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  
 
 
  
ﺍﻟﻤﺸﻤﺵ  
APRICOTS 
  
 
  
 
إﻋﺪاد  
 
 
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ  
 
 
 
 ﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ  ﺍﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ ﻫﺫﻩ  ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻟﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ.   
  
  GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2Foreword 
  
 
 
 
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  
  
  
        
  
        
APRICOTS 
      
  
 
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :  
Issuing Status :  
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 1APRICOTS 
 
1. SCOPE 
 This GSO Standard applies to Apricots of verities (cultivars) grown from prunus 
armeniaca L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, Apricots  for industrial processing being excluded. 
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1 GSO 9  “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods” 
2.2 GSO 244 “Methods of Test for Vegetables , Fruit and Their Products, First Part – 
Organoleptic Examination, Determination of net Weight and Drained weight, 
Determination of Apparent Viscosit y, Determination of Head Space, 
Determination of Extraneous Matter and Defective Fruits”. 
2.3 GSO 123 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”. 
2.4 GSO 124 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Boxes”. 
2.5 GSO 125 “Method of Sampling for Fr esh Fruits and Vegetables”. 
2.6 GSO 323 “General Requirements for Tran sportation and Storage of Chilled and 
frozen foods”. 
2.7 GSO 382 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residues in Agriculural food products
   
–       Part 1”. 
2.8 GSO 383 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residus  in Agriculural food products   –     
Part 2”. 
2.9 GSO ISO 7558 “Guide to the Prepacking of  Fruit and Vegetables”. 
 Draft  GSO Standards on :   
2.10  “Determination and Detection of pesticide residues in Food Products”  
2.11  “General principles for  practice for p ackaging and transport of fresh fruits and 
vegetables “  
2.12  “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue in agriculural food products   –    Part 3”. 
 
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS  
 In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances 
allowed and what is stated in GSO Standard  mentioned in item (2/3) the Apricots   
must be: 
3.1 Intact    3.2 Sound; produce affected by rotting or dete rioration such as to make it unfit for 
consumption is excluded.  
3.3 Clean, practically free of any  visible foreign matter. 3.4 Practically free from pests  GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 23.5 Practically free from damage caused by pests. 
3.6 Free of abnormal external moisture  3.7 Free of any foreign smell and / or taste. 3.8 The Apricots fruit must be sufficien tly developed and display satisfactory 
ripeness. 
3.9 Pesticide residues content shall not exceed what is stated in the GSO  standards 
mentioned in items (2.7),(2.8) and (2.12) .
  
4. CLASSIFICATION  
4.1 Classification according to quality 
 Apricots are classified in three classes, defined below: 
4.1.1 Extra class 
 Apricots in this class must be supe rior quality. In shape, development and 
colouring They must be characteristic of the variety item (1),  allowing for the district in which the fruit is grown . 
 They must be free from defects with the exception of very slight superficial 
defects, provided these do not affect th e general appearance of the product, the 
quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package. 
4.1.2 Class I 
 Apricots fruit in this class must be good quality. They must be characteristic of 
the variety item (1). allowing for the district  in which the fruit is grown . the flesh 
must be perfectly sound. 
 The following slight defects, however , may be allowed provided these do not 
affect the general appearance of the pr oduct, the quality, the keeping quality and 
presentation in the package: 
– a slight defect in shape  or development – a slight defect in coloring – slight rubbing   – slight burning  – slight skin defects, with a limit of 1 cm in length for defects of elongated 
shape , and 0.5 cm
2  of the total area for other defects .    
4.1.3 Class II 
 This class includes Apricots which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher 
classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified in item (3). 
 Skin defects may be allowed provided th e Apricots fruit retain their essential 
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation subject 
to the following limits: 
– 2 cm in length of elongated   – 1 cm
2 for all other defects 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 34.2 Classification and Provisions Concerning Sizing  
 Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section. Sizing is 
compulsory for classes  “Extra” and I. 
Class  Minimum diameter 
(mm)     Maximum permissible 
Difference for fruit in the 
same package(mm) 
Extra 35 5 
I and II(sized) 30 10 
II (not sized ) 30 – 
 
5. PROVISION CONCERNING TOLERANCES 
 Tolerances in respect of quality and si ze shall be allowed in each package for 
product not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated. 
5.1 Quality tolerances  
5.1.1 Extra class 
 5 percent by number or weight of Aprico ts not satisfying the requirements of the 
class but meeting those of Class I, or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances 
of that class. 
5.1.2 Class I 
 10 percent by number  or weight of Aprico ts not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but meeting those of Class II, or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class. 
5.1.3 Class II 
 10 percent by number or weight of Apricots fruit satisfying neither the 
requirements of the class, nor the minimu m requirements, with the exception of 
product affected by rotting or nay othe r deterioration rendering it unfit for 
consumption.  
5.2 Size Tolerances 
 For all classes: 10 per cent by number or weight of Apricots deviating from the 
minimum size or the size stated on the package , the deviation not exceeding 3 
mm above or below .  
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 46. PACKING, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE 
6.1 Packing  
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO standa rds in items (2.4), (2.9), (2.11)shall be 
followed. 
6.2 Transportation and Storage  
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO st andards in items (2.6), (2.11)shall be 
followed. 
7. SAMPLING  
 Samples shall be taken in accordance with the GSO standard in item (2.5) 
8. METHODS OF TESTING 
 Tests shall be carried out on representa tive sample drawn according to item 7 to 
determine its compliance with this standard. 
8.1 Tests for determination of net weight, ex traneous matter and defective fruits shall 
be carried out according to the GSO standard mentioned in item (2.2). 
8.2 Determination of pesticide residues sh all be carried out according to the GSO 
standard mentioned in item (2.10) 
9. LABELLING 
 Without prejudice to what is mentioned in  the GSO standard in items (2.1), (2.4), 
(2.9), the following information shall be declared on the label in case of package: 
9.1 The name of the product 9.2 Class 9.3 Net weight 9.4 Country of origin 9.5 Name and address of packer ande/or dispatcher.            GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 5 
  REFERENCES   — UN / ECE Standard FFV – 02   “APRICOTS   ”  Published 1961  Last revised 1992 -  GSO 123 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables