The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has proposed updated standards for jams, jellies, and marmalades, introducing stricter requirements for fruit content, soluble solids, labelling, and packaging. The updated regulation strictly defines specifications for products intended for direct consumption or table presentation, including those packed for loose resale. However, the standard explicitly excludes the following categories:
1.Products intended for further manufacturing or industrial processing (e.g., pie fillings, biscuits, and confectionery ingredients).
2.Foods designed for special dietary uses.
3.Low-sugar or very low-sugar varieties.
4.Products where sugar has been entirely or partially replaced by non-nutritive additives or sweeteners.
Key Composition and Quality Mandates
The draft establishes rigorous baseline requirements for fruit content and total soluble solids to preserve market quality:
-Fruit Content Rules: Under primary standard classifications, standard fruit jams and jellies must contain a general minimum fruit content of 45% in the final product. Exceptions are made for high-acid or strong-flavoured fruits, such as blackcurrants, mangoes, and quinces (35% minimum), soursop and cranberries (30%), and passion fruit (8%).
-Citrus Marmalades: Must be manufactured such that every 1,000g of the finished product contains at least 200g of citrus fruit, with a minimum of 75g sourced directly from the endocarp (fruit pulp).
-Soluble Solids: The final soluble solid levels for regular offerings must strictly sit between 60% to 65% or higher, whereas lower thresholds of 40% to 65% apply to specialized variants
Stricter Labelling and Packaging Guidelines Manufacturers targeting the Gulf market will face unified, explicit labelling protocols.
-All product containers must display clean, non-erasable Arabic text outlining: Precise Product Nomenclature: Clear distinct naming conventions must be used depending on recipe concentration (e.g., Jam, Extra Jam, High-Fruit Jam, Jelly, or Marmalade).
- If a product mixes more than three fruit types, it must carry the mandatory designation "Fruit Mixture" alongside a descending list of the added fruits.
-Transparency: Total fruit and sugar content metrics must be printed boldly on the package panels.
-Fill Requirements: Containers must be filled to no less than 90% of their total water capacity (accounting for standard head space practices). Any retail unit falling short of this baseline will be classified as defective and restricted from distribution.
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