اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ  اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺞ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻌﺎون  ﻣﺠﻠﺲ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﺲ  هﻴﺌﺔ  
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO) 
 
 
 
 
 
Final Draft Standard 
 
  
 GSO 05/FDS 992 /2008  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared By  
GSO Technical Committee 05 for standard s of food and agriculture products  
 
 
This document is a draft GSO Standard circ ulated for comments. It is, therefore, 
subject to alteration and modification a nd may not be referred to as a GSO 
Standard until approved by GSO Board Of Directors. 
  
 
   
 
 
  اﻟﺰﺑﺎدي)اﻟﺮوب (
YOGHURT 
 
  
 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 standards of food and agriculture products" has updated the GSO Standard No. 
992/1998 "Yoghurt". The Draft Standard has been prepared by Sultanate of Oman. 
  This standard has been approved as a Gulf Technical Regulation by GSO Board of Directors in its meeting No. (       ), held on      /    /         H ,     /     /             G. The approved standard will replace and s upersede the GSO standard No. 992/1998.  
 
 GSO STANDARD                                                   GSO 992/2008  
  
 
 
 YOGHURT 
1- SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION 
This standard is concerned with yoghurt,  sweetened and yoghurt heat-treated after 
fermentation. 
2- COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES 
2.1 GSO 9 Labeling of Prepackaged Foods. 
2.2 GSO 2 1 Hygienic Regulations fo r Food Plants and their Personnel. 
2.3             GSO 150/1984 Expiration Periods for food products. 
2.٤GSO 569 Methods for Sampling Milk and Milk Products. 
2.5 GSO 570 Methods of the Physical and Chemical Analysis of Milk. 
2.6 GSO 571 Methods of Microbiological Examination of Liquid Milk. 
2.7 GSO 669 Methods of Test for Yoghurt. 
2.8             GSO 398 Packages of Foodstuffs- Part 1: General Requirements. 
2.9       GSO ١٤٨Maximum Limits of Mycotoxins Permitted in Foods and Animal Feeds-     
Aflatoxins. 
2.10           GSO ٨٨٩Limits of Radiation Levels Permitted in Foodstuffs- Part 1. 
2.11    GSO 998 Method for Detection of Radionuclides in food- Part 1: Gamma                  
Spectrometry Analysis. 
2.12          GSO 1016 Microbiological Criteria of Food Product- Part 1.       
2.13          GSO Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN. 192 Food Additives). 
2.14      GSO Standard for Pesticide Residues (Maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticide 
established by Codex Alimentarius Commission). 
2.15    GSO Standard for Veterinary Drugs Re sidues (Maximum residue limits for veterinary 
drugs in food established by Codex Alimentarius Commission). 
2.16     GSO Standard for analysis of pesticide residues (CODEX STAN. 229 Analysis of 
Pesticide Residue: Recommended Methods) 
 
3- DEFINITIONS 
3.1 Yoghurt: 
A coagulated milk product obtained by lactic acid fermentation through the action 
of lactobacillus delbrueckii sub-sp bulgricus and streptoccocus salivarius sub-sp 
thermophillus from milk and milk products (4.1). 
3.2 Sweetened yoghurt GSO STANDARD                                                   GSO 992/2008  
  
 
 
 Yoghurt (3.1) to which one or more of the natural sugars are added. 
3.3 Yoghurt heat-treaded after fermentation 
Yoghurt (3.1) which has been submitted to a heat treatment after fermentation, so 
that it does not contain viable and abundant microorganisms. 
 
 
4- REQUIREMENTS 
4.1     It should be produce of raw milk or recombined milk of dried milk or 
concentrated milk (full cream, partly skimmed, skimmed) and cream or butter or 
any source of milk fat. 
4.2          Optional addition 
4.2.1     Milk powder or skimmed milk powder unfermented buttermilk, 
concentrated whey, whey powder, whey proteins, whey protein concentrate water-
soluble milk proteins, edible casein, caseinate, manufactured from pasteurized products. 
4.2.2 Vitamins A and D, if added vitamin A shall be not less than 2000 IU/L and 
vitamin D shall be not less than 400 IU/L. 
4.2.3 Natural sugars. 
4.2.4 Cultures of suitable lactic acid producing bacteria in addition to those in item 3.1. 
4.3 It shall be completely free from pig products and its derivatives. 
4.4 It shall have a homogenized body texture. 
4.5 It shall be white or yellowish colour. 
4.6 It shall have the smell and taste characteristic of yoghurt and shall be free from 
undesired smell and taste. 
4.7 It may be heat-treated after fermentation. 
4.8 The raw materials used in the production should be complying with their 
relevant GSO standards. 
4.9 It shall be completely free from foreign materials and all kinds of insects and their 
fragments. 
4.10 The acidity shall not be less than 0.8% as lactic acid. 
4.11 The milk solids non-fat content shall not be less than 8.2%. 
4.12 It shall be processed in accordance with the hygienic requirements of the GSO 
standard as mentioned at item 2.2. 
4.13 Yoghurt may be graded according to fat content into the following grades: 
Fat content in yoghurt types 
Yoghurt types Fat % 
1 Yoghurt 3% GSO STANDARD                                                   GSO 992/2008  
  
 
 
 2 Partially skimmed yoghurt 1% - 2%
3 Skimmed yoghurt 0.5% max
 
4.14     Food additives may be used according to the limits stated in the  GSO standard mentioned   
in 2.10.      
 4.15     The microbiological criteria of micro-or ganisms shall be according to the limits stated in   
the GSO standard mentioned in 2.12.  
4.16   The products shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides and   
veterinary drugs established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (items 2.14 & 
2.15). 
4.17   The limits of radiation levels in the product shall not exceed the permitted maximum 
levels stated in the GSO standard mentioned in 2.10. 
5- SAMPLING 
Samples shall be drawn according to GSO standard as mentioned in item 2.٤ .
6- METHODS OF TEST 
 6.1 Determination of fat shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned 
in item 2.٧ .
6.2      Determination of total solid, total not fat solids, total acidity shall be carried out 
according to GSO standard as mentioned at item 2.5. 
 6.3 Microbiological tests shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned 
at item 2.6. 
6.4            Determination of pesticide residues shall be carried out according to GSO standard 
as mentioned in item 2.16. 
7- PACKAGING 
      Without prejudice to the GSO standard mentioned in 2.8, the following shall be met: 
7.1       The product containers shall be made of materials which are hygienic, non-
poisonous and non-harmful. It shall be watertight, clean, and may cause no 
change in the product characteristics. 
7.2 The product shall be packed in such a way as to prevent any external 
contamination. 
7.3 The product containers shall be put in a cold store after complete fermentation at a 
temperature not exceeding 5oC. 
8-   STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION GSO STANDARD                                                   GSO 992/2008  
  
 
 
 8.1 Storage 
The storage and handling te mperature shall not exceed 5oC. 
8.2 Transportation 
The packages shall be transported under suitable and hygienic conditions to 
prevent contamination and deterioration. The temperature shall not exceed 5oC. 
 
 
9- LABELLING 
Without prejudice to the provisions of GSO Standards mentioned in items 2.1 & 
2.5, the following information shall be declared on the label: 
9.1            The kind of milk used (fresh milk, powder). 
9.2 Fat percentage and the type of yoghurt according to fat percentage (yoghurt - 
partly skimmed yoghurt, skimmed yoghurt). 
9.3           Percentage of total non-fat solids. 
9.4       Dates of manufacture and expiry (day, month and year), shelf life shall be in 
accordance to what is stated in the GSO mentioned in item 2.5. 
9.5 In case of addition of natural sugars the statement “Sweetened Yoghurt” shall be 
written. 
9.6 In case of heat-treated yoghurt after fermentation the statement “Yoghurt Heat- 
Treated After Fermentation” shall be declared  on the label, the shelf life shall be in 
accordance to what is stated in the GSO mentioned in item 2.5 . 
9.7 Kind and percentage of optional additions shall be declared on the label. 
9.8 Food additives shall be declared on the label. 
9.9       Nutrition information (energy in calori es , percentages of protein – fat – total sugars,   
calcium, sodium and added vitamins). 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
   
 GSO STANDARD                                                   GSO 992/2008  
  
 
 
  
 
References: 
 
-GSO No 992/2002 
 
No.243/2007   -Codex Standard 
Fermented Milks 
 
- Codex Standard No.192/1995 , rev 2007  
General Standard for Food additives