هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION FOR G.C.C (GSO)  
 
 
Primary draft  
GSO/DS…./201 4 
  
 
الفواكه الحمضية المعلبة  
Canned citrus fruits  
  
 
  
 
 
 
Prepared by:  
 Gulf technical committee for sector standards of  
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 
committee for sector Standards of 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 fo od products – Part 2: Guidelines 
expiration 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 testin g of canned vegetables'" .  
2.8 GSO 382, 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 a nd animal 
feeds - Aflatoxine".  
2.11GSO 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 193: General Standard for cont aminants and toxins in food 
and feed". 
2.17 Gulf Standards which Organization shall be approved concerned with:  
2.17.1" General Standard for food additives" . 
2.17.2 Methods for the determination of fungi toxins in food and animal 
feeds" . 
2.17.3 Methods f or the determination of pesticide residues" .  
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 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 rem oved, packed with water or other suitable liquid packing 
medium, sugars, honey, suitable spices or flavoring appropriate to the product, and 
processed by heat, in an appropriate manner, or after being hermatically sealed in a 
container, so as to prevent sp oilage.  
 
4- Styles:  
 
The styles of the products shall be 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   
 
 
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
 
4.2 Other styles:  Any other styles of the product should be permitted provided that 
complies  with the Items of this Standard.  
 
5- Sizes (in canned mandarin oranges in whole segment style):  
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 mentioned 
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 flanor and odor, free 
from foreign flavor and odor,the flavor of canned grapefruitshall be complying with 
the specific substances 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 whole segnments shall be 
practically free from sings of distinegration.  
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO …/2014  
 
6.5 The wholeness in the style of whole segment s 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 the 
weight of the sm allest unit.  
6.7 Defects :  
6.7.1 The total surface covered by membrane shall not exceed 20 cm2 per 500 g of 
total contents.  
6.7.2  The seeds shall not exceed 4 per each 500 g of the total content.  
6.7.3 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% Broken segments ( in whole 
segments)  
Broken segments  ( in twin segments)  15% Broken segments ( in whole 
segments)  
Mambrane ( aggregate area)  7 cm2 /100 g ( based on sample average)  
Fibre strands (aggregate length)  5 cm2 /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).  
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
 
6.11 Contaminating metallic elements content shall not exceed to what mentioned in 
Gulf Standard stated in Item (2. 16). 
6.12 The additives shall be according to Gulf Standard stated in Item (2. 17.1). 
 
7- Sampling: 
Samples shall be taken ac cording to  Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.14).  
 
- Methods of examination and test:   8 
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). 
8.3 Determination of aflatoxins shall be carried out according to Gulf 
Standard stated in Item (2. 17.2 ).  
8.4 Determination of pesticides residues shall be carried out according to Gulf 
Standard stated in Ite m (2. 17.3 ).  
8.5 Detection of radioactivity limits shall 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 materia l 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 and other sweet orange verities, and 40% for canned 
pummel and 65% for canned mandarin oranges. 
 
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Gulf Standard                                                                                                             GSO…/2014  
 
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 harmful 
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:  
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 style 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. 
 
 
 
 
 
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