Martadella (Luncheon) meat

GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional Organization which consists of the National Standards Bodies of GCC member States. One of GSO main functions is to issue Gulf Standards /Technical regulations through specialized technical committees (TCs).

GSO through the technical program of committee TC No (5) "Technical committee for standards of food and agriculture products" has updated the GSO Technical regulation No. : GSO 1818" Martadella (Luncheon) meat" by Saudi Arabia . The draft Technical regulation has been prepared based on relevant ADMO, International and National foreign Standards and references.

This Technical regulation has been approved by GSO Board of Directors in its meeting No.(20), held on   /  /14 h(  /  /20  ), The approved standard will replace and supersede the standard No. GSO 1818. ​​

This Gulf Standard applies to Martadella meat (luncheon) prepared from animal meat or poultry meat or a combination of these which have been packed in any suitable packing material.​

2.1              GSO 9: Labeling of prepackaged food stuffs.

2.2              GSO 21: Hygienic regulations for food plants and their personnel.

2.3              GSO 193: Contaminants And Toxins In Food And Feed.

2.4              GSO 323: General requirements for transportation and storage of chilled and frozen foods.

2.5              GSO 839: Food Packages – Part 1: General Requirements.

2.6              GSO 1694: General Principles of Food Hygiene.

2.7              GSO 1863: Food packages - Part 2: ‎Plastic package - General ‎requirements.

2.8              GSO 2233: Requirements of nutritional labeling.

2.9              GSO 2276: Detection of lard in food.

2.10            GSO 996: Livestock Meat Chilled And Frozen.

2.14            GSO 2481: Maximum Residues Limits (Mrls) of Veterinary Drugs in Food.

2.11            GSO 707: Flavouring permitted for use in foodstuffs.

2.12            GSO 2333: Requirements for nutrition and health claim in the food.

2.13            GSO 1016: Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs.

2.14            GSO 2481: Maximum Residues Limits (Mrls) of Veterinary Drugs in Food.

2.15            GSO 2055-1: Halal Food - Part 1: General Requirements.

2.16            GSO 168: Requirement of storage facilities for dry and canned foodstuffs.

2.17            GSO 322: Chilled Chicken.

2.18            GSO 986: Frozen Chickens

2.19            GSO 993: Animal Slaughtering Requirements According to Islamic Rules.

2.20            GSO 2500: Additives Permitted for Use in Food Stuffs.

2.21            GSO 1791: Three-piece steel round cans used for canning food stuffs.

2.22            GSO 1882: Methods for Physical and Chemical Analysis of Meat and Meat products.

2.23            GSO 969: Stores for frozen and chilled foodstuff-PART 2: General requirements.

2.24            GSO 150-2: Expiration Dates for Food Products – Part 2: Voluntary Expiration Dates.

2.25           GSO 2483:  trans fats.​

3.1 Martadella meat (Luncheon):

 The product prepared from animal meat (meat or poultry meat) or a combination of these after being cured and exposed to heat treatment (to a temperature sufficient to ensure the products stability, safety and remains wholesome under the conditions of storage, transport and sale), and which may have been smoked.

3.2  Meat: 

 The edible part from any mammal slaughtered in an abattoir (including edible offal) from any permissible animals or parts allowed to eat its meat according to Islamic rules.

3.3  Edible offal:

 Parts extracted from carcasses suitable for human consumption and slaughtered in accordance with the provisions of Islamic Sharia, which were detected after the slaughter by a veterinarian and proved valid for human consumption, except the ears, scalp, snouts (including lips and muzzle), mucous membrane, sinews, genital system (not including testicles), udders, and urinary bladder. Edible offal also includes poultry skin.

3.4  Poultry meat:

 The edible part of any domesticated birds (including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea-fowls or pigeons) slaughtered in an approved abattoir according to Islamic rules.​

3.5 Package:

 Any suitable material used to package the product either partially or completely which may be composed of several layers or several types of materials when presented to consumer.

4.1  Essential Ingredients

-  Meat or poultry meat or a combination of these excluding edible offal;

-  Water;

-  Curing ingredients consisting of food-grade salt and sodium or potassium nitrite.

4.2  Optional Ingredients

-  Permitted edible offal and its fat;

-  Carbohydrate and protein binders such as: flour or starch prepared from grain, or potato or sweet potato, bread, biscuit or bakery product, milk powder, skim milk powder, butter milk powder, caseinate, whey powder, egg protein, vegetable protein products;

-  Sucrose, invert sugar, dextrose (glucose), lactose, maltose, glucose syrup (including corn syrup);

-  Spices, seasonings and condiments;

-  Water soluble, aromatic hydrolysed protein.​​

 The following requirements shall be met:

5.1  Shall be prepared according to hygiene requirements mentioned in Gulf standards in items (2.2, 2.6)

5.2  Product shall be completely free from any component which is not allowed according to Islamic rules and Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.15).

5.3  Meat and poultry meat shall be from animals and poultry slaughtered in licensed abattoirs and shall comply with the requirements mentioned in Gulf Standard mentioned in item (2.19).

5.4  Meat and poultry meat from which the product is prepared, shall meet requirements mentioned in Gulf standards in item (2.10, 2.17,2.18).

5.5  Meat and poultry meat from which the product is prepared shall be fit for human consumption, free from objectionable odours and flavours, free from bruises and free from fugal or bacterial growth.

5.6  Meat and poultry meat from which the product is prepared, shall not be imported from places with epidemics, radiation and areas that authorities have banned imports from.

5.7  Meat shall be distributed uniformly and shall be sliceable.

5.8  Product shall be clean and substantially free from staining, contamination, gelatinous pockets and air pockets.

5.9  Meat and fat composition shall be according to Table 1:

Table 1 – Percentage of meat and fat in product

Without prejudice to provisions of GSO Standard mentioned in item (2.5), (2.7) and (2.21), following shall be met when packing product:

6.1  The type of packaging of product shall be sufficient to ensure that the product presents no public health hazard, no signs of spoilage and remains wholesome under conditions of storage, transport and sale.

6.2  Product to be packed in way that prevents any contamination.​​

7.1 Product shall be transported and stored according to Gulf standards mentioned in items (2.4, 2.16, 2.23) taking in consideration the type of product and the type of packaging when deciding transport and storage conditions either as chilled food products or as shelf stable foods to be stored at suitable temperatures. 

7.2 For products which are not shelf-stable and which are packaged in containers not sold directly to the consumer or for catering purposes, adequate storage and distribution instructions shall be declared.​​

 Without prejudice to the provisions of the GSO Standards mentioned in items (2.1, 2.8, 2.12), following shall be declared in product label:

8.1  Product name (Martadella Meat "Luncheon").

8.2  Source of meat (Beef, Chicken, etc.) presence of binders and of edible offal.

8.3  Type of spices / herbs / flavors/ olives when added. 

8.4  Expiration period according to Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.24). 

8.5  When claims are used about fat content, requirements shall be according to Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.12).

8.6  Fat content as specified in Gulf standard mentioned in items (2/8).

8.7  Nutritional information shall be according to Gulf standard mentioned in item (2.8).

Standard for Luncheon Meat Codex Stan 89-1981, Adopted in 1981. Revision: 1991, 2014 and 2015.,2019​​