CXS 320-2015 34
ANNEX ON FRENCH FRIED POTATOES
In addition to the general provisions applicable to quick frozen vegetables,
the following specific provisions apply:
1. DESCRIPTION1.1 Product definition
Quick frozen French fried potatoes are the product prepared from clean, sufficiently developed, sound tubers
of the potato plant conforming to the characteristics of the species Solanum tuberosum L,Solanum Andigena
L and rhizomes of the sweet potato plant conforming to the characteristics of the species of Ipomoea batatas.
They shall have been sorted, washed, peeled or unpeeled, cut into various shapes and treated as necessary
to achieve satisfactory colour and fried or pre-cooked in edible oil, fat, or water blanched. The treatment,precooking and frying operations shall be sufficient to ensure adequate stability of colour and flavour duringnormal marketing cycles. Following the frying or precooking operation the product is quickly cooled and quickfrozen. Products that have not been fried or precooked are not covered by this annex.
1.2 Presentation
1.2.1 Styles
The styles of the product shall be determined by the nature of the surface and the nature of the cross section.
1.2.1.1 Nature of the Surface
The product may be presented in any one of the following styles including:
(a) Straight cut - Strips of potato with practically parallel sides and with smooth surfaces;
(b) Crinkle cut - Strips of potato with practically parallel sides and in which two or more sides have a
corrugated surface.
1.2.1.2 Dimensions of the cross section
The cross sectional dimensions of strips of quick frozen French fried potatoes that have been cut on all four
sides (Styles (a) and (b) above) shall not be less than 4 mm when measured in the frozen condition. The quick
frozen French fried potatoes within each pack shall be of similar cross sectional dimensions.
The product may be identified:
(a) by the approximate dimensions of the cross sections or by reference to the following system for
designations:
Table 1. Size designations
DesignationDimension in mm across the largest cut
surface
(a) Shoestring 4 - 8
(b) Medium >8-1 2
(c) Thick cut >1 2-1 6
(d) Extra large >1 6
Uniformity
Uniformity may be expressed as a tolerance of 10% by length of non-conforming styles units applies, when
specific lengths are not indicated.
2. ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS2.1 Composition2.1.1 Basic Ingredients
(a) Potatoes as defined in Section 1.1;
(b) Edible fats and oils as defined in the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999) and in the
Standard for Named Animal Fats (CXS 211-1999)CXS 320-2015 35
2.1.2 Optional Ingredients
(a) Sugars as defined in the Standard for Sugars (CXS 212-1999);
(b) Salt (sodium chloride) as defined in the Standard for Food Grade Salt (CXS 150-1985);
(c) Spices and culinary herbs;
(d) Batters.
2.2 Quality Factors2.2.1 General Requirements
Quick frozen French fried potatoes shall:
(a) be free from any foreign flavours and odours;
(b) be clean, sound and practically free from foreign matter;
(c) have a reasonably uniform colour.
and with respect to visual defects subject to a tolerance shall be:
(a) without excessive external defects such as blemishes, eyes and discolouration;(b) without excessive sorting effects, such as slivers, small pieces and scrap;(c) reasonably free from frying defects, such as burnt parts.
(a) have a reasonably uniform desired colour;
(b) have a texture characteristic of the product and be neither excessively hard nor excessively soft or
soggy.
2.2.2 Analytical Requirements
2.2.2.1 Moisture - the maximum moisture content of the whole product in the styles shoestring, medium and thick cut
shall be 76% m/m; and in extra-large and other styles 78% m/m.
2.2.2.2 The fat or oil extracted from the product shall have a free fatty acid content of not more than 1.5% of oil m/m
measured as oleic acid or an equivalent fatty acid value based on the predominant fatty acid in the fat or oil
2.2.2.3 Definition of Visual Defects
External defects: are blemishes or discolouration (either internally or on the surface) due to exposure to
light, mechanical, pathological or pest agents, eye material or peeling remnants.
(a) Minor defect - A unit affected by disease, dark or intense discolouration, eye material, or dark peel
covering an area or a circle greater than 3 mm but less than 7 mm in diameter; pale brown peel or
light discolouration of any area greater than 3 mm in diameter.
(b) Major defect - A unit affected by disease, dark or intense discolouration, eye material, or dark
peeling covering an area or a circle greater than 7 mm but less than 12 mm in diameter.
(c) Serious defect - A unit affected by disease, dark or intense discolouration, eye material, or dark
peel covering an area or a circle of 12 mm in diameter or more.
Note: r
defects shall be i gnored.
Sorting Defects
(a) Sliver -Avery thin unit (generally an edge piece) which will pass through a slot the width of which is
50% of the minimum dimension of the nominal or normal size.
(b) Small piece - Any unit less than 25 mm in length.
(c) Scrap - Potato material of irregular form not conforming to the general conformation of French fried
potatoes.
Frying Defects
Burnt pieces - Any unit which is dark brown to black and hard due to gross over frying.CXS 320-2015 36
2.2.3 Standard Sample Size
The standard sample size shall be 1 kg.
2.2.4 Tolerances for Visual Defects
For tolerances based on the standard sample size as specif ied in Section 2.2.4 the visual external defects are
the cross section of the French fried potatoes.
To be acceptable, the standard samples shall not contain units in excess of the numbers shown for the
respective categories, including total, in Table 2.
Table 2: Tolerances for External Defects
Defect categoryNumber of units affected cross section of strips
4 - 16 mm over 16 mm
(a) Serious 73
(b) Serious + major 21 9
Total (serious + major + minor) 60 27
The tolerances for the other defects (not depending on cross section) (depending on the style) are:
Table 3. Sorting defects (Grades)
Slivers maximum 12% m/m
Small Pieces and Scraps maximum 6% m/m
Total Sorting Defects maximum 12% m/m
Frying Defects maximum 0.5% m/m
2.3
(a) fails to meet any of the requirements given in Section 2.1;
(b) fails to meet any of the general requirements given in Section 2.2.1;
(c) exceeds the tolerances for visual defects in any o ne or more respective defect categories in Section
2.2.5.
2.4 Lot Acceptance for composition and quality factors
A lot will be considered acceptable with respect to composition and quality factors when the number of
plan with an AQL of 6.5.
(c), is treated
individually for the respective characteristics.
3. FOOD ADDITIVES
Sequestrants used in accordance with Tables 1 and 2 of the General Standard for Food Additives (CXS 192-
1995) in Food Category 0.4.2.2.1 Frozen Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses
and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds, are acceptable for use in food conforming to
this Standard.
4. LABELLING4.1 Name of the Product4.1.1
which the product is intended to be sold. Where the sweet potato variety is used, the name of the product shallCXS 320-2015 37
4.1.2
the -
4.2 Additional requirements
The packages shall bear clear directions for keeping from the time they are purchased from the retailer to the
time of their use, as well as directions for cooking.