اﻟﻌﺮ اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺞ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻌﺎون  ﻣﺠﻠﺲ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﺲ  ﺑﻴﺔهﻴﺌﺔ  
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO) 
 
  
 
 
Final Draft Standard 
 
 
 
 GSO 05/DS 1338 /2008  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Prepared By  
GSO Technical Committee 05 for standard s of food and agriculture products  
 
 
This document is a draft GSO Standard circ ulated for comments. It is, therefore, 
subject to alteration and modification a nd may not be referred to as a GSO 
Standard until approved by GSO Board Of Directors. 
  
  
 
  
 
 اﻟﻠﺒﻦ 
Laban 
 
  
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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 /Technical regulations 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 updated the GSO Standard No. 1338/2002 
"Laban". The Draft Standard has been  prepared by Sultanate of Oman. 
  This standard has been approved as a Gulf Technical Regulation by GSO Board of Directors in its meeting No. (       ), held on      /    /         H ,     /     /             G. The approved standard will replace and supersede the GSO standard No. 1338/2002.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
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LABAN 
1- SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION 
This standard is concerned with laban a nd heat treated laban after fermentation. 
1- COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES 
2.1 GSO 9  Labelling of Prepackaged Foodstuffs 
2.2 GSO 10  Milk Powder 
2.3 GSO 21  Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and Their Personnel. 
2.4 GSO 150  Expiration Period for Food Products  Part 1. 
2.5 GSO 174  Raw Milk 
2.6 GSO 323  General Requirements for Transportation and Storage of   Chilled and  
Frpzen Foods 
2.7 GSO 382 Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food 
Products - Part 1. 
2.8  GSO 383 Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food 
Products - Part 2. 
2.9 GSO 569  Methods for Sampling Milk and Milk Products. 
2.10 GSO 678  Methods of Test for Fermented Milk 
2.11 GSO 839  Food Packages  Part 1: General Requirements. 
2.12 GSO 841  Maximum Limits of  Mycotoxins Permitted  In  Food  and Animal Feeds - 
Aflatoxins 
2.13 GSO 988  Limits of Radioactivity Levels Pe rmitted In  Foodstuffs – patr 1 
2.14 GSO 998 Methods for Detection of  Permi ssible Radionuclides Limits in Food part 
1:  GAMMA Spectrometry Analysis A – Cs – 134, Cs – 137 
2.15 GSO 1016  Microbiological Criteria in Foodstuffs-Part I  
2.16 GSO 149  Unbottled Dranking Water  
2.17 GSO 1862  Food packages - Part 2: Plastic package – General requirements   
2.18 GSO…. Maximum Limits for Hormons and antibiotics  in  Foodstuffs  
2.19 GSO1843  Edible salt  
 
  
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3-   DEFINITIONS 
3.1  Laban 
Fermented milk having a fluid texture after th e addition of one strain or more of pure 
specific bacteria, producing lactic acid, to milk. 
3.2  Heat treated Laban after fermentation Laban (3/1) treated by heat after fermentation (item 
4/8). 
3.3 Reconstituted milk 
Milk resulting from the addition of water to the dried or condensed milk in the amount 
necessary to re-establish the specified water-solid ratio.  
3.4 Recombined milk 
Milk resulting from the combining of milk fat and milk-solids-non fat in one or more of 
their various forms to re-establish the specified ratio for milk constituents.  
4-    REQUIREMENTS 
The following requirements shall be met in laban and heat-treated laban after 
fermentation: 
4.1  General  requirements 
4.1.1            all raw materials used in production shall be compliance with the relevent  GSO 
standards . 
4.1.2 It shall be naturally, clean in its characteristics as colour, texture and 
smell. 
4.1.3 It shall be free from objectionable taste as rancidity, bitterness and rankness. 
4.1.4 It shall be homogenous and free from the whey. 
4.1.5          It shall be completely free from pig products and its derivatives. 
4.1.6 laban after fermentated may be heated for 15 sec at not less than 73oC  
4.1.7         Does not allow the use of emulsifier or stabilizer materials only in   
                 the case of re-production of milk composition or in the case of 
                  heat-treated milk after fermentation.         
4.1.8           Raw materials 
4.1.8.1 Milk materials: one or more from the following: 
• Pasteurized milk or pasteurized concentrated milk. 
• Partly skimmed milk or partly skimmed pasteurized concentrated milk. 
• Pasteurized skimmed milk or pasteurized concentrated skimmed milk. 
• Pasteurized cream.     
• Butter. 
• dried milk, dried skimmed milk, dried whey, concentrated dried whey, and          
caseinates, 
  
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4.1.8.2      starters    
 startar culture bacteria suitable lactic acid - producing like Lactobacillus 
bulgaricus and streptococcus therinophilus.     
 starter culture used in production shall be obtained from pure strains.   
 
4.2           HYGIENIC REQUIREMENTS 
4.2.1          The product shall be processed and packed according to Hygienic regulations stated 
in GSO standard ( item 2.3 ) “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and Their 
Personnel.”  
4.2.2         The product shall be compliance with  GSO( item 2.8 & 2.9 )  Maximum Limits for 
Pesticide Residues in Agricultural and Food Products – prat 1 &Part 2. 
4.2.3         The product shall be compliance wi th  GSO( item 2.14 ) “Maximum Limits of     
                  Mycotoxins Permitted In  Food  and Animal Feeds - Aflatoxins    “  
4.2.4         The product shall be compliance with  GSO( item 2.15)” Limits of Radioactivity 
Levels Permitted In  Foodstuffs – patr 1 
4.2.5          The product shall be compliance wi th  GSO( item 2.18) “Microbiological Limits of 
Foods  Part 1.” 
4.2.6       The product shall be compliance with  GSO standrad to be aproved for Maximum 
Residues Limits for Hormons and antibiotics 
4.3           CHIMICAL REQUIREMENTS 
4.3.1           Milk Fat content  
 Type of  yoghurt Milk Fat content 
Minimum limit Maximum limit 
4.٣1.1 Full cream yoghurt 3% ------ 
4.٣1.2 Low fat y oghurt 0.5% > 3% 
4.٣1.3 Free fat y oghurt ------ 0.5% 
4.3.2          Minimum milk protein in milk solids – non – fat            34%  
4.3.3          Minimum milk solids – not fat  8.2% 
4.3.4          Maximum acidity- calculated as lactic acid- 0.7 % 
4.3.٥Vitamins may be added with minimum of 
Vitamin A 1200-2000 IU/Kg Vitamin D 400 IU/Kg 
4.3.6 It may be used any  food additives that only mentioned in Table (1)   
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5.        SAMPLING                 Samples shall be drawn in accordance with the GSO standard mentioned in 2.9  
6.       METHODS OF ANALYSIS 
6.1      Tests shall be carried out on the representative sample drawn according to item 5 to 
          determine its compliance with this standard. 
6.2 Tests shall be carried out in accordance with GSO mentioned in item 2.10  
 
7 LABELING 
Without prejudice to the provisions of GSO standard mentioned in 2.1 The 
following information shall be declared on packages: 
7.1 Kind of  product according to fat ratio((4.3.1) whole - partially skimmed and         
                   skimmed. 
7.2 If milk o ther than cow milk used in processing the product or a part from it, the 
                   animal or animals of the milk source shall be mentioned.   
7.3          nutrition  information  shall be declared for each 100 mL or by serving including   
                 enregy by callory , protin,fat, and sugsrs by g. And calcium and sodium by mg 7.4       The date Production and expiry dates shall be declared.      8.      PACKAGING  
               Without prejudice to the provisions of GSO( item 2.1١2.٧١the following 
requirement shhall be Met:    
8.1     The product containers shall be clean, non-harmful, water-tight, air tight, tightly sealed, 
and prevent the product from any change in the product characteristics. 
8.2        The product shall be packed in such a way as to prevent any external contamination. 
 
9.     STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION 
                 Without prejudice to the provisions of GSO( item 2.٦the following requirement shhall 
be Met:  
 7 9.1        The product containers shall be put in a cold store after complete fermentation at a 
              temperature 0 to 5 C 
 
  
 
 
Table (1) 
 
Additive 
 INS  
  Max Leve 
mg/kg  Notes 
CARAMEL III - AMMONIA PROCESS  150c 150  
CARAMEL IV- SULPHITE AMMONIA PROCESS 150 d 150  
DIACETYLTARTARIC AND FATTY  
ACID ESTERS OF GLYCEROL  472e 5000  
PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTERS OF  FATTY ACIDS 477 5000 ﺑﺎﻟﺤﺮارة  ﻟﻠﻤﻌﺎﻣﻞ  
Xanthan gum ٥١٤ 
5 g/Kg 
singly or in 
combination  
  
Guar gum ٢١٤  
Tragacanthan ٣١٤  
Agar-Agar ٦٠٤  
Carragenin ٧٠٤  
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose ٦٦٤  
Pectin ٠٤٤10 g/Kg.   
Any other additives used in dried milk  
Any additives will be adopted by CAC  
 
 
References: 
-GSO No 1338/2002 
  - Codex Standard 
No.192/1995 , rev 2007 
General Standard fo r Food additives