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  
 
 
  
اﻟـﻤـﻮز  
BANANAS 
  
 
 
إﻋﺪاد  
 
 
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ  
 
 
 
ﻟﻤ ﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ  ﺍﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ ﻫﺫﻩ  ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ.   
  
      GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2Foreword  
  
 
 
 
Standardization Organization for GCC (G SO) is a regional Organization which 
consists of the National Standards Bodi es of GCC member States. One of GSO 
main functions is to issue Gulf St andards /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 Gulf (Standard / Technical Regulation)   by 
GSO Board of Directors in its me eting No..../....  …….held on    /    /   /  H ,  /    / 
  G  
  
  
  
        
  
        
  
      GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 3  
  
        
  
        
  
BANANAS 
  
    
  
 
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :  
Issuing Status :  
 
 
 
 
    GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 2 
BANANAS 
 
 1. SCOPE 
 This GSO Standard applies to commercia l varieties of Bananas grown from Musa 
spp.(AAA) of the Musaceae family, in the green state, to be supplied fresh to consumer, after preparation and pack aging. Bananas intended for cooking only 
(plantains) or industrial processing are excluded. Varieties covered by this standard are included in the Annex. 
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1  GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”. 
2.2  GSO 244 “Methods of Tests for vegetables , fruits 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 “Methods of Sampling for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”. 2.6  GSO 323 “General Requirements for Tr ansportation and Storage of Chilled and 
Frozen Foods”. 
2.7  GSO 382 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residues in Agriculural food products - 
Part1”. 
2.8  GSO 383 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residues in Agriculural food products - 
Part2”.  
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   “Recommended Practice for Packaging and Transport of Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables”. 
2.12   “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residues in Agriculural food products - Part 3”. 
 
3. REQUIREMENTS 
 In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerance 
allowed and what is stated in GSO Sta ndard mentioned in item (2.3) the Bananas 
must be: 
3.1  Whole (taking the finger as the reference) and firm 3.2  Sound, produce affected by rotting or dete rioration such as to make it unfit for 
consumption is excluded. GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 3 
  3.3  Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter. 3.4  Practically free of bruising. 3.5 Practically free of pests. 3.6  Practically free of damage caused by pests. 3.7  With the stalk intact, without bending or fungal damage 3.8  With pistils removed 
3.9  Free of malformation or abnormal curvature of the fingers 
3.10  Free of damage caused by low temperature 3.11  Free of abnormal external moisture , excluding condensation following removal 
from cold storage. 
3.12  Free of any foreign smell and taste. 3.13  Hands and clusters must include: 3.13.1  A sufficient portion of the crown of normal colouring, sound and free of fungal 
contamination 
3.13.2  A cleanly cut crown, not bevelled or torn, with no stalk fragments 3.14  The development and condition of the bananas must be such as to enable them: 3.14.1  To reach the appropriate stage of physiological maturity corresponding to the 
particular characteristics of the variety     
3.14.2 To withstand transport and handling 3.14.3  To arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination in order to ripen 
satisfactorily. 
3.15  Pesticide residues content shall not exceed  what is stated in the GSO Standards 
mentioned in items (2/7), (2/8) and (2/12). 
 
4. CLASSIFICATION 
4.1  Classification according to quality 
 Bananas are classified in three classes, defined below: 4.1.1  Extra class  Bananas in this class must be of superi or quality. They must be characteristics of 
the variety and/or commercial type item (1).  The fingers must be free of defects, 
with the exception of very slight superf icial defects provided these do not affect 
the general appearance of the produce,  the quality, and keeping quality and 
presentation in the package 
  GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 44.1.2  Class I 
 Bananas in this class must be of good qua lity. They must be characteristics of the 
variety item (1). The following slight de fects of the fingers, however, may be 
allowed, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the 
quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package: 
4.1.2.1  Slight defects in shape and colour 4.1.2.2  Slight skin defects due to rubbing a nd other superficial defects not exceeding 2 
cm
2 of the total surface area. 
 The defects must not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit.                
 4.1.3  Class II 
 This class includes bananas which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher 
classes, but satisfy the minimum require ments specified in  item (3) above. The 
following defects may be allowed, provide d the bananas retain their essential 
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package: 
4.1.3.1  Defects in shape and colour, pr ovided the product retains the normal 
characteristics of bananas    
4.1.3.2  Skin defects due to scraping, scabs,  rubbing, blemishes or other causes not 
exceeding 4 cm
2 of the total surface area. 
   The defects must not, in any case, affect the flesh of the fruit. 4.2 Classification according sizing  For the purposes of sizing bananas of th e Gros Michel and Cavendish sub-groups, 
the length of the fingers is determined al ong the outside curve from the blossom to 
the base of the pedicel where the edible pulp ends and the diameter is defined as 
the thickness of a transverse section between the lateral faces. 
 The reference fruit for measurement of the length and grade is:  For hands, the median finger on the outer row of the hand  For clusters, the finger next to the cut section of the hand, on the outer row of the 
cluster 
 The minimum length should not be less than 14.0 cm and the minimum diameter 
not less than 2.7 cm. 
 
5. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCE 
 Tolerance 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 tolerance   5.1.1  Extra class  Five per cent by number or weight of ba nanas not satisfying the requirements of 
the class but meeting those of Class I.  GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 55.1.2  Class I 
 Ten per cent by number or weight of ba nanas not satisfying the requirements of 
the class but meeting those of Class II.  
5.1.3  Class II  Ten per cent by number or weight of ba nanas satisfying neither the requirements 
of the class, nor the minimum require ments, with the exception of produce 
affected by rotting or by other deterioration rendering them unfit for consumption. 
5.2  Size tolerances 
  For all classes, 10 % by number or weight of bananas not satisfying the 
requirements as regards sizing, but falling within the size immediately above and / or below those indicated in item 4.2.  
 
6. PACKING, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE 
6.1  Packing 
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO St andards in items (2.4), (2.9) & (2.11) 
should be taken into account. 
6.2  Transportation and Storage  Requirements mentioned in the GSO Standards in items (2.6) & (2.11) should be 
taken into account.  
 
7. SAMPLING 
 Samples shall be taken in accordance with the GSO Standard in item (2.5). 
 
8.  METHODS OF TESTING 
 Tests shall be carried out using a representative 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 produce (Bananas) 
9.2  Classification class 
9.3  Net weight 9.4  Country of origin 
9.5  Name and address of packer or dispatcher. GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 6 
ANNEX 
List the main groups, subgroups and cultivars of bananas for dessert 
 
Groups Subgroups Main cultivars 
AA Sweet-fig Sweet-fig, Pisang Mas, Amas Date, 
Bocadillo 
AB Ney Poovan Ney Poovan, Safet Velchi 
AAA Cavendish Dwarf Cavendish 
Gaint Cavendish Lacatan Poyo (Robusta) Williams Americani Valery Arvis 
Gros Michel Gros Michel 
Highgate 
Pink Fig Pink Fig 
Green Pink Fig 
Ibota  
AAB Apple Fig Apple Fig, Silk 
Pome (prata) Pacovan 
Prata Ana 
Mysore Mysore, Pissang Ceylan, Gorolo 
 
               GSO STANDARD GSO ...... / 2008
 
 7 
 REFERENCES  - CODEX STANDARD FOR BANANAS CODEX STAN 205-1997     - GSO 123 “General Requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables