO 1839 “Methods of examination and teat for test -sampling”.
2.9 GSO 2138 “Tea and Herbs bags”.
2.10 GSO ISO 14502 -1 “Determination of substances characteristic of green and
black tea-part1: content of total polyphenols in tea -colorimetric method using
Folin-Ciocalteu reagent ”.
3.DEFINITIONS
3.1 Tea:
A product processed, by common acceptable industrial processes, iron buds,
leaves, tender and semi -tender stalks of varieties of the species Camellia
Sinensisand tea prepared for drink includes.
3.2Black Tea:
Tea processed by subjecting buds, leaves and stalks to fermentation, oxidation
and drying process resulting change in its colour to black.
4.Requirements
BlackTea shall be meet the following requirements:
4.1 It shall be processed according to the hygienic conditions mentioned in GSO
standard as mentioned in (2.2).
4.2TheLimits of Radiation Levels should comply with GSO standard mentioned
in item (2.6).GULF STANDARD GSO978/2012
44.3It shall be free from strange plant tissues and only characteristic tea tissues shall
appear by microscopic examination.
4.4It shall be free from any extraneous matter and impurities.
4.5It shall be free from colour, flavour, taste or any additive.
4.6Arsenic Shall not exceed 1 mg/kg.
4.7Lead Shall not exceed 5 mg/kg.
4.8Copper shall not exceed 100 mg/kg.
4.9Mercury Shall not exceed 0.05 mg/kg.
4.10The water extract shall not be less than 32% m/m.
4.11The total ash shall not be more than 8% and not less than 4% m/m.
4.12The water -soluble ash shall not be less than 45% m/m of the total ash.
4.13The acid-insoluble ash shall not exceed 1% m/m.
4.14The alkalinity of water -soluble ash -(calculated as potassium hydroxide) shall
not exceed 3% and shall not be less than 1% m/m.
4.15The crude fibres shall not exceed 16.5% m/m.
4.16The caffeine shall not be less than 2% m/m.
4.17The moisture shall not exceed 8.5% m/m.
4.18Microbiological Requirements:
The microbiological criteria for tea shall be conform with standardmentioned
in (2.7).
4.19 The Total polyphenols shall not be less than 9 % mass fraction.
4.20It shall comply with GSO standards as mentioned in (2.4) to be approved by the
organization concerning the maximum limits for pesticides residues in foods.
5.SAMPLING
Sampling shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned in (2.8).
6.METHODS OF TEST
Tests shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned in (2.5).
7.PACKAGING AND STORAGE
7.1 Packaging:
The following shall be taken into consideration on packaging of tea.
7.1.1 Tea shall be packed in hygienic, well sealed, not previously used, clean, dry and
sound containers.GULF STANDARD GSO978/2012
57.1.2 Packages shall be made from any suitable material which does not affect tea
properties and quality and, it shall be well wrapped with moisture -proof
material.
7.1.3 Packages shall comply with hygienic conditions and shall be free from insect
and fungal infections or any foreign and undesirable odours.
7.1.4 When tea is packed in small bags, these bags shall be made of suitable
permeable materials which retain physical and chemical properties of tea and
shall permit soluble solids of the tea to penetrate it.  These bags shall be packed
in packages made of firm paper and it shall be conform with standard
mentioned in (2.9).
7.2 Storage:
The following shall be taken into consideration on storage of tea.
7.2.1 Tea shall be stored in suitable, well -ventilated and dry places away from
moisture or contaminated sources and any material having particular odour.
7.2.2 Small tea packages shall be stored by packing it in well sealed big packages.
8-LABELLING
Without prejudice to what is stated in the requirements mentioned in the
standards as mentioned in (2.1)and(2.3).  The following particulars shall be
declared on each tea packages:
8.1 Kind of tea (Black Tea).
8.2Country of origin .
8.3 Weight by metric system .
8.4 Number of tea bags inside the package .