,"The Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO) has released the Final Draft Gulf Technical Regulation – GSO 05/DS/2025, titled “Canned Tropical Fruit Salad”, prepared by Technical Committee TC05. This draft regulation is currently circulated for industry and public comments and will become a formal Gulf Technical Regulation once approved. The new draft aims to harmonize production, composition, safety, and labeling requirements for canned tropical fruit salad products marketed across the GCC region.
Scope and Application
The draft standard applies to canned tropical fruit salad, defined as a product made from a mixture of essential tropical fruits with optional fruits, packed in water, fruit juice, sugar syrup, or other approved packing media, and processed to ensure safety and stability.
Product Definition and Fruit Components
1. Essential Fruits (Mandatory)
Each batch must include fruits from all three essential categories:
Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) – rings, slices, cubes, crushed
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) or Papaya (Carica papaya L.) – slices, cubes, wedges
Banana – slices or cubes
2. Optional Fruits
Manufacturers may include one or more of the following:
Lychee, Cashew apple, Guava, Longan, Orange/Mandarin, Grapefruit, Grapes, Maraschino cherry, Passion fruit, Jackfruit, Yellow melon, Rambutan, Peach, Pear, Red watermelon, Carambola.
Composition Requirements & Fruit Ratios
Minimum and Maximum Percentages of Essential Fruits:
Pineapple: 45–65%
Mango/Papaya: 25–50%
Banana: 5–20%
Optional Fruits (where measurable):
Each optional fruit: 5–20%, except guava purée, cashew, passion fruit, jackfruit, grapes, rambutan, orange/mandarin, cherry, peach, pear, watermelon, and carambola — each with their own min/max percentage range.
Optional fruits that cannot be precisely drained (e.g., guava purée) are excluded from drained-weight calculations but must stay within their suggested minimum/maximum ranges.
A lot is considered compliant when sample averages fall within required fruit percentage ranges.
Packing Media Requirements
Approved packing media include:
Water
Water + fruit juice
Fruit juice only
Sugar-added media such as:
Sucrose
Inverted sugar syrup
Glucose syrup
Fructose syrup
Sugar-syrup Classification by Brix Values
Light syrup: ≥14° Brix
Heavy syrup: ≥18° Brix
Very heavy syrup: ≥22° Brix (optional use where permitted)
Special Optional Media
Lightly sweetened water (≥10° Brix)
Light sweetened blends
Very light syrups
Quality Factors
1. Colour
Must exhibit natural color typical of the processed fruits; slight dullness allowed due to colored cherries.
2. Flavour
Must have characteristic natural flavour without off-notes.
3. Texture
Fruits must maintain appropriate firmness consistent with normal cooking/processing.
4. Defects and Allowances
Maximum permitted defects per 100 g or per 425 g include:
Fruit pieces with blemishes: ≤ 2 pieces per 100 g
Peel fragments: ≤ 6.5 cm² per 425 g
Seed/foreign plant matter: ≤ 2 g per 425 g
A unit is classified as “defective” if it fails any quality requirement above.
Food Additives
Only additives listed in GSO 2500 and GSO 118 (flavours) may be used.
Contaminants Limits
Tin: ≤250 mg/kg
Lead: ≤1 mg/kg
Microbiological and pesticide residue limits must meet corresponding GSO standards.
Hygiene Requirements
Products must be prepared and handled in compliance with:
GSO General Principles of Food Hygiene
GSO Codes of Practice for Low-Acid Canned Foods
Must be free from harmful microorganisms and toxins
Must undergo proper thermal processing or sterilization
Weights and Measures
Filled containers must meet GSO packaging standards (OIML R87).
Minimum drained weight: at least 52% of water capacity of the can at 20°C.
The lot passes when average drained weight meets the minimum requirement with no unjustified shortages.
Packaging, Transport & Storage
Must be packed in clean, safe, protective containers.
Tin cans must be internally lacquered with food-safe coatings.
Headspace not more than 1000 mmHg.
Transport at ≤25°C with clean, non-toxic vehicles.
Storage areas must be ventilated and away from heat and contaminants.
Labeling Requirements
According to GSO food labeling rules:
Product name must be:
“Canned Tropical Fruit Salad” / “Tropical Fruit Mix” / “Tropical Fruit Cocktail”
Medium must be declared:
“In water”, “In fruit juice”, “In light syrup”, “In heavy syrup”, etc.
Full ingredients list with percentage of each fruit
Nutrition information per GSO 2233
Storage instructions
Drained weight and net weight"
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