هيئت التقييس لذول مجلس التعبون لذول الخليج العزبيت 
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO) 
  
   
 
مشزوع وهبئي 
 
 
 
GSO 05/FDS / CAC 197:2010  (E)  
CODEX STAN 197 : 1995 (Amended 2005)  
 
 
الفبكهت والخضز الطبسجت- الافىكبدو  
Fresh fruits and vegetables - Avocado  
 
 
 
 
إعذاد 
اللجىت الفىيت الخليجيت لقطبع المىاصفبث الغذائيت والشراعيت 
هذي الىثيقت مشزوع لمىاصفت قيبسيت خليجيت تم تىسيعهب لإبذاء الزأي والملحىظبث بشأوهب ، لذلك 
فإوهب عزضت للتغييز والتبذيل، ولا يجىس الزجىع إليهب كمىاصفت قيبسيت خليجيت إلا بعذ اعتمبدهب 
مه مجلس إدارة الهيئت. 
 تقذيم 
 
هيئت الخقييس لذول هجلس الخعبوى لذول الخليج العشبيت هيئت إقليويت حضن في عضىيخهب الأجهزة 
الىطٌيت للوىاصفبث والوقبييس في دول الخليج العشبيت، وهي ههبم الهيئت إعذاد الوىاصفبث القيبسيت  
الخليجيت بىاسطت لجبى فٌيت هخخصصت. 
 
وقذ قبهج هيئت الخقييس لذول هجلس الخعبوى لذول الخليج العشبيت ضوي بشًبهج عول اللجٌت الفٌيت 
سقن5  "اللجٌت الفٌيت الخليجيت لقطبع الوىاصفبث الغز ائيت والزساعيت "  بخبٌي الوىاصفت القيبسيت 
الذوليت سقن CODEX STAN 197 - 1995Amended 2005  "الافىكبدو " ببللغخيي العشبيت 
والاًجليزيت والخي أصذسحهب هيئت الذسخىس الغزائي الذوليت وقبهج دولت الإهبساث العشبيت الوخحذة 
بإعذاد هششوع هزٍ الوىاصفت. 
 
وقذ اعخوذث هزٍ الوىاصفت كـ (هىاصفت قيبسيت / لائحت فٌيت) خليجيت  دوى إدخبل أيت حعذيلاث فٌيت 
عليهب  ورلك في اجخوبع هجلس إداسة الهيئت سقن (    )، الزي عقذ بخبسيخ    /    /    هـ 
،  الوىافق    /    /          م. 
 
Foreword  
 
GCC  Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional Organiza tion 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 committe e TC No.:  5"Gulf technical 
committee for standards of food and agriculture products". Has  adopted the 
international standard No. CODEX STAN 791 :7995  Amended 2005 
"Avocado ”. issued by Codex Alimentarius Commission Which has been 
translated into Arabic. Th e Draft Standard has been prepared by United Arab 
Emirates.  
 
This standard has been approved as a Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation) 
without any technical modifications by GSO Board of Directors in its 
meeting No. (        ), held on     /     /    H,    /   /        G. 
 
 
 
 
 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
Fresh fruits and vegetables  – Avocado   
 
1. Scope  
This Standard applies to commercial varieties (cultivars) of avocados grown 
from Persea americana  Mill. (Syn. Persea gratissima Gaertn), of the 
Lauraceae family, to be supplied fresh to the consumer, after preparation 
and packaging. Parthenocarpic fruit and avocados for industrial processing 
are excluded.  
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY STANDARDS  
2.1  GSO No. (9) : "Labeling of prepackaged foodstuffs".  
2.2  GSO No. (150) : "Expiration dates for food products".  
2.3  GSO No. ( 7694 ) : "General principles of food hygiene".  
2.4  GSO/CAC No. (193) : "general standard for toxins and contaminants".  
2.5  GSO No. 21: "Hygienic regulations in food plants and their personnel".  
2.6  GSO No. (1016) "Microbiological criteria for food stuffs – Part 1".  
2.7  GSO No. (382): "Maximum allowable limits of pesticides residue in 
agricultural and food products – Part 1".  
3. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY  
3.1 MINIMUM  REQUIREMENTS  
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the 
tolerances allowed, the avocados must be:  
 
3.1.1 whole;  
3.1.2 sound, produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it                               
unfit for consumption is  excluded;  
3.1.3 clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter;  
3.1.4 practically free of pests affecting the general appe arance of the 
produce;  
3.1.5 practically free of damage caused by pests;  
3.1.6 free of abnormal external moisture, excluding condensation following 
removal from cold storage;  
3.1.7 free of any foreign smell and/or taste;  
3.1.8 free of damage caused by low temperatures;  
3.1.9 having a stalk not more than 10 mm in length which must be cut off 
cleanly. However, its absence is  not considered a defect provided the  
 
1 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
 
place of the stalk attachment is dry and whole.  
3.1.10 The avocados must have been carefully picked. Their development  
should have reached a physiological  stage which will  ensure a continuation 
of the maturation process to completion. The mature fruit should be free  of 
bitterness.  
The development and condition of the avocados must be such as to enable 
them:  
3.1.10.1 to withstand transport and handling; and  
3.1.10.2 to arriv e in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.  
 
3.2 CLASSIFICATION  
Avocados are classified in three classes defined below:  
3.2.1 “Extra” Class  
Avocados in this class must be of superior quality. In shape and colouring 
they must be characteristic  of the variety. They must be free of defects, with 
the exception of very slight superficial defects, provided  these do not affect 
the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and 
presentation in  the package. If present, the stalk  must be intact.  
3.2.2 Class I  
Avocados in this class must be of good quality and show the typical colour 
and shape of the variety.  
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed, provided these do 
not affect the general appearance  of the produce, t he quality, the keeping 
quality and presentation in the package:  
3.2.2.7  slight defects in shape and colouring;  
3.2.2.2  slight skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn; the 
maximum total area should not exceed 4 cm2. 
3.2.2.3 The defects must not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit.  
3.2.2.4 The stalk, if present, may be slightly damaged.  
3.2.3 Class II  
This class includes avocados which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher 
classes, but satisfy the  minimum r equirements specified in Section 2.1 
above. The following defects, however, may be allowed,  provided the 
avocados retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the 
keeping quality and  presentation:  
. 3.2.3.7  defects in shape and colouring;  
 
2 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
 3.2.3.2 skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn; the maximum 
total area should not exceed 6 cm2. 
3.2.3.3 The defects must not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit.  
3.2.3.4 The stalk, if present, may be damaged.  
 
4. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING  
Size is determined by the weight of the fruit, in accordance with the 
following table1: 
Weight(in grams)  Size Code 
> 1220 2 
781 to 1220 4 
576 to 780 6 
461 to 575 8 
366 to 460 10 
306 to 365  12 
266 to 305 14 
236 to 265 16 
211 to 235 18 
191 to 210  20 
171 to 190 22 
156 to 170 24 
146 to 155 26 
136 to 145  28 
125 to 135 30 
The minimum weight of avocados must not be less than 125 g.  
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ  
1( Nevertheless, no account should be taken for a given fruit of a deviation of more or 
less than 2% with regard to the  size code indicated.  
 
3 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
5. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES  
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package 
for produce not satisfying  the requirements of the class indicated.  
 
5.1 QU ALITY TOLERANCES  
5.1.1 “Extra” Class  
Five percent by number or weight of avocados 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  
Ten percent by number  or weight of avocados 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  
Ten percent by number or weight of avocados satisfying neither the 
requirement s of the class nor the  minimum requirements, with the exception 
of produce affected by rotting, marked bruising or any other  deterioration 
rendering it unfit for consumption . 
 
5.2 SIZE TOLERANCES  
For all classes, 10 % by number or weight of avocados corresponding to the 
size immediately above or  below that indicated on the package.  
 
6. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION  
6.1 UNIFORMITY  
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only avo cados of 
the same origin, variety,  quality and size. The visible part of the contents of 
the package must be representative of the entire contents.  
 
6.2 PACKAGING  
Avocados must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly. 
The materials used inside  the package must be new2, clean, and of a quality 
such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to  the produce. The 
use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications  
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ  
2 For the purposes of this Standard, this includes recycled material of food -grade quality.  
4 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
is allowed,  provided the printing or labelling has been done with non -toxic 
ink or glue.  
Avocados shall be packed in each container in compliance with the 
Recommended International Code  of Practice for Packaging and Transport 
of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.  
 
6.2.1 Description of Containers  
The containers shall meet the quality, hygiene, ventil ation and resistance 
characteristics to ensure  suitable handling, shipping and preserving of the 
avocados. Packages must be free of all foreign matter and  smell.  
 
7. LABELLING  
1.1 CONSUMER PACKAGES  
Without prejudice to what has been mentioned in the Gulf standard in item 
(2.1), the following specific provisions apply:  
1.1.1 Nature of Produce  
If the produce is not visible from the outside, each package shall be labelled 
as to the name of the  produce and may be labelled as to name of the variety.  
 
1.2 NON -RETAIL CONTAINERS  
Each package must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the 
same side, legibly and  indelibly marked, and visible from the outside, or in 
the documents accompanying the shipment. For produce  transported in bulk, 
these particu lars must appear on a document accompanying the goods.  
 
1.2.1 Identification  
Name and address of exporter, packer and/or dispatcher. Identification code 
(optional)3. 
1.2.2 Nature of Produce  
Name of the produce if the contents are not visible from the outsi de. Name 
of the variety or  commercial type (optional).  
 
 
ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ  
3 The national legislation of a number of countries requires the explicit declaration of the 
name and address.  
However, in the case where a code mark is used, the reference “packer and/or dispatcher 
(or equivalent abbreviations)” has to be indicated in close connection with the code mark.  
5 GSO Standard                                    GSO /FD/ CAC  197:2010  
1.2.3 Origin of Produce  
Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown or national, regional 
or local place name.  
1.2.4 Commercial Identification  
7.2.4.1  Class;  
7.2.4.2  Size expressed in minimum and maximum weight in grams;  
7.2.4.3  Code number of th e size scale and number of fruits when it is 
different from reference number;  
7.2.4.4  Net weight (optional).  
1.2.5 Official Inspection Mark (optional)  
 
8. CONTAMINANTS  
8.1 The produce covered by this Standard shall comply with the maximum 
levels of the Gulf Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed 
(mentioned in item 2.4 ). 
 
8.2 The produce covered by this Standard shall comply with the maximum 
residue limits of the Gulf Standard for pesticides  (mentioned in item 2.7 ). 
 
9. HYGIENE  
9.1 The products covered by the provisions of this standard shall be prepared 
and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the Gulf standard 
mentioned in item 2.3, and other relevant Gulf texts such as Gulf Standard  
mentioned in item 2.5.  
 
9.2 Th e products should comply with microbiological criteria for food stuffs 
mentioned in item 2.6.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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