1 
 GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL STANDARDISATION ORGANIS ATION  
 
(GSO)  
 
 
 
 
 
FINAL DRAFT  
 
 
 
HONEY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Compiled by  
 
 
The Gulf Technical Committee for t he Foodstuffs and Agricultural Products Sector  
 
 
 
 
This document is a draft of a Gulf Standard Sp ecification which has been distributed 
for consultation purposes and comments. Consequently it is subject to amendment and 
replacement. It is not permitted to refer to it as a Gulf Standard Specification until it 
has been approved by the Board of Directors  of the Organis ation.  2 
 Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification              GSO .../2007  
 
 
 
HONEY  
 
 
1. The area and scope of application  
 
1.1 This standard specification is concerned with all honey produced by honey -
bees and covers all styles of honey prese ntations which are intended for 
human consumption.  
 
1.2 This specification also includes honey which is packed in bulk containers and 
which may be repacked into retail packs.  
 
2. The supplementary reference sources  
 
2.1 GSS 9 /1995 "Labels for packed foodst uffs" . 
 
2.2 GSS 21 /1984 "Health conditions in foodstuffs factories and those working in 
them" . 
 
2.3 GSS 122 /1990  "Methods of testing honey" . 
 
2.4 GSS 382 /1994 "The maximum permitte d limits for insecticide residues in 
agricultural and foodstuffs products - Part One".  
 
2.5 GSS 383 /1994 "The maximum permitted limits for insecticide residues in 
agricultural and foodstuffs products - Part Two".  
 
2.6 GSS 1016 /1999 "The microbiological limits for commodities and foodstuffs".  
 
2.7 GSS 1016/1999 "The maximum permit ted limits for heavy metal elements".  
 
2.8 GSS 1016/1999 "The maximum permitted limits for veterinary drugs 
residues".  
 
2.9 GSS 1016/1999 "Labelling of unpacked foodstuffs".  
 
3.  Definitions  
 
 Honey is a natural ly sweet substance which is produced by worke r honey -bees 
from blossom nectar or from secretions from living plant parts or from  the 
excretions of insects feeding on living plant sap, after it has been collected, 
prepared and mixed with particular substances and stored in waxen combs to 
mature.  
 
3.1 Blossom or nectar honey:  honey which is produced from the blossom nectar 
of plants.  Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
2 
  
3.2 Honeydew honey:  This is honey which is produced from the secretions of 
insects feeding on living sap ( hymeptera ) or feeding on the secretions of the 
living parts of plants.  
 
3.3 Extracted honey:  This is obtained by centrifugal force from honey -comb 
which is open and free from any of the insect growth phases.  
 
3.4 Pressed honey:  This is obtained  by pressing honey -comb which is free from 
any of the insect growth phase s. 
 
3.5 Dried honey:  This is obtained by drying honey -comb which is free from any 
of the insect growth phases.  
 
3.6 Comb honey is honey which has been stored by worker honey -bees in newly -
formed waxen honey -comb cells which are free from any of the insect  growth 
phases,  and is sold inside the closed honey -comb in the form of a complete  
comb or as parts of it.  
 
3.7 Honey -comb section s or block s of it in liquid honey is honey which contains 
honey on one or more combs.  
 
3.8 Filtered honey is honey which has b een obtained by filtering honey to clear it 
of grains of pollen.  
 
4.  Description  
 
 Honey has as its base various first -class fructose and glucose sugar s in 
addition to other substances such as organic acids and enzymes and solid 
particles arising from the  honey. The colour of the honey varies from being 
practically colourless to dark brown. As far as its viscosity is concerned, it 
may be in the form of a viscous liquid and may be partially or totally  
granulated , and the flavour and the smell vary depending  on the original plants 
the honey was made from.  
 
5. Requirements  
 
5.1 No foodstuff ingredient must be added to the honey, such as foodstuff 
additives or other artificial additives other than honey. Similarly, it must be 
free from any strange substance, fl avour or smell or any contaminant absorbed 
from outside during treatment or storage.  
 
 The honey must be free of incipient signs of fermentation and effervescence, 
and grains of nectar and any other element except what is unavoidable, 
whether it be organic  or inorganic.  
 
5.2 The honey must not be heated or treated to an extent where its composition is 
altered and/or  its quality is impaired.  
 Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
3 
 5.3 No chemical or biochemical treatment must be used to affect the granulation 
of the honey.  
5.4 Moisture content  
 
Unclassified honey  Not in excess of 20%  
Heather honey (Calluna)  Not in excess of 23%  
 
5.5 Sugars content  
 
5.5.1 Fructose and glucose content (total)  
  
Unclassified honey  Not less than 60g / 100 g  
Honeydew honey and a blend of 
honeydew honey with blossom honey  Not less than 45g / 100 g  
 
5.5.2 Sucrose content  
  
Unclassified honey  Not in excess of 5g / 100g  
Clover hone y (m edicago sativa ), 
citrus fruits , false acacia (r obinia 
pseudoacacia, French honeys uckle 
(hedysarom), Banksia  ( Banksia 
Menzies), eucalyptu s "Alkina " 
(eucalyptus camald ulensis ), lithrood 
(yakrivia lusda), yakrivia Milligani.   
 
 
Not in excess of 10g / 100g  
Lavender honey ( lavan dula), borage 
honey (borago  officinalis)  Not in excess of 15g / 100g  
 
5.6 Contents of solids not soluble in water  
  
Non-pressed honey  Not in excess of 0.1g / 100g  
Pressed honey  Not in excess of 0.5g / 100g  
 
 
5.7 Free acidity  
 
 Must not exceed 50 ml per 1,000 g.  
 
5.8 Diastase activity  
 
 Diastase activity in honey estimated after preparation and/or  blending , in 
genera l terms, must not be less than 8 Schade units. In the case of honey with 
a low natural enzyme content it should not be less than 3 Schade units.  
 
 
5.9 Hydroxy methyl furfural content  
 
 The hydroxymethylfurfural content after preparation and/or  blending must not 
exceed 80 mg / kg. 
 Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
4 
  
 
5.10 Electrical conductivity  
  
Honey not classified below or a blend 
of them  Must not exceed 0.8 milli-siemens  / 
centimetre  
Honeydew honey, chestnut honey and 
a blend of the two of the m, with the 
exception of the following:  
cane apple honey (arbutus anido), 
sand heather (erica), eucalyptus 
"Alkina", linden (types of tilia genus). 
ling heather (ca lluna v ulgaris), 
manuka or jelly bush (l eptospermu m), 
tea tree (types of melaleuca  genus).  Must not be less than 0.8 milli-
siemens  / cent imetre  
 
5.11 Heavy metals  
 
 The honey must be free of heavy elements in quantities which would 
constitute a risk to human health. Similarly, the contents of the Gulf 
Specification referred to in Clause 2 .7 are  applicable to the product.  
 
5.12 Residues of insecticides and veterinary drugs  
 
 There must be no exceeding of the maximum limits for residues of insecticides 
and veterinary drugs which are covered by this Specification over what is 
specified in the Gulf Standard Specifications referred to in clauses  2.4, 2.5 and 
2.8. 
 
5.13 In the preparation and handling of the product, the conditions stipulated for in 
the Standard Specification referred to in Clause 2 .2 must be applied, together 
with those of all the specifications relating to foodstuff safety.  
 
5.14 There must be no exceeding of the micr obiological limits stipulated for  in the 
Standard Specification referred to in clause 2 .6. 
 
6.  Methods of taking samples and testing  
 
 The samples and inspection and testing of the representative samples shall be 
carried out in accordance with clause 2 .3. 
 
7.  Clarificatory information  
 
 Without prejudice to what is contained in the Standard Specification referred 
to in clause 2 .1, the following is also applicable:  
 
7.1 The name of the foodstuff product.  
 
7.1.1 It is not permitted to call any product "honey" if the provisions of this 
Specification have not been applied to it.  Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
5 
  
7.1.2 It is permitted to call a product "blossom honey" or "nectar honey" if it 
complies with what is stated in clause 3 .1. 
 
7.1.3 It is permit ted to call a product "honeydew honey" if it complies with what is 
stated in clause 3 .2. although that name must be close to the name of the 
product.  
 
7.1.4 If the honeys stipulated for in clause 3 .1 and clause 3 .2 are mixed, the phrase 
"a blend of honeyde w honey and nectar honey"  must be included.  
 
7.1.5 It is permitted for honey to be given the geographical or typographical name 
of a region if it is produced within the boundaries of the region stated in the 
name.  
 
7.1.6  It is permitted to classify honey a ccording to the blossom or plant, wh en most 
of the its organoleptic, physiochemical and microscopic ingredients derive 
from that source.  
 
7.1.7  When honey is classified according to its blossom or plant source (clause 
7.1.6) the common name or the plant na me must be close to the name of the 
product.  
 
7.1.8  When honey is classified according to its blossom or plant source, or 
according to the name of the geographical or typographical area, the name of 
the country where it was produced must be shown.  
 
7.1.9  The additional nomenclature referred to in clause 7.1.10 below must only be 
used if the honey matches the aforesaid description, and mention must be 
made of the methods referred to in clause 7.1.11.2 and clause 7.1.11.3.  
 
7.1.10  It is permitted to name a ho ney according to the method it has been extracted 
from the waxen comb:  
 
7.1.10.1  Extracted honey, if it conforms to what is stated in clause 3.3.  
 
7.1.10.2  Pressed honey, if it conforms to what is stated in clause 3.4.  
  
7.1.10.3  Dried honey, if it conform s to what is stated in clause 3.5.  
 
7.1.11   It is permitted to name honey in accordance with the following 
 methods:  
 
7.1.11.1  Honey in a liquid  state , or granulated state, or a blend of them  
 both.  
 
7.1.11.2  Comb honey, if it conforms to what is stated i n clause 3.6.  
 
7.1.11.3  Honey -comb sections or blocks of it in liquid honey, if it   
 conforms to what is stated in clause 3.7.  Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
6 
  
7.1.12   Filtered honey, if it conforms to what is stated in clause 3.8. This must 
 be detailed on the label.  
 
7.2 Labels on con tainers not intended for retail sale.  
 
7.2.1  Without prejudice to what is stated in the Gulf Standard Specification referred 
to in clause 2.9, there must be placed on the label on the cont ainers the name 
of the product,  the production code, and the name an d address of the producer 
and the factory or packer . As far as the remainder of the requirements referred 
to in clause 7.1 are concerned, these may be stated on the containers or in the 
documentation associated with the containers.  
 
 Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
7 
 TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY  
 
[English]          [Arabic]  
 
 
 
Honey                  Honey  
 
Blossom or nectar honey         Blossom or nectar honey  
 
Comb honey                  Comb honey  
 
Granulated honey         Granulated honey  
 
Honeydew honey          Honeydew honey  
 
Pressed honey                Pressed honey  
 
Extracted honey            Extracted honey  
 
Diastase activity                      Diastase activity  
 
Effervescence               Effervescence  
 
Schade Units                 Schade Units  
 
Reduced sugars            Reduced sugars  
 
Inverte d sugar                           Inverted sugar  
 
Heather honey (Calluna)        Heather honey (Calluna)  
 
False Acacia honey                  False Acacia honey  
 
Borage honey                           Borage honey  
 
French Honeysuckle honey               French Honeysuckle honey  
 
Menzies Banksia honey                     Menzies Banksia honey  
 
Organoleptic                             Organoleptic  
 
Physiochemical                        Physiochemical  
 
Ling Heather                             Ling Heather  
 
Manuka or Je lly bush              Manuka or Jelly bush  Draft of a Gulf Standard Specification  GSO .../2007  
8 
  
[English]          [Arabic]  
 
References                    References  
 
Revised Codex Standard For Honey           Revised Codex Standard For Honey  
No. 12/1981, Rev. 1 (1987), Rev. 2 (2001)   No. 12/1981, Rev. 1 (1987 ), Rev. 
         2 (2001)