G.C.C STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 
Final Draft  
 
 
 
GSO  05/FDS …… /2011  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared By  
GSO Technical Committee for  standards of food and agriculture products  
 
 
This document is a draft  GSO Standard circulated for comments. It is, 
therefore, subject to alteration and modification and may not be referred to 
as a GSO Standard until approved by GSO Board Of Directors
 
ICS: 67.200   
Snacks  
  
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Date of Board of Directors’    
approv al: 
Issuing Status  : 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Snacks 
  
 
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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 /Technica l regulation s 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 prepared  the draft 
Standard has been prepared by Sultanate  of Oman.  
 
  
This standard has been approved as  a Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation ) by 
GSO Board of Directors  in its meeting  No.(       ), held on      /    /            H ,     /     
/              G. The approved standard will replace and supersede t he GSO  standard 
No. (       /      ).    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Snacks  
  
1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
 This GSO standard is concerned with  snacks based from  flour or potatoes  starch  
or cereals  or nuts and not include fried potatoes and snacks made  from  fish. 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
 2.1              GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”.  
       2.2              GSO 16 " Physical and chemical methods for testing edible vegetable oils and               
                          fats. 
      2.3               GSO 20 " Methods for the determination of contaminating metallic elements in   
                          food stuffs .  
      2.4               GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and Their Personnel”.  
      2.5               GSO 22  "  Methods of test for colouring matter used in food staffs ". 
      2.6               GSO 23  " Colouring matter used in food stuffs ". 
      2.7               GSO 134 " Methods of test for sugar -physical and chemical methods " . 
      2.8               GSO 150 " Expiration periods for food product - part1" . 
      2.9               GSO  193  " Methods of test for enriched and enriched treated wheat flour ". 
      2.10             GSO 841 " Maximum limits of mycotoxins permitted in foods and animal seeds -    
                          Aflatoxins ".  
      2.11             GSO  839 "  Food packages - part1 : general requirements ".  
     2.12             GSO 840 '' method for  determination of sweeteners permitted for use  
                   in food products - part 1  
     
   2.13               GSO  1000" Methods of sampling for prepackaged food product " . 
   2.14               GSO 1016 " Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs - part1".   
 
   2.15               GSO 1863 "  Food packages - Part 2: Plastic package - General requi rements ". 
   2.16              GSO/CAC 192 “General Standards of Food Additives”.  
  2.17               GSO ISO 4831:1993 "Microbiology -general guidance for the enumeration of   GSO STANDARD                                                                     GSO ….. /2011 
                                                                        
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                       .coliforms -most probable  number technique ". 
 2.18             GSO ISO 4833:1993    "Microbiology  - general guidance for the enumeration of                     
                     .micro - organisms -colony count technique at 30c ". 
2.19              GSO 287   "Microbiology - general guidance on methods for the detect ion of  
                    salmonella ". 
2.20          GSO ISO 7251:2006  "Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal    
                   method for the detection and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli - Most     
                   probable number technique ". 
 
 
3                PROPERTIES  
 
 3.1             Snacks  based from potato , cereal, flour or starch:  
3.2           Nuts which  not covered by separate standards  and include the following:  
3.2.1        W hole processed by  dry-roasting, roasting . 
3.2.2         Marinating or  boiling Processed nuts . 
3.2.3         S hell or shelled .  
3.2.4         S alted or un slated . 
3.2.5         Covered with honey or cereals or yoghurt or chocolate.  
3.2.6         Nuts mixtures and dry dried fruits.  
                  
 
 
4.               MATERIALS USED IN PRODUCTION  
 
4.1             Basic materials  
                 - cereals.  
                -  starch or cereals flour or potatoes.  
                - edible animal & vegetables fats and oils.  
 
4.2        A dditional materials  
             -  edible salt.  
             -  natural sugars.  
            - herbal plants which permitted in food.  
            - milk.  
            - fermented milk.  
 
5.              REQUIREMENTS  
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               The product shall fulfill the following:  
 
5.1            The product shall be produced according to the hygienic conditions  given  in   
              GSO standard which mention in item (2.4 ). 
 
5.2           All materials used in manufacturing shall comply with the relevant GSO stand ards 
                for each material or used by human consumption.  
 
5.3             It shall be free from pork products and its derivatives.  
 
       5.4           It shall be free from alcohol.  
 
5.5          It shall be clean and free from foreign matte r. 
 
5.6          It shall be free from rancidity and off -odours  
 
5.7         It shall maintains its distinctive physical properties.        
 
 
5.8       It shall have a distinctive taste and smell.  
 
5.9       It shall be free from metallic oils.  
 
5.10     Food Additives:  
 
 5.10.1 Only allow to use food additives in codex standard which mention in item ( 15.2) with    
            specific percentage according to food category No. 15.0 for snacks ready to eat.  
 
15.10.2  Allow to use edible salt according to goo d manufacturing processing .  
 
15.10.3  Allow to use natural and semi -natural flavors.   
5.11       Free fatty acids shall not exceed 1.5% by mass determined as oleic acid in the  
              extracted oil.  
5.12        It shall comply with microbiological l imits stated in GSO standard mentioned in  
            (14.2 ) which concern of cereals and cereals products.  
5.13         It shall comply with aflatoxins  limits stated in GSO standard mentioned in  
             (10.2 )  
4.17    Salt content percentage  shall  be in the limit of 5 % in salty products . 
4.18      it shall keep its distinctive physical properties.   
 
 
5.           SAMPLING  
 
            Samples shall be taken according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2.9).  
 
 
6.          METHODS OF TEST  
 
Test shall  be carried out on the representative sample taken according to item 5 to  
determine its compliance with all testing methods.  
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 6.1       Sensory evaluation  
              Shall be evaluated according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 9). 
 
6.2         Dete ction of rancidity  
              Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2.9).  
 
6.3        Detection of colouring matters  
               Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 5). 
 
6.4         Determin ation of contaminating elements          
            Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 9). 
 
6.5        Detection of foreign matters  
          Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 7). 
 
6.9    D etermination of sugars  
         Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 7) 
 
6.11   Detection of salmonella  
           Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 19). 
 
6.13   Determination of total count bacteria  
          Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2.1 8). 
 
6.14   Determination of E.coli  
         Shall be carried out according to GSO standard mentioned in item (2. 20). 
 
 
7        PACKAGING, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE  
 
 7.1    Packaging  
 
          Without prejudice to provision of GSO Standard mentioned in item (2.14) and  
           item (2.16).  
  7.1.1      The product shall be packed in clean, hygienic, suitable, sound, moisture proof  
                and well sealed co ntainers that have no effects on product properties and human    
                consumption.  
 7.1.2         The inner surface of the container in contact with the product completely free   
                 from any kind of printing inks and their effects . 
7.1.3         In case of use  informative label  in the package it shall be  in a separate  and   
                closed  bag and after the approval of the  Health A uthorities . 
 
8            TRANSPO RTATION  
 
               It shall be carried out in such a way as to protect the product from mechanical  
               damage and contamination.  
 
9            STORAGE  
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                 The product shall be stored under suitable conditions in well -ventilated stores.  
 
10        LABELLING  
 
            Without prejudice t o provisions of the GSO standard mentioned in (2. 1), the  
            following shall be declared on the label of the product:  
 
10.1      Name and kind of product.  
 
10.2      Nutrition facts  
 
10.3     Production and expiration dates.