GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 1ﺍﻟﻌﺭﺒﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺞ ﻟﺩﻭل ﺍﻟﺘﻌﺎﻭﻥ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ ﻟﺩﻭل ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﺱ  ﻫﻴﺌﺔ   
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZA TION FOR G.C.C (GSO)  
 
 
  
 
ﻣﺸﺮوع: ﻧﻬﺎﺋﻲ 
 
  
    
GSO 5/FDS….. /2008  
  
  
ﺍﻟﺤـﻠـﻭﻡ  ﺠﺒــﻥ   
HALLOUMI CHEESE 
 
 
 
  
إﻋﺪاد   
  
  
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ   
  
 
 
ﺍ ﻫﺫﻩ  ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻟﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ  ﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ  .  
  
  
 
  
  GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2  
  
Foreword  
  
    
  
 
  
Standardization Organization for GCC (G SO) 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 St andards /Technical regulation through 
specialized technical committees (TCs). 
 
GSO through the technical progra m of committee TC No 5  "  The Gulf 
Technical Committee for Food and Ag ricultural Standards Products" has 
prepared this Standard .  The Draf t Standard has been prepared by ( KINGDOM 
OF SAUDI ARABIA      )  
 
 The draft Standard has been prepared  based on relevant ADMO, International 
and National foreign Sta ndards and references.  
 
This standard has been approved as Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation)   by 
GSO Board of Directors in its me eting No..../....  …….held on    /    /   /  H ,  /    / 
  G  
  
  
  
        
  
      GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 3  
  
        
  
  
HALLOUMI CHEESE 
 
  
  
    
 
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :   
Issuing Status :   
 
 
 
 
    GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2 
HALLOUMI CHEESE 
 
  1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION 
This standard is concerned with Halloumi cheese 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES 
2.1
 GSO  9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”. 
2.2 GSO  569 “Methods for Sampling Milk and Milk Products”. 
2.3 GSO  171 “Methods for the Chemical Analysis of Cheese”. 
2.4 GSO  194 “Methods of Microbilogi cal Examination of Cheese”. 
2.5 GSO  20 “Methods for the Determina tion of Contaminating Metallic 
Elements in Foodstuffs”. 
2.6 GSO  21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and Their Personnel”. 
2.7 GSO  1023 “Expiration Periods of Food Products – Part 2”. 
2.8 GSO  323 “General Requirements for Transportation and Storage of 
Chilled and Frozen Foods”. 
2.9 GSO  839 “Food Packages – Part 1: General Requirements”. 
2.10 GSO  …. “Food Packages – Part 2: Plastic Packages – General 
Requirements”. 
2.11 GSO  988 “Limits of radioactivity Levels Permitted in Foodstuffs – 
Part 1”. 
2.12 GSO  1016 “Microbiology Criteria of  Food Products – Part 1”. 
2.13 GSO  1903 “Hygienic Regulations fo r Production and Processing of 
Milk”. 
2.14 GSO ……. “Organic Acids”. 
3. DEFINITIONS 
3.1 Halloumi cheese 
Fresh or ripened semisoft cheese which is obtained by coagulating pasteurized 
fresh or mixture of fresh or dried milk  products, through the action of rennet or 
other suitable coagulating en zymes. The curd is cooked in whey or water to 
produce a rubbery body which is not brit tle and may have openings and a 
fibrous texture. 
SAUDI ARABIAN ST ANDARD SASO 2316/2005 
2 
4. REQUIREMENTS 
The following requirements shall be met in the product: 
4.1 It must be processed in accordance with hygienic requirements of GSO  standards 
mentioned in items (2.6) and (2.13). 
4.2 It shall be produced from raw materials complying with the relevant GSO  
standards. 
4.3 Fresh halloumi cheese shall have r ubbery smooth and homogeneous texture, 
not brittle and may have small openings. 4.4 It shall have mild taste with salty and cooked flavour. 
4.5 Dry ment leaves or spices may be adde d to the cheese before it is packaged or 
wrapped. GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 34.6 It shall be free from any non- dairy fat or vegetable oils. 
4.7 It shall be free from extraneous matter,  insects and their parts and other foreign 
matter. 4.8 It shall be completely free from  pig products and its derivatives. 
4.9 It shall be of a pleasant odour and ta ste and free from any foreign flavour. 
4.10 It must have a white or yellowish white  colour and be free from any colouring 
materials. 4.11 The fat and moisture contents shall comp ly with the requirements mentioned in 
the following table. 
Cheese % Fat on dry basis 
% Moisture (Maximum) Whole fat 40 (min) 62 Medium fat 20 – 25 65 Low fat 10 (max) 65 4.12 It shall not contain more than 5% salt. 
4.13 The microbiological criteria in the pr oduct shall comply with GCC standard 
mentioned in item (2.12). 4.14 The following ingredients may be added only: – Rennet or other suitable coagula ting enzymes or flavour producing 
materials. – Cultures of harmless lactic aci d and aroma producing bacteria. 
– Organic acids permitted in foods tuffs according with item (2.14). 
– Calcium chloride ( 200 mg/kg of  milk). 
– Spices. – Salt. 4.15 The cheese may be ripened in a brine solution. 
SAUDI ARABIAN ST ANDARD SASO 2316/2005 
3 
4.16 Limits of radiation in the products sha ll not exceed the levels prescribed in the 
GSO  standard mentioned in item (2.11). 
4.17 Contaminant metal elements sha ll not exceed the following (ppm). 
– Arsenic 0.1 – Lead 0.2 – Copper 2.0 – Iron 1.5 
5. SAMPLING 
Sampling shall be according to the 
GSO  standard mentioned in item (2.2). 
6. METHODS OF TESTING 
Tests shall be carried out on representative sample ta ken according to item (5) 
mentioned above to determine its complia nce with this standard and the GCC 
standards mentioned in it em (2.3), (2.4) and (2.5). 
7. PACKAGING 
Without prejudice to GSO  standards mentioned in item 2.9 and 2.10 the 
product shall be packed in suitable hygien ic sealed packages, in such a way to 
prevent any external contamination and s poilage and not to affect the product 
or consumer health. 
8. LABELLING 
Without prejudice to the provisions of GSO  standards mentioned in items 
(2.1) and (2.7), the following information shall be on the packages. GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 48.1 Type of product according to fat content. 
8.2 Fat content in dry base. 8.3 Moisture content. 8.4 All ingredients including milk and additives. 8.5 The statement ‘Cheese made from milk powder or concentrated milk” shall be 
written clearly and the same size of lette rs, in case cheese is prepared from 
milk powder or concentrated milk. 8.6 Source rennet and enzymes. 
9. TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE 
Without prejudice to the provisions of 
GSO   standard mentioned in item (2.8), 
the fresh product must be stored and tr ansported at temperature not more than 
5oC. The product preserved in brine soluti on and packaged in large containers 
must be stored and transported at temperature not more than 25 oC.