GSO2188 2011nutshandling

GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
GSO 2188/2011
General Requirements for the nuts Handling

Date of Approval from the Technical Council: 13-14/11/1432 AH (11-

12/10/2011)
Capacity of Issue: Standard Specification

Introduction
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional organization

comprising the national agencies for specifications and standards in the Gulf
Counties in its membership. The Organization has many tasks including,
among other things, preparation of Gulf standard specifications by
specialized technical committees.
GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) has, within the Gulf Technical

Committee Agenda No. (5) "Food and Agricultural Products Specifications
Sector", prepared this Gulf Standard Specification by the United Arab
Emirates. The project has been prepared after reviewing Arab, foreign and
international standard specifications and the relevant reference books.
This Specification has been approved as a Gulf Standard Specification in the

Technical Council Meeting No. (23) held on 13-14/11/1432 (11-
12/10/2011).
1- Scope
This Gulf Standard Specification is concerned with the general requirements

of the raw nuts handling or dealing with the different manufacturing
processes like peeling, toasting, corning, smoking and the like through the
different handling phases. This includes: manufacturing, packing,
transporting, storing and offering for sale.
2- Supplementary References:
2-1 GSO 9 : "Filled Foodstuff Cards"
2-2 GSO/CAC/RCP 59 Draft Specification : "Practice Manual for

Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxins Contaminations in the Tree Nuts"
2-3 GSO/CAC 55 "Practice Manual for Prevention and Reduction of

Aflatoxins Contaminations in the Peanuts".
2-4 GSO/CAC 193 "General Specifications of Contaminations and Toxins

in the Food".
2-5 GSO 168 "Requirements of Dried and Filled Foodstuff Preservation

Stores".
2-6 GSO 323 "General Requirements for the Transport and Store of Chilled
and Frozen Food".
2-7 GSO 1694 "General Rules for Food Health".
2-8 GSO 839 "Foodstuff Cans – Part 1 – General Requirements".
2-9 GSO 21 "Health Requirements in the Food Factories and Workers".
2-10 GSO 1016 "The Microbiological Limitations of Commodities and

Foodstuffs – Part 1".
2-11 GSO 382 "The Permitted Maximums of Insecticide Residues in the
Agricultural Products and Food – Part 1".
2-12 ISO 16050 "Foodstuff – The Aflatoxins Estimation B1 and Aflatoxins

Aggregation B1, B2, G1, G2 in the grains, nuts and their products – High-
Performance Chromatographic Method.
3- Definitions
3-1 Nuts
The foodstuff obtained from the tree nuts, including: Prunus amygdalus,
Bertholletia excelsa, Anacardium occidentale, Corylus spp, Macadamia spp,
Carya spp, Pinus spp, Castanea spp, Pistacia spp and Juglans spp.
2-3 Aflatoxins
Complex of toxins formed by molds of the genus aspergillus, like:
Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus mold on some foods and

fodders within suitable temperature and humidity causing Aflatoxins. This
contamination usually spreads in tree nuts, peanut and other oil seeds. The
main Aflatoxins are B1 and B2, G1 and G2. These toxins are usually found
together in different percentages in the foods and fodders. Nevertheless,
Aflatoxins B1 is the most poisonous one.
Aflatoxins M is a main metabolite of Aflatoxins B1 in the animals, it is usually

excreted in the livestock milk and urine and all species of mammals eating
foods or fodders contaminated with Aflatoxins.
3-3 Damage resulting from the insect pests
Visible damage or contamination resulting from the insects, weevil, rodents,

or any other insects including the dead insects and remains of insects and their
excretions.
3-4 Odd Smell and/or Taste

The smell or taste not of the product characteristics.
3-5 Unusual external humidity
The water or humidity or water condensation directly on the surface of

product.
3-6 Foreign substances:
Any external or visible substances including the dust usually not related to the
product.
4- General Requirements
4-1 The nuts and their products should be compliant with the Gulf Standard
Specifications in all phases of their handling till they reach the end user.
4-2 The product should be produced, transported, manufactured and filled

under the health conditions in accordance with the Gulf Standard
Specifications set forth in the clause (9-2), (7-2) and (6-2).
4-3 The imported shipments should be enclosed with the laboratory analysis
results certificate and health certificate proving their appropriateness for the
human consumption, certified and signed by the official authorities accredited
in the export countries.
4-4 It may not import or handle these products without the approval to the
product by the competent authorities in the import country.
4-5 The contaminations and toxins should not exceed the permitted
limitations in accordance with the Gulf Standard Specification of these
products or according to the Gulf Standard Specification set out in the clause
(4-2).
4-6 The insecticides residues should not exceed the permitted limitations in
accordance with the Gulf Standard Specification set out in the clause (11-2).
4-7 The microbiological limits should not exceed the permitted limitations in
accordance with the Gulf Standard Specification set out in the clause (10-2).
4-8 The product should be produced, transported, manufactured, stored and

filled in accordance with the Gulf Standard Specifications set forth in the
clauses (2-2) and (2-3).
4-9 To comply with the requirements following this clause in relation to

manufacturing, packing, transporting, storing, taking the samples, test
methods and the explanatory information set out in this Specification.
5- Manufacturing
5-1 The places of reception of raw materials should be separate from the
places of preparation of final product or its packaging and such for avoiding
contamination to the final product. The nuts peeling should be conducted in
a place separate from the main manufacturing area through the partitions.
Further, it should take the utmost degrees of care for preventing transfer of
dust to other places in the firm through the ventilation system or other
openings in order to avoid the Aflatoxins cross contamination to the other
fruits during manufacturing.
5-2 It should not accept the raw materials containing decompositions, toxins
or other foreign materials that cannot be removed to the permitted levels by
the ordinary manufacturing methods of separation and preparation.
Moreover, it should take the utmost degrees of care for preventing
contamination of the peeled nuts (nuts kernel) with the animal or human
beings remains.
6- Packing, Transport and Storage:
6-1 Packing
6-1-1 Without prejudice to the provisions stipulated in the Gulf Standard

Specification set forth in the clause (8-2), the product packing should be under
a suitable protection, and the materials used for packing and packaging should
be new and clean, and such materials should have a food grade and nontoxic,
and the cans should be free from the foreign objects.
6-1-2 The external part of product in the can should reflect all its contents.
6-1-3 The product packing should be under an appropriate protection.
6-1-4 Upon offering the nuts for sale directly to the user, it should comply
with the following requirements:
6-1-4-1 The offer should be within a specific clean place away from the
sources of contamination, and cooled with a temperature not exceeding 10˚
Celsius, and the humidity not exceeding 70%. The entity selling the nuts
should have reader recording the temperature and humidity.
6-1-4-2 The containers and coolers should be suitable and easy to clean and
to be cleaned periodically.
6-1-4-3 It should follow the first in the first out principle during the sale
process through designing suitable containers for that.
6-2 Transport
6-2-1 The product should be transported and stored in accordance with the
Gulf Standard Specification set forth in the clause (2-6).
6-2-2 The transport containers should be clean and dry and free from the
visible fungus and pests and any contaminations, and be tightly closed for
preventing the contaminations or pests or any foreign objects.
6-2-3 The nuts should be transported from the transport containers to the
store as soon as possible.
6-2-4 The transport should be inside cars or containers cooled with a

temperature not exceeding 10˚ Celsius, and the humidity not exceeding 70%.
6-2-5 The transport cars should be equipped with temperature and humidity
reader that records the temperature during all the transport time.
6-3 Storage
6-3-1 It should follow the good storage practices in accordance with the Gulf
Standard Specification set forth in the clause (2-5).
6-3-2 It should preserve and store the raw or manufactured nuts according to
suitable conditions where the humidity should not exceed 70% and the
temperature not exceed 10˚ Celsius
6-3-3 The stores should be clean and dry with equipments for controlling and
measuring the temperature and humidity (The humidity should not exceed
70% and the temperature not exceed 10˚ Celsius) and to have reader recoding
the temperature during all storage time.
6-3-4 The stores should be adequate and meet the following:
6-3-4-1 Protected from rain and pests.
6-3-4-2 The flooring should be washed without water leakage.
6-3-4-3 Equipped with suitable drainages.
6-3-4-4 Good ventilation.
6-3-4-5 Sufficient area with proper division for separating the products.
6-3-4-6 Protected from the rodents and birds in order to reduce the fungus
growth during the storage.
7- Taking the Samples
It should take samples in accordance with Gulf Standard Specification set

forth in the clause (2-4).
8- Test Methods
Aflatoxins should be assessed in accordance with Gulf Standard Specification

set forth in the clause (2-12).
9- Labeling
Without prejudice to the provisions of the Gulf Standard Specification set

forth in the clause (2-1), every can should bear a label stating the following:
9-1 Name of product and kind of process carried out to it (toasted, corned,
smoked, peeled…… as the case may be)
9-2 To mention in the label or in the documents attached to the imported

shipments that the product is 'ready to eat' or 'for further preparation' .
9-3 Conditions of product storage and preservation.

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GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)

General Requirements for the nuts Handling

Date of Approval from the Technical Council: 13-14/11/1432 AH (11-

Capacity of Issue: Standard Specification

The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional organization

GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) has, within the Gulf Technical

This Specification has been approved as a Gulf Standard Specification in the

This Gulf Standard Specification is concerned with the general requirements

2-1 GSO 9 : "Filled Foodstuff Cards"

2-2 GSO/CAC/RCP 59 Draft Specification : "Practice Manual for

2-3 GSO/CAC 55 "Practice Manual for Prevention and Reduction of

2-4 GSO/CAC 193 "General Specifications of Contaminations and Toxins

2-5 GSO 168 "Requirements of Dried and Filled Foodstuff Preservation

2-7 GSO 1694 "General Rules for Food Health".

2-8 GSO 839 "Foodstuff Cans – Part 1 – General Requirements".

2-9 GSO 21 "Health Requirements in the Food Factories and Workers".

2-10 GSO 1016 "The Microbiological Limitations of Commodities and

2-12 ISO 16050 "Foodstuff – The Aflatoxins Estimation B1 and Aflatoxins

Complex of toxins formed by molds of the genus aspergillus, like:

Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus mold on some foods and

Aflatoxins M is a main metabolite of Aflatoxins B1 in the animals, it is usually

3-3 Damage resulting from the insect pests

Visible damage or contamination resulting from the insects, weevil, rodents,

3-4 Odd Smell and/or Taste

3-5 Unusual external humidity

The water or humidity or water condensation directly on the surface of

3-6 Foreign substances:

4-2 The product should be produced, transported, manufactured and filled

4-8 The product should be produced, transported, manufactured, stored and

4-9 To comply with the requirements following this clause in relation to

6- Packing, Transport and Storage:

6-1-1 Without prejudice to the provisions stipulated in the Gulf Standard

6-1-3 The product packing should be under an appropriate protection.

6-2-4 The transport should be inside cars or containers cooled with a

6-3-4 The stores should be adequate and meet the following:

6-3-4-1 Protected from rain and pests.

6-3-4-2 The flooring should be washed without water leakage.

6-3-4-3 Equipped with suitable drainages.

6-3-4-4 Good ventilation.

7- Taking the Samples

It should take samples in accordance with Gulf Standard Specification set

Aflatoxins should be assessed in accordance with Gulf Standard Specification

Without prejudice to the provisions of the Gulf Standard Specification set

9-2 To mention in the label or in the documents attached to the imported

9-3 Conditions of product storage and preservation.

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