STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZA TION FOR G.C.C (GSO) 
 
    
ﻣﺸﺮوع: ﻧﻬﺎﺋﻲ  
 
   
GSO 5/FDS….. /2008  
 
 
  
ﻠﻴﻤﻭﻥﺍﻟ  ﺍﻷﺨﻀﺭ  
LIMES 
                                                         
 
إﻋﺪاد  
 
 
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ  
 
 
 
ﺍﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ ﻫﺫﻩ   ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻟﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ.   
  
        
                                         
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 
  
  
  
        
  
        
  
        
  
        
  
        
  
LIMES 
  
    
  
  
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :  
Issuing Status :  GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 1LIMES 
 
 
1. SCOPE  
 This GSO Standard applies to commercial varieties of limes grown from citrus 
latifolia Tanaka1, of the Rutaceae family, to be supplied fresh to the consumer, 
after preparation and packaging. Limes for industrial processing are excluded. 
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1              GSO 9 “Labeling of Prepackaged Foods” 
2.2 GSO 123 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”. 2.3 GSO 124 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Boxes”. 2.4 GSO 382 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue  in Agriculural food products –       
Part 1”. 
2.5 GSO 383 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue  in Agriculural food products –      
Part 2”. 
2.6 GSO ISO 7558 “Guide to the Prepacking of  Fruit and Vegetables”. 2.7 GSO 1694 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF  
  FOOD HYGIENE 
2.8   MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR  FOODSTUFFS – PART 1 
 
Draft  GSO Standards on :   
2.9          “General principles for  Practi ce for Packaging and Transport of Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables”. 
2.10            “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue in Agriculural food products – Part 3”. 
 3. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY 
3.1 Minimum requirements 
  In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances 
allowed and what is stated  in GSO Standard mentione d in item (2.2) and the 
tolerances allowed, the limes must be: 
– Whole; – Sound, produce affected by rotting or dete rioration such as to make it unfit 
for consumption is excluded; 
– Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter;  
1 It is an acid lime having large fruits called also , depending upon the country: Bearss, Persian, Tahiti. 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
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– Practically free of pests affecting th e general appearance of the products; 
– Practically free of damage caused by pests; – Free of abnormal external moisture , excluding condensation following 
removal from cold storage; 
– free of any foreign smell and/or taste; – Firm; – Free of damage caused by low temperatures; – Practically free of bruising; 
– Pipless. 
3.1.1 The limes must have been carefully pi cked and have reached an appropriate 
degree of development and ripeness in accordance with criteria proper to the variety and to the area in  which they are grown. 
 The development and condition of the limes must be such as to enable them: 
– to withstand transport and handling; and – to arrive in satisfactory cond ition at the place of destination. 
3.1.2 Minimum juice content and colouring   The minimum juice content is calculated in relation to the total weight of the fruit. 
 Minimum juice content: 42% 
 Colouring must be typical of the variety on at least two-thirds of  the surface of the 
fruit. The fruit should be green but may show discolouring (yel low patches) up to 
30% of its surface. 
3.2 Classification 
 Limes are classified in three classes defined below: 
3.2.1 “Extra” Class  Limits in this class must be of superior quality. 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. 
3.2.2 Class I  Limits in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the 
variety. The following slight defects, how ever, may be allowed, provided these do 
not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package: 
–  slight defects in shape; –  slight defects in colouring; –  slight skin defects not exceeding more than 1.0 cm
2. 
The defects must not, in any case,  affect the pulp of the fruit. GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 33.2.3 Class II 
 This class includes limes which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, 
but satisfy the minimum requirements specified in Section 2.1 above. The following defects, however, may be allo wed, provided the limes retain their 
essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and 
presentation.  
–  defects in shape; –  defects in colouring; –  skin defects not exceeding more than 2.0 cm
2. 
 The defects must not, in any case,  affect the pulp of the fruit. 
4. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING  
 Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section of the fruit, 
in accordance with the following table: 
Size Code Diameter (mm) 
1 58-67 
2 53-62 
3 48-57 
4 45-52 
5 42-49 
 Limes may be packed by count. In this case, provided the size uniformity required 
by the standard is retained, the size range  in the package may fall outside a single 
size code, but within two adjacent codes. 
 Limes of a diameter below 42 mm are excluded.  Uniformity in size is achieved by th e above mentioned size scales, unless 
otherwise stated as follows: 
(i)  for fruit arranged in regular layers in the package, including unit consumer 
packages, the maximum difference between the smallest and the largest 
fruit, within a single size code or, in the case of limes packed by count, 
within two adjacent codes, must not exceed 7 mm (for size codes 1 to 5). 
(ii) for fruit not arranged in regular laye rs in packages and fruit in individual 
rigid packages for direct sale to th e consumer, the difference between the 
smallest and the largest fruit in the same package must not exceed the range of the appropriate size grade in the size scale, or, in the case of limes packed 
by count, the range in mm of one of the two adjacent codes concerned. 
 
5. PROVISIONS 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. 
 
  GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 45.1 Quality tolerances 
5.1.1 “Extra” class 
 Five percent by number or weight of lim es not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but meeting those of Class 1 or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances 
of that class. 
5.1.2 Class I  The percent by number or weight of limes  not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances 
of that class. 
5.1.3 Class II 
 Ten percent by number or weight of limes  not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class. 
5.2 Size tolerances 
 For all classes, 10% by number or wei ght of limes corresponding to the size 
immediately above or below that indicated on the package. 
 In no case can the diameter be less than 40 mm. 
6. PROVISOINS CONCERNING PRESENTATION 
6.1 Uniformity 
 The contents of each package must be uni form and contain only limes of the same 
origin, variety, quality and size. For “Extr a” Class, the colour must be uniform. 
The visible part of the contents of the p ackage must be representative of the entire 
contents. 
6.2 Packaging 
 Limes must be packed in such a wa y as to protect the produce properly. The 
materials used inside the package must be new
2, 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 stam ps bearing trade specifications is allowed, 
provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue. 
 Packaging Requirements mentioned in the GSO standards in items (2.3), (2.6) & 
(2.9) shall be followed .. 
6.2.1 Description of containers  The containers shall meet the qua lity, hygiene, ventilation and resistance 
characteristics to ensure suitable handli ng, shipping and preserving of the limes. 
Packages must be free of all foreign matter and smell. 
 
  
2  For the purposes of this Standard, this includes recycled material of food-grade quality.  
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
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 7. MARKING OR LABELLING 7.1 Consumer packages 
 Without prejudice to what is mentioned in  the GSO standard in items (2.1), (2.3) 
and (2.6), the following specific provisions apply: 
7.1.1 Nature of Produce  If the produce is not visible from the outside, each package should be labelled as 
to the name of the produce and may be labelled as to name of the variety. 
7.2 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. 
 7.2.1 Identification  Name and address of exporter, packer and/or dispatcher. Identification code 
(optional)
3. 
7.2.2 Nature of produce  Name of the produce if the contents are not visible from the outside. Name of the 
variety (optional). 
7.2.3 Origin of produce  Country of origin and, optionally, distri ct where grown or national, regional or 
local place name. 
7.2.4 Commercial Identification 
–  Class; –  Size (size code or minimum and maximum diameter in millimetres); –  Net weight (optional); – Size code (or, when fruit packed by count fall under two adjacent codes size 
codes or minimum and maximum diameter  in mm) and number of fruit, in 
the case of fruit arranged in layers in the package. 
7.2.5 Official inspection mark (optional)    
 
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 indicat ed in close connection with the code mark. 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
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  8. CONTAMINANTS 8.1 Heavy metals 
 Limes shall comply with those maximum levels for heavy metals established by 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity. 
8.2 Pesticide residues 
 Pesticide residues content shall not exceed what is stated in the GSO  standards 
mentioned in items (2.4),(2.5) and (2.10) . 
 
9. HYGIENE 
9.1 It is recommended that the produce covered by the provisions of this standard be 
prepared and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the Recommended International Code of Practi ce-General Principles of Food Hygiene 
(CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003), Code of hygi enic Practice for Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003), and other re levant Codex texts such as Codes of 
Hygienic Practice and GSO mentioned in (2.7), (2.9) . 
9.2 Microbiological limits shall not exceed limits stated in GSO mentioned in (2.8).  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
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    REFERENCES   –    CODEX STANDARD FOR LIMES       (CODEX STAN 213-1999, AMD. 3-2005)  
 
_     GSO 123 “General Requirement s for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”.