GCC STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATION (GSO)

نهائي

GSO 05/ FDS 978/2012

Black Tea

Prepared by:

Gulf technical committee for standards of food and agriculture products___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This document is a draft Gulf standard circulated for comments, it is therefore,subject to change, and may not be referred it as a Gulf standard, until approved bythe Board of Directors. .

GULF STANDARD GSO 978/2012

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Foreword

GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional Organization whichconsists of the National Standards Bodies of GCC member States. One ofGSO main functions is to issue Gulf Technical regulations throughspecialized technical committees (TCs).

GSO through the technical program of committee TC No 5 " The GulfTechnical Committee for Food and Agricultural Standards Products" hasupdated the GSO Standard No. : GSO 978:1998 "TEA" . The Draft Standardhas been prepared by (KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA).This standard has been approved as Gulf (Technical Regulation) by GSOBoard of Directors in its meeting No. ( ), held on / / / H , / / G.The approved standard will replace and supersede the GSO standard No.(GSO 978:1998).

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Black Tea

1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATIONThis GSO standard is concerned with tea black and does not include flavoured(scented) tea, green, and instant.

2. COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES2.1 GSO 9 “Labelling of Prepackaged Foods”.

2.2 GSO 21 “Hygienic Regulations for Food Plants and their Personnel”.

2.3 GSO 150 “Expiration Periods of Food Products”.

2.4 GSO 382, GSO 383 “Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residue in Agriculturaland Food Products -Part 1 and Part 2”.

2.5 GSO 671 “Methods Of Examination And Test For Tea”.

2.6 GSO 988 “Limits of Radiation Levels Permitted in Foods stuff part - 1”.

2.7 GSO 1016 “Microbiological Criteria For Foodstuffs – Part 1”.

2.8 GSO ISO 1839 “Methods of examination and teat for test-sampling”.

2.9 GSO 2138 “Tea and Herbs bags”.

2.10 GSO ISO 14502-1 “Determination of substances characteristic of green andblack tea- part1: content of total polyphenols in tea - colorimetric method usingFolin-Ciocalteu reagent ”.

3. DEFINITIONS3.1 Tea:

A product processed, by common acceptable industrial processes, iron buds,leaves, tender and semi-tender stalks of varieties of the species CamelliaSinensis and tea prepared for drink includes.

3.2 Black Tea:Tea processed by subjecting buds, leaves and stalks to fermentation, oxidationand drying process resulting change in its colour to black.

4. RequirementsBlack Tea shall be meet the following requirements:

4.1 It shall be processed according to the hygienic conditions mentioned in GSOstandard as mentioned in (2.2).

4.2 The Limits of Radiation Levels should comply with GSO standard mentionedin item (2.6).

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4.3 It shall be free from strange plant tissues and only characteristic tea tissues shallappear by microscopic examination.

4.4 It shall be free from any extraneous matter and impurities.

4.5 It shall be free from colour, flavour, taste or any additive.

4.6 Arsenic Shall not exceed 1 mg/kg.

4.7 Lead Shall not exceed 5 mg/kg.

4.8 Copper shall not exceed 100 mg/kg.

4.9 Mercury Shall not exceed 0.05 mg/kg.

4.10 The water extract shall not be less than 32% m/m.

4.11 The total ash shall not be more than 8% and not less than 4% m/m.

4.12 The water-soluble ash shall not be less than 45% m/m of the total ash.

4.13 The acid-insoluble ash shall not exceed 1% m/m.

4.14 The alkalinity of water-soluble ash-(calculated as potassium hydroxide) shallnot exceed 3% and shall not be less than 1% m/m.

4.15 The crude fibres shall not exceed 16.5% m/m.

4.16 The caffeine shall not be less than 2% m/m.

4.17 The moisture shall not exceed 8.5% m/m.

4.18 Microbiological Requirements:

The microbiological criteria for tea shall be conform with standard mentionedin (2.7).

4.19 The Total polyphenols shall not be less than 9 % mass fraction.

4.20 It shall comply with GSO standards as mentioned in (2.4) to be approved by theorganization concerning the maximum limits for pesticides residues in foods.

5. SAMPLINGSampling shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned in (2.8).

6. METHODS OF TESTTests shall be carried out according to GSO standard as mentioned in (2.5).

7. PACKAGING AND STORAGE7.1 Packaging:

The following shall be taken into consideration on packaging of tea.

7.1.1 Tea shall be packed in hygienic, well sealed, not previously used, clean, dry andsound containers.

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7.1.2 Packages shall be made from any suitable material which does not affect teaproperties and quality and, it shall be well wrapped with moisture-proofmaterial.

7.1.3 Packages shall comply with hygienic conditions and shall be free from insectand fungal infections or any foreign and undesirable odours.

7.1.4 When tea is packed in small bags, these bags shall be made of suitablepermeable materials which retain physical and chemical properties of tea andshall permit soluble solids of the tea to penetrate it. These bags shall be packedin packages made of firm paper and it shall be conform with standardmentioned in (2.9).

7.2 Storage:

The following shall be taken into consideration on storage of tea.

7.2.1 Tea shall be stored in suitable, well-ventilated and dry places away frommoisture or contaminated sources and any material having particular odour.

7.2.2 Small tea packages shall be stored by packing it in well sealed big packages.

8- LABELLINGWithout prejudice to what is stated in the requirements mentioned in thestandards as mentioned in (2.1) and (2.3). The following particulars shall bedeclared on each tea packages:

8.1 Kind of tea (Black Tea).

8.2 Country of origin.

8.3 Weight by metric system.

8.4 Number of tea bags inside the package.