1STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZA TION FOR G.C.C (GSO) 
 
    
ﻣﺸﺮوع: ﻧﻬﺎﺋﻲ  
 
   
GSO 5/FDS….. /2008  
 
 
  
ﺍﻟﺒﺭﻗﻭﻕ  
PLUMS  
                                                         
 
إﻋﺪاد  
 
 
اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠﺎت  ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت  ﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﻠﺠﻨﺔ  ﻭﺍﻟﺯﺭﺍﻋﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻐﺫﺍﺌﻴﺔ  
 
 
 
ﻟ ﻤﺸﺭﻭﻉ  ﺍﻟﻭﺜﻴﻘﺔ ﻫﺫﻩ  ﻟﺫﻟﻙ ﺒﺸﺄﻨﻬﺎ،  ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻼﺤﻅﺎﺕ  ﺍﻟﺭﺃﻱ ﻹﺒﺩﺍﺀ ﺘﻭﺯﻴﻌﻬﺎ  ﺘﻡ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ
 ﻤﻥ ﺍﻋﺘﻤﺎﺩﻫﺎ  ﺒﻌﺩ ﺇﻻ ﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻗﻴﺎﺴﻴﺔ ﻜﻤﻭﺍﺼﻔﺔ  ﺇﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺭﺠﻭﻉ  ﻴﺠﻭﺯ ﻭﻻ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺒﺩﻴل،  ﻟﻠﺘﻐﻴﻴﺭ ﻋﺭﻀﺔ ﻓﺈﻨﻬﺎ
ﺍﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠﻴﺔ  ﺍﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ ﺇﺩﺍﺭﺓ ﻤﺠﻠﺱ.   
  
        
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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 ,  /    /   
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PLUMS  
  
    
  
  
Date of GSO Board of Directors’ Approval :  
Issuing Status :  
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 1PLUMS 
 
1. SCOPE  
 This GSO Standard applies to plums of verities (cultivars) grown from:  
1.1 Prunus domestica L.ssp.domestica.  1.2 Prunus domestica L.ssp.insititia(L)Schneid. 1.3 Prunus domestica L.ssp.italica (borkh) Gams.  1.4    Prunus domestica L.ssp. syriaca(borkh) Janchen.  1.5   Prunus salicina Lindl.  1.6 Prunus Armeniaca.  To be supplied fresh to the consumer , plums for industrial processing being 
excluded. 
 
2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2.1              GSO 9 “Labeling of Prepackaged Foods” 
2.2 GSO 244 “Methods of Test for Vegetables , Fruit 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 “Method of Sampling for Fr esh Fruits and Vegetables”. 
2.6 GSO 323 “General Requirements for Tran sportation and Storage of Chilled and 
frozen foods”. 
2.7 GSO 382 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue  in Agriculural food products –       
Part 1”. 
2.8 GSO 383 “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue  in Agriculural food products –      
Part 2”. 
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          “General principles for  Practi ce for Packaging and Transport of Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables”. 
2.12            “Maximum limits for Pesticide Residue in Agriculural food products – Part 3”.    GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 23. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 
 In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances 
allowed and what is stated in GSO Standa rd mentioned in item (2.3) the plums   
must be: 
3.1 Intact,. 3.2 Sound, produce affected by rotting or deteri oration such as to make it unfit for 
consumption is excluded.  
3.3 Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter. 3.4 Practically free from pests. 3.5 Practically free from damage caused by pests 3.6 Free of abnormal external moisture. 3.7              Free of any foreign smell and / or taste. 3.8              The plums must have been carefully picked. 3.9 The plums must be sufficiently devel oped and display satisfactory ripeness.  
3.10           
 The development and condition of the plums must be such as to enable them: 
3.10.1 To withstand transport and handling, and 
3.10.2 To arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination. 3.11 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 quality 
 Plums  are classified in three classes, defined below: 4.1.1     “Extra” class  Plums in this class must be of supe rior quality.  In shape, development and 
colouring they must be characteristic of the variety item (1). 
  They must be: 
4.1.1.1  Practically covered by their bloom, according to variety 4.1.1.2   Of firm flesh.  They must be free from 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. 
4.1.2 Class I 
 Plums in this class must be good qualit y. They must be characteristic of the 
variety item (1) .The following slight de fects, however, may be allowed provided 
these do not affect the general appearan ce of the produce, the quality, the keeping 
quality and presentation in the package: 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 34.1.2.1 Slight defect in shape. 
4.1.2.2 Slight defect in development. 4.1.2.3 Slight defect in coloring. 4.1.2.4 Skin defects of elongated shape must not exceed in length one-third of the 
maximum diameter of the fruit. In par ticular, healed cracks may be allowed for 
"Golden gage" varieties
 . 
4.1.2.5 Other Skin defects of which the total area affected must not exceed one-sixteenth 
of the whole surface. 
 Note: Definition:  Golden Gages (Green Apricots, Dauphines, Greengages) 
having a green skin with a yellowish sheen 
4.1.3          Class II 
 This class includes Plums which do not qua lify for inclusion in the higher classes, 
but satisfy the minimum requirements speci fied in item (3). The following defects 
may be allowed provided the Plums fruit retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation: 
4.1.3.1 Defects in shape. 
4.1.3.2 Defects in development. 4.1.3.3 Defects in colors. 4.1.3.4 Skin defects of which the total area aff ected must not exceed one-sixteenth of the 
whole surface. 
4.2 Classification and Provisions Concerning Sizing  
 Size is determined by the maximum diamet er of the equatorial section. Minimum 
sizes are fixed as follows:  
 II (mm)  "Extra" and I (mm) Classification 
 30  35  Large-fruited varieties 
 25 28  Other varieties 
 17 20  Mirabelle's and damsons 
 
 For the "Extra" class, the maximum difference in diameter between fruit in any 
one package is fixed at 10mm. 
 
5. PROVISION 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 in item  indicated.   
5.1      Quality tolerances  
5.1.1  “Extra” class 
 5 per cent by number or weight of plum s not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances 
of that class.  GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 45.1.2  Class  I 
 10 percent by number or weight of plum s not satisfying the requirements of the 
class, but those of class II or, exceptionall y, coming within the tolerances of that 
class. Within the tolerances, not more th an 2 per cent in total may consist of spit 
and/or worm eaten fruit.  
5.1.3 Class II 
 10 percent by number or weight of plum s satisfying neither the requirements 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. Within the tolerances, not more than 4 per cent in total may consist of spit and/or worm eaten fruit.  
5.2 Size Tolerances  
 For all classes: 10 per cent by number or we ight of plums from  the minimum size 
or the size stated on the size stated on the package, the deviation not exceeding 3 mm above or below. 
 
6. PACKING , TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE  
6.1      Packing   
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO standa rds in items (2.4), (2.9) & (2.11) shall 
be followed .
       
6.2  Transportation and storage 
 Requirements mentioned in the GSO Standards in items (2.6) & (2.11) shall be 
followed .  
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 on representa tive 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). 
 GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
 59.      LABELING 
 Without prejudice to what is mentioned in  the GSO standard in items (2.1), (2.4) 
and (2.9)(the following information shall be declared on the label in case of 
package: 
9.1 The name of the produce. 9.2 Class. 9.3 Net weight. 9.4 Name and address of packer or dispatcher.        
 
                    GSO STANDARD  GSO ...... / 2008
 
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 REFERENCES   – UN / ECE Standard FFV – 29 “plums”  Published1961 Revised  1996, 1998, 1999,  2002,2004   - GSO 123 “General Requirements fo r Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”.