اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ  اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺞ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻌﺎون  ﻣﺠﻠﺲ  ﻟﺪول اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﺲ  هﻴﺌﺔ  
GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO) 
 
  
  
   
Final draft standard 
  
  
  
GSO 05   /FDS / 355 2010 
 
      
 
  
CANNED BABY FOODS 
  
    
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
Prepared by: 
Gulf technical committee for sector sta ndard of food and agricultural products 
 
      This document is a draft Gulf Standard circulat ed for comments, it is therefore, subject to 
Alteration and modification, and ma y not be referred it as a Gulf  Standard, until it approved 
by the Board of Directors of GSO. 
 
    
  
 
Foreword 
 
GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) 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 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 product "has  updated the 
GSO standard NO 355/1994  "CANNED BABY FOODS". The draft standard 
has been prepared by state of Kuwait.                                          
 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 standards NO (355/1994).                                    
 
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
 GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 3CANNED BABY FOODS  
 
1- Scope 
This Standard Specification specifies baby foods which are intended primarily for use 
during the normal infant's weaning period (fro m 6 months), and also for the progressive 
adaptation of infants and childre n to ordinary food. They may be either in ready-to-eat 
form or in dry form requiring reconstitution with water only. They do not include infant 
foods based on milk (GSO 354) or processed ce real-based foods for infants and children 
(GSO 677). 
 
NOTE: Baby foods in ready-to-eat form are processed by heat before or after being 
sealed in their containers and Baby f oods in dry form are processed by 
physical means, in each case so as to prevent spoilage. 
                                                
2- Complementary References  
2.1 GSO 9    "Labeling of prepackaged food stuffs" 
2.2 GSO 21  "Hygienic regulation for food plants and th eir personnel" 
2.3 GSO 150  "Expiration periods of food products" 
2.4 GSO 287"Microbiology – general guida nce on methods for the detection of 
salmonella" 
2.5 GSO 590 "Microbiological methods of food examination – commercial sterility test 
for canned food" 
2.6 GSO ISO 4832 "Microbiology – general guida nce for the enumeration of coliforms 
colony count technique" 
2.7 GSO ISO 4833 "Microbiology – general gui dance for the enumeration of micro-
organisms – colony count technique at 30oC 
2.8 GSO 382, GSO 383 "Maximum limits of pestic ide residues in agricultural and food 
product – parts 1 and 2" 
2.9 GSO 180 "Methods of sampling for plant baby foods" 
2.10 GSO 181 "Chemical methods of test for plant baby foods"   
2.11  GSO 22 "Methods of test for col ouring matter used in food stuffs" 
2.12 GSO 1300  "Methods of determination of minerals in plant baby foods"  
2.13 GSO ….. "Detecting methods of  Hormones and antibiotics in  foods" which will be 
adopted by Gulf Standard ization Organization  
2.14 GSO 988 "Limit of radioactivity leve ls permitted in foodstuffs – Part   
2.15 GSO 998 "Detecting methods of limits of radi oactivity levels perm itted in agricultural 
and food products" GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 42.16 GSO 1016 " Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs"     
2.17 GSO 1791 "Three piece steel round cans  used for canning food stuffs"  
2.18 GSO 1794 "The two pieces steel rou nd cans used for canning food stuffs"  
2.19 GSO ….. "Food additives" which will be  adopted by Gulf Standardization 
Organization  
2.20 GSO 841"Maximum limits of mycotoxins pe rmitted in foods and animal feeds – 
Aflatoxins" 
 
3- Definitions 
3.1 Canned food: 
Food treated by heat before or after being seal ed. It is processed or prepared from any 
suitable food like vegetables, fruits, meat, poul try, singly or mixed with each other. It 
includes food ready–to–eat form of a fairly uniform with sm all particle size and does 
not require chewing, or food c ontains particles with an easy chewing. It also, includes 
dried food processed by natural means, which reconstitute with wa ter or other liquids 
before eating. 
3.2 Infant 
It means the child not more than 12 months of age. 
3.3 Children 
It means young children from the age of more  than 12 months up to the age of three 
years. 
3.4 Calorie 
It means a kilocalorie or "large calorie" (1 kilo joule is equivalent to 0.239 
kilocalories). 
 
4- Requirements 
 
All the requirements listed below are mandatory, and has been divided into two sections:  
 
4.1 Essential Composition and Quality Factors 
4.1.1 Composition 
4.1.1.1  Baby foods may be prepared from any suit able nutritive materi al that is used, 
recognized or commonly sold as an article or ingredient of food, including spices. 
4.1.1.2 Vitamins and minerals may only be a dded in accordance to GSO standards  
4.1.1.2.1 The amount of sodium derived from the added vitamins and/or 
minerals shall be within the limits indicated for sodium in section 
4.1.1.3 GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 54.1.1.3    The total sodium content of the pro ducts shall not exceed 200mg Na/100g calculated 
on the ready-to-eat basis in accordance with directions for use. The addition of salt 
(NaCl) to fruit products and desert pr oducts based on fruit is not permitted. 
 
4.1.2 Consistency and Particle Size 
4.1.2.1  Ready-to-eat baby foods are homogeneous or comminuted in the following forms: 
(a) Strained  food of a fairly uniform, small particle size which does not encourage 
chewing before being swallowed; 
(b) Junior  food that ordinary contains particle s of a size to encourage chewing by 
infants and children, and must be formul ated and manufactured to a consistency 
that minimizes the risk of choking especially for infants.  
4.1.2.2  Dry baby foods, after reconstitution w ith water or other suitable liquid, 
approximate to the consistency and particle  size of stained or  junior foods under 
4.1.2.1  
 
4.2 General Requirements 
The canned baby foods shall include  the following requirements: 
4.2.1  The product shall be totally free of  pork products and its derivatives. 
4.2.2  The raw material used in the manufact uring shall be clean, of good quality and 
suitable for digestion in infants and childre n in conformity with its GSO specification 
standards. 
4.2.3 The components of meat, poultry, and fish sh all be free from bones and its parts, skins 
and shells 
4.2.4 The product shall be free from excessive fibers where is necessary. 
4.2.5 The product shall be manufactured and packed  according to the hygienic regulations 
stated in GSO standard mentioned in clause 2.2  
4.2.6 It shall be free of synthetic mate rials and artificial sweeteners. 
4.2.7 It shall be free of foreign materials acco rding to the mean of  good manufacturing. 
4.2.8  The product and its components shall not ha ve been treated by ionizing radiation. 
4.2.9  The product and its components shall be free from the effects of hormones and 
antibiotics. 
4.2.10   The proportion of contamination minerals elements in foods of ready-to-eat form 
shall not exceed the following (ppm): 
HEAVY METALS MAXIMUM LIMIT (ppm) 
Arsenic 0.03 
Cadmium 0.05 
Lead 0.02 
Tin 150 
Mercury 0.02 GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 64.2.11   Pesticides residues in the product shall not exceed the maximum limits stated in the 
GSO standards no. 382, 383 mentioned in clause 2.8 
4.2.12   The limits of radioactivity shall not exceed the maximum limits stated in the GSO 
standard mentioned in clause 2.14. 
4.2.13   Microbiological limits: 
4.2.13.1  The microbiological limits  shall not exceed the limits stated in the GSO 
standard mentioned in clause 2.16. 
4.2.13.2 Other canned products: 
 It must pass the test of commerci al sterilization according to the GSO 
standard no. 590 mentioned in clause 2.5 
4.2.14   Food additives  
It shall be in conformity with the GS O standard mentioned in clause 2.19 
4.2.15   The Aflatoxins levels shall be in conf ormity with the gulf  standard (GSO 841) 
mentioned in clause 2.20. 
 
5 Packaging and storage  
The following shall be in consideration when filling out, transfer and store the canned baby 
foods: 
5.1 The product shall be packed in containers of clean, dry and steril ized before packing 
and are free from any strange smell a nd impermeable to oxygen or moisture and 
maintain product quality and safety. 
5.2 If in ready-to-eat form, it shall be packed in hermetica lly sealed containers; nitrogen 
and carbon dioxide may be used as packing media, where the fill of the container shall 
be: 
5.2.1  not less than 80% v/v for products weighing less than 150g (512ൗ oz); 
5.2.2  not less than 85% v/v for products in  the weighing ranges 150-250g (9 oz); 
 5.2.3  not less than 90% v/v for products  weighing more than 250g (9 oz) 
5.3 In case of using steel cans, it shall be pain ted from inside with appropriate coating and 
in conformity with its Gulf Standa rds mentioned in clause 2.17 and 2.18. 
5.4 The containers shall be transferred in appr opriate transportation to avoid damage and 
pollution. 
5.5 The containers shall be stor ed in good ventilation stores away from heat sources, 
pollution and direct light, a nd maximum temperature of 25oC. 
 
6- labeling  
Without prejudice to the provision s of the Gulf Standards (GSO  9, 150) mentioned in clauses 
2.1 and 2.3, the following information shall be declared on the label: GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 76.1 The amount of energy expressed in kilo jo ule (or calorie) and th e number of grams of 
protein, carbohydrates, and fa t per 100g of the product and its condition when used. 
6.2 The amount of vitamins, and mineral elements added per 100g of the product and its 
condition when used. 
6.3 Instruction on how to  store the product before and after opening the package and how 
their preparation and use. 
 
7- Sampling 
Samples shall be taken according to the Gulf  Standard (GSO 180) mentioned in clause 
2.9. 
 
8- Testing Methods 
 
8.1 The chemical tests shall be carried out according to the Gulf Standard (GSO 181) 
mentioned in clause 2.10. 
8.2 Artificial coloring shall be detected acco rding to the Gulf standard (GSO 22) 
mentioned in clause 2.11. 
8.3 Determination of minerals shall be carried  out according to the Gulf Standard (GSO 
1300) mentioned in clause 2.12. 
8.4 Determination of pesticide residues shall be carried out according to the Gulf Standard 
which will be adopted by Gulf Standardization Organization .  
8.5 Radioactive contamination shall be detect ed according to the Gulf Standard (GSO 
998) mentioned in clause 2.15.  
8.6 Hormones and antibiotics shall be detected acco rding to the Gulf Standard which will 
be adopted by Gulf Standardization Organization .  
8.7 Microbiological Tests shall be carried out  according to Gulf standards (GSO 287, 590, 
4832, 4833) mentioned in clauses 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7. 
 
 
  GSO STANDARD                                                                                 GSO………/ 2010        
 8 
REFERENCES  
 
CODEX Standard for CANNED BABY  FOODS – CODEX Stan 73-1981 
amendments 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989