Gulf Standard                                                                                                                  GSO……/2011  
  
 
 
 
 
STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION   (GSO) 
هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية  
 
 
 
Final  Draft  
GSO 5/ FDS…../201 1  
 
 
Tea and herbs bags 
 
 
 
 
Prepared by: 
Gulf technical committee for sector standards of  
Food and agriculture products 
 
This docum ent 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 Detectors.  Gulf Standard                                                                                                                  GSO……/2011  
 
Tea and herbs bags  
1- Scope and field of application: 
  This Gulf standard is concerned with different types of tea bags (black - green - 
flavored) and with different herbs bags. 
 
2-Complementary standards: 
2.1 GSO (9): Labeling of prepackaged food stuffs.  
2.2 GSO (21): Hygienic regulations for food plants and the ir personnel.  
2.3 GSO (150): Expiration periods of food products. 
2.4 GSO (168): Conditions of storage facilities for dry and canned food stuffs. 
2.5 GSO (839): Food packages - Part 1: General requirements.  
2.6 GSO  (988): Limits of radioactivity levels perm itted in food stuffs - Part 1.  
2.7 GSO (1016): Microbiological criteria for food stuffs - Part 1.  
2.8 GSO (1694): General rules for food hygiene. 
2.9 GSO/ISO 168:  Paper and board - Sampling to determine average quality.  
2.10 GSO/ISO 5636 -1: Paper and board - Determination of air permanence  – Part 1:  
          General method  .  
2.11 GSO/ISO 12625 -4, 5: Tissue  paper and tissue products - Determination of tensile 
strength. 
2.12 GSO/ISO 534: Paper and board - Determination of thickness, density and specific  
         Volume.  
 
2.13 GSO/ISO 15320: Pulp, paper and board - Determination of pentachlorophenol  
       In an aqueous extract  .  
 
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2.14 GSO/ISO 10775: Paper, board and pulp - Determination of cadmium content -  
        Atomic absorption spectrometric method  .  
2.15 GSO/ ISO11475: Paper and board - Determination of whiteness.  
2.16 GSO/ISO 287: Paper and board - Determination of moisture content.  
2.17 GSO (382,383): Maximum limits for pesticide residues in agricultural and food 
products - Parts 1,2.  
2.18 GSO/ISO 8784 -1: Pulp, paper and board - Microbiological examination - Part 1:  
         Total count of bacteria, yeast and mould based  on disintegration .  
3-Definitions:   
3.1 Tea or herbs bag: Bag for essential function of containing of tea or herbs, and 
touched the product from i nside.  
3.2 Food grade matter: Permissible matter used in food for provided safety 
conditions in it. 
3.3 Secondary container : Outside container , put in its main  bags for transport, 
distribution and storage purposes. 
3.4 Recycling bag: A bag processed from r aw materials not previously used.   
4-Requirements: 
    The following requirements shall be met in the product: 
4.1 The  packed  products (tea or herbs)  shall comply with Gulf standards specific to 
each. 
4.2 The production shall be carried out in plants  that comply with the requirements 
mentioned in Gulf standards in items (2.2, 2.8). 
4.3 The bags shall be clean and not allow , with any probability , of contaminant of 
packed matter. 
4.4 Using bags shall kept of packed product  characteristics, and keep it from  
     Earning any off odor or flavors  .  
4.5 Using bags shall provided  the protection for the packed product from  
     Contaminant with microorganisms, insects and rodents  .  
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4.6 Using bags shall not cause any harm  for consumer when used.  
4.7 The b ag shall be use d one time only.  
4.8 Paper us ed in the processing of tea and herbs bags shall have the following 
characteristics: 
4.8.1 It shall be free from any abnormal odors. 
4.8.2 It shall be produced from non -recycl ed materials.  
4.8.3 It shall be  sterilized aga inst microbes and germs.  
4.8.4 It shall be free from any harmful materials for public health. 
4.8.5 The maximum of emigration of cadmium, lead and mercury from  
       From the paper to the final products, shall not exceed the following 
(mg/ Decimeters2):  
    Cadmium   0.002          Lead     0.003                      Mercury       0.002 
4.8.6 Maximum content for emigrated pentachlorophenol from the paper to the 
product shall not exceed 0.15 mg/ kg paper. 
4.8.7 Moisture content of the paper shall be  in the range from 6  to 10 %.  
4.8.8 Brightness  of paper shall not be less than 75 %.  
4.8.9  Density of the paper  shall range  from 16.5 - 21 g/m2.  
4.8.10 Filtration  rate of the paper shall not be less than 750 ml/ minute.  
4.8.1 1 Air penetration of the paper shall not b e less than 18000 km/h.  
4.8.1 2 Dry tensile strength of the paper shall range  from 8.5 - 11 N/m.  
4.8.1 3 Wet tensile strength of the paper shall range  from 0.8 - 1.2 N/m.  
4.8.1 4 The characteristics of the paper shall permit soluble solids of the product to 
penetrate it when put the bag in the hot water.   
4.9 Tea and herbs bags shall be closed after pack ing with the product with pressing 
or thermo pressing process or with cotton threads .  
4.10 The process of closing the bags after pack ing, be done  well, so as not to permit  
loss of any  packed product.  
3  Gulf Standard                                                                                                                  GSO……/2011  
 4.11  The threads us ed either for closing the bags or for connecting between packed 
bags and paper tag shall be processed from cotton threads. 
4.12 Pesticide residues in used cotton threads shall not exceed the lim it mentioned 
in Gulf Standard stated in Item (2. 17).  
4.13   Thread, clips or glue can be used for fixing the tag.  
4.14 Microbiological criteria for the product  shall be complying with the Gulf 
Standard stated in Item (2.7).  
4.15 Radioactivity limits for the  product shall be complying with the Gulf Standard 
stated in Item (2.6).  
 
5-Sampling: 
     Samples shall be taken according to Gulf Standard stated in Item (2. 9).  
6-Methods of examination and test: 
   The following tests shall be carried out on the sample taken according to Item (5)  
    to determine its compliance for the items of this standard:  
6.1 Determination of moisture: 
      Determination of moisture shall be carried out according to Gulf Standard stated  
       in Item (2.16)  .  
6.2 Determination of dry and wet tensile strength:  
       Determination of dry and wet tensile strength shall be carried out according to  
       Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.11)  .  
6.3 Determination of air penetration: 
       Determination of air penetration for the paper s hall be carried out according to  
        Gulf Standard stated in Item ( 2.10 ) .  
  
 
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6.4 Determination of paper density: 
     Determination of paper density shall be carried out according to Gulf Standard  
      Stated in Item (2.12 ).  
6.5 Determination of paper brightness:  
      Determination of paper brightness shall be carried out according to Gulf  
       Standard stated in Item (2.15 ).  
6.6 Determination of pentachlorophenol: 
        Determination of pentachlorophenol  shall be carried out according to Gu lf  
         Standard stated in Item (2.13 ).  
6.7 Determination of metallic elements: 
       Determination of metallic elements shall be carried out according to Gulf  
      Standard Stated in Item (2.14 ).  
6.8 Determination of microbiological requirements: 
       Determination of microbiological requirements for  packaging paper  shall be 
carried out according to Gulf Standard stated in Item (2.17 ).  
 
7-Packaging, transportation and storage: 
7.1 Packaging: 
7.1.1 Tea or herbs bags shall be packed in containers made of  firm paper (secondary  
           container) to protect it from damage and spoilage .  
7.1.2 Tea or herbs bags may be packed in single paper bags, well closed with 
pressing or thermo pressing, so these paper bags shall be packed in firm paper 
containe rs (secondary  containers).  
 
 
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  Gulf Standard                                                                                                                  GSO……/2011  
7.2 Transportation and storage: 
7.2.1 Transportation and storage of the product shall be carried out in such a way 
not lead to  spoil or damage of the product  
7.2.2 Transportation and storage of the product shall be carried out in such a way to 
avoid influence of any  odor and chemical materials, and in a stores complying with 
Gulf Standard stated in Item ( 2.4).  
 
8-Labelling: 
Without prejudice to what mentioned in Gulf Standard stated in Items (2.1), (2.3)  
 the following shall  be declared  on the label of tea or herbs:  
8.1 Number of tea or herbs bags in each container, 
8.2 Net weight for each bag, 
8.3 Product name and its trade mark. 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
  
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