GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO) 
  
  
  
  
  
 ﺃﻭﻟﻲﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ  
  
  
GSO5/1…./2008 
    
  
  
ﺍﻟﻤﺠﻤﺩﺓ  ﺍﻟﺒﺎﻤﻴﺔ 
FROZEN OKRA  
 
  
    
  
      
 
  
  
    
  
  
 
Prepared by: 
 
Gulf technical committee for standards of food and agriculture products 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
This document is a draft Gulf standard ci rculated for comments, it is therefore, 
subject to change, and may not be referred it as a Gulf  standard, until approved by 
the Board of Directors.  . GULF STANDARD  GSO ......./2008  
 
2 Foreword  
  
 
 
 
Standardization Organization for G CC (GSO) is a regional Organization 
which consists of the National Standard s 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 meeting No ..../....  …….held on    /    /   /  H 
,  /    /   G GULF STANDARD  GSO ......./2008  
 
3 FROZEN OKRA  
 
  
1- SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION  
 This standard is concerned with fr ozen and fresh okra conforming to the 
characteristics of plant (Hibiscus esculentus)) and prepared for human 
consumption. 
 
2- COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1 GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged foods”.  
2.2 GSO 1287  “Methods of Sampling of Prepackaged Fruit and Vegetable 
Products”. 
2.3 GSO 20 “Methods for the Determination of Contaminating Metallic Elements 
in Foodstuffs”. 
2.4 GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and their Personnel”. 2.5 GSO 244 “Methods of Test for Vegetables , Fruit and Their Products, Part 1:  
Organoleptic Examination, Determination of net Weight and Drained Weight, 
Determination of Apparent Viscosity Determination of Head-Space, Determination of Extrancons Matter and Defective Fruits”. 
2.6 GSO 150 “Expiration Periods for Food Products”. 2.7 GSO 323 “General Requirements for Tran sportation and Storage of Chilled and 
Frozen Foods”. 
2.8 GSO 382 “Maximum Limits for Pestic ide Residues in Agricultural and Food 
Products – Part 1”. 
2.9 GSO 383 “Maximum Limits for Pestic ide Residues in Agricultural and Food 
Products – Part 2”. 
2.10 GSO 839 “Food Packages – Part 1 – General Requirements”. 2.11 GSO 988 “Limits of Radioactivity Levels Permitted  in Foodstuffs – Part I”. 2.12 GSO 998 “Methods of Detection of Perm issible Radionuclides Limits in Food - 
Part 1 Gamma Spectrometry Analysis Foodstuffs – Part 1”. 
2.13 GSO 1016 “Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs –  Part 1”. 2.14 GSO....../........”Methods of Detection and Determination of Pesticide Residues 
in Food Products”. GULF STANDARD  GSO ......./2008  
 
4  
3- DEFINITIONS  
 Frozen okra: Food product prepared from fresh fruits of okra at proper 
maturity stage conforming with character sticks of species ( Hibiscus  
esculentus ) after washing and cutting part of  the cap and blanching. The shall 
be frozen rapidly product and shall be kept at a temperature not exceeding -
18oC until consumed”. 
 
4- STYLES OF FROZEN OKRA  
4.1 Whole okra consists of trimmed or untrimme d whole pods of any length which 
may possess an edible portion of the cap.  The length of a whole pod is 
determined by measuring, from the outermo st point of the tip end of the pod to 
the outermost point of the stem end of the pod, exclusive of any inedible stem 
portion which may be present.  
4.2 Cut okra consists of trimmed or untrimme d whole pods of any length which 
may possess an edible portion of the cap, and which have been cut transversely 
into pieces of approximate uniform length. 
 
5- REQUIREMENTS  
 The following requirements shall be met in frozen okra. 
5.1 The okra used should be at proper maturity stage and not at the end of the stage.  
It should be free from any extraneous plant materials. 
5.2 It shall be free from insects or fungi or bacteria or virus infections. 5.3 It shall be free from foreign flavour  and odour, slimy materials and damaged 
fruits. 
5.4 It shall be prepared, processed and prepackaged under sanitary conditions in 
accordance with Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.4). 
5.5 It shall be homogeneous on colour and colour defects (spots white yellow color) 
should not exceed 5% by weight. 
5.6 The percentage of separated seeds should not exceed 0.2% by weight in the 
case of block frozen okra and it should be free from seeds in the case of single 
frozen okra. 
5.7 It shall be free from freezing burns. 5.8 It shall not be re-frozen after thawing. 5.9 Contaminated heavy metals in the final product shall not exceed the limits 
mentioned in  Table No. 1. GULF STANDARD  GSO ......./2008  
 
5 Table 1 
Maximum limits of cont aminated heavy metals 
Contaminated heavy metals Maximum limits (ppm) 
Tin 250 ppm  
Lead 1 ppm 
 
5.10 Pesticide residues content shall not exceed  what is stated in Gulf standard 
mentioned in items (2.8 and 2.9). 
5.11 Radiation levels in the product shall not exceed what is stated in Gulf standard 
mentioned in item (2.1 1). 
5.12         Microbiological limits shall not exceed what is stated in Gulf standard 
mentioned in item (2.13). 
 
6-  PACKAGING  
 Without prejudice to what is stated in Gulf standard mentioned in items (2.10), 
Packaging used for frozen okra shall: 
6.1 Protect the organoleptic and other quality characteristics of the products. 6.2 Protect the product against microbiological and  other contamination. 
6.3  Protect the product from dehydration, leakage, and damage. 6.4 Not pass on to product any odour, fl avour, colour or other foreign 
characteristics throughout storage, hand ling and distribution of the product up 
to the time of final sale.  
 
7- SAMPLING  
 Samples shall be taken according to Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.2). 
 
8- METHODS OF TESTING AND EXAMINATION  
 Tests shall be carried out on the repr esentative sample taken according to item 
(7) to determine its compliance to this standard. 
8.1 Tests for determination of net weight, defective units and organoleptic 
examination shall be carried out accordi ng to Gulf standard mentioned in item 
(2.5). 
8.2 Determination of pesticide residues sh all be carried out according to Gulf 
standard mentioned in item (2.14). 
8.3 Determination of contaminating heavy metallic elements, shall be carried out 
according to Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.3). GULF STANDARD  GSO ......./2008  
 
6 8.4 Detection of limits of radiation levels  shall be carried out according to Gulf 
standard mentioned in item (2.12). 
 
9- LABELLING  
 Without prejudice to what is stated in Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.1) the 
following shall be declared on each package. 
9.1          Type and style of product. 9.2 Statement “should be kept at a temperature not exceeding -18
oC until 
consumed”. 
9.3 Expiration periods for product according to Gulf standard mentioned in item 
(2.6). 
 
10- TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE  
 The product shall be transported and stored according to Gulf standard 
mentioned in  item (2.7) and  the  temper ature  of the  product  shall not exceed 
-18oC during transportation and storage.