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 
 
 
 
ﺍﻟﻔﺭﺍﻭﻟﺔ  
STRAWBERRIES 
 
 
إﻋﺪاد  
 
 
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ  
 
 
 
ﻤﺸﺭ ﺍﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ ﻫﺫﻩ  ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻟﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﻭﻉ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ.   
 
   GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2 
Foreword  
  
 
 
 
Standardization Organization for GCC (G SO) is a regional Organization which 
consists of the National St andards Bodies of GCC me mber States. One of GSO 
main functions is to issue Gulf Standards /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 Gu lf (Standard / Technical Regulation)   by 
GSO Board of Directors in its m eeting No..../....  …….held on    /    /   /  H ,  /    /   
G 
 
  
 
    
 
    
 
 GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 3 
 
 
    
 
    
 
STRAWBERRIES 
 
 
  
 
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :  
Issuing Status :  
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 1STRAWBERRIES   
 
1. SCOPE  
 This GSO Standard applies to Strawberri es of verities (cultivars) grown from the 
genus Fragarial to be supplied fresh to consumer, Strawberries 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 Residues 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 packaging and transport of fresh fruits and 
vegetables “ 
2.12 Maximum limits for Pesticide Residues in  Agriculural food products – Part 3”. 2.13   MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR  FOODSTUFFS – PART 1 
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 
Strawberries fruit must be: 
3.1 Intact , undamaged 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  3.5 Practically free from damage caused by pests GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 23.6 With the calyx stalk attached (except in  the case of wood strawberries); the calyx 
and the stalk (if present) must be fresh and green. 
3.7 Free of abnormal external moisture  3.8 Free of any foreign smell and / or taste. 3.9 The Strawberries must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory ripeness.
  
3.10 pesticide residues content shall not exceed what is stated in the GSO  standards 
mentioned in items (2.7),(2.8) and (2.12) .  
3.11 Microbiological limits shall not exceed limits stated in GSO mentioned in (2.13). 
 
4. CLASSIFICATION  
4.1 Classification according to quality  
 Strawberries fruit are classified in three classes, defined below: 4.1.1 Extra class  
 Strawberries  in this class must be of superior quality. They must be characteristic 
of the variety item (1). 
 They must be bright in appearance, allowing for the characteristics of the 
variety.They must be free from soil. 
 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 produce, the 
quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package. 
4.1.2 Class I  
 Strawberries in this class must be good quality. In colouring and shape, They must 
be characteristic of the variety item (1). 
 The following slight defects, however , may be allowed provided these do not 
affect the general appearance of the pr oduce, the quality, the keeping quality and 
presentation in the package: 
– slight defect in shape . 
– presence of a small white patch, not ex ceeding one-tenth of the total surface 
area of the fruit . 
– slight superficial pressure marks. 
 They must be practically free from soil. 
4.1.3 Class II 
 This class includes Strawberries  which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher 
classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified  in item (3). 
 The following defects may be allowed provi ded the Strawberries fruit retain their 
essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package: 
– defects of shape – a white patch, not exceeding one fifth of the total surface area of the fruit.  – slight dry bruising not likely to spread. GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 3– slight traces of soil. 
4.2 Classification and  Provi sions Concerning Sizing  
 Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section     Strawberries  must be of the following minimum sizes:   
– extra class : 25 mm; – classes I and II : 18 mm; 
 There is no minimum size for wood Strawberries. 
5. PROVISION CONCERNING TOLERANCES 
 Tolerances in respect of quality and si ze shall be allowed in each package for 
produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated. 
5.1 Quality tolerances   
5.1.1  Extra class 
 5 Per cent by number or weight of Strawbe rries  not satisfying the requirements of 
the class but meeting those of Class I, or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class. of these 5 per cent , not more than 2 per cent in total may 
consist of spoilt fruit.  
5.1.2 Class I 
 10 percent by number  or weight of Stra wberries not satisfying the requirements 
of the class, but meeting those of Cla ss II, or exceptionally, coming within the 
tolerances of that class. Of   these 10 per cent , not more  than 2 per cent in total 
may consist of spoilt fruit.  
5.1.3 Class II 
 10 percent by number or weight of Strawberries  satisfying neither the 
requirements of the class, nor the minimu m requirements, with the exception of 
produce affected by rotting or by othe r deterioration rendering it unfit for 
consumption. Of  these 10 per cent , not more than 2 per cent in total may consist of spoilt fruit.  
5.2 Size Tolerances 
 For all classes: 10 per cent by number or weight of Strawberries  not conforming 
to the minimum size. 
6. PACKING, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE 
6.1 Packing  
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO standa rds in item (2.4), (2.9), (2.11) shall be 
followed. 
6.2 Transportation and storage  Requirements mentioned in the GSO sta ndards in items (2.6), (2.11) shall be 
followed. 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 4 
7. SAMPLING 
 Samples shall be taken in accordance with  the GSO standard in items (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 produce 
9.2 Class 
9.3 Net weight 9.4 Country of origin 9.5 Name and address of packer and/or dispatcher                  GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 5 
    REFERENCES   — UN / ECE Standard FFV – 35   “STRAWBERRIES  FRUIT”  Published 1962  Revised 1992, 2002, 2003 - GSO 123 “General Requirements fo r Fresh Fruits and Vegetables