1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B ►M5 COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 899/87
of 30 March 1987
laying down quality standards for cherries ◄
(OJ L 88, 31.3.1987, p. 17)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3594/89 of 30 November 1989 L 350 61 1.12.1989
►M2Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1435/91 of 30 May 1991 L 137 20 31.5.1991
►M3Commission Regulation (EEC) No 658/92 of 16 March 1992 L 70 15 17.3.1992
►M4Commission Regulation (EC) No 888/97 of 16 May 1997 L 126 11 17.5.1997
►M5Commission Regulation (EC) No 843/2002 of 21 May 2002 L 134 24 22.5.2002
►M6Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 130, 20.5.1987, p. 18 (899/87)
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COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 899/87
of 30 March 1987
laying down quality standards for cherries
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of 18 May
1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegeta-
bles(1), aslas t amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1351/86 (2), and in
particular Article 2 (3) thereof,
Whereas the quality standards for cherries and strawberries are laid
down in Annexes I/8 and I/9 of Commission Regulation No 58 (3);
whereas those standards were amended by Regulations (EEC) No 51/65 (
4) and (EEC) No 844/76 (5);
Whereasa change hasoccured in the production and marketing of
these products particularly as regards the requirements of consumerand wholesale markets; whereas the common quality standards for
cherries and strawberries should therefore be changed to take those
new requirementsinto account;
Whereas such changes entail alteration of the definition of the supple-
mentary quality class as laid down by Council Regulation (EEC) No1194/69 (
6); whereas account should be taken, in defining that class,
of the economic importance to producersof the productsconcernedand of the need to meet consumer requirements;
Whereas the standards are applicable at all stages of marketing;
whereas transportation over a long distance, storage for a certain lengthof time or the varioushandling operationsmay bring about deteriora-
tion due to the biological development of the productsor their
tendency to perish; whereas, therefore, account should be taken ofsuch deterioration when applying the standards at the marketing stagesfollowing dispatch; whereas, since the products in the ‘Extra’ classhave to be particularly carefully sorted and packaged, only lack offreshness or turegescence is to be taken into into account only in their
case;
Whereasin the interes t of clarity and certainty asto legal requirements
for ease of use the standards thus changed should be consilidated (SIC!
consolidated) in a single text;
Whereasthe meas uresprovided for in thisRegulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit andVegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The marketing standards for cherries, falling within CN code
0809 20 95, shall be as set out in the Annex.
These standards shall apply at all marketing stages, under the condi-
tionslaid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72.1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 2
(1) OJ No L 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1.
(2) OJ No L 119, 8. 5. 1986, p. 46.
(3) OJ No 56, 7. 7. 1962, p. 1606/62.
(4) OJ No 55, 3. 4. 1965, p. 793/65.
(5) OJ No L 96, 10. 4. 1976, p. 28.
(6) OJ No L 157, 28. 6. 1969, p. 1.▼M5
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However, at the stages following dispatch the products may show, in
relation to ►C1the standards ◄prescribed,
— a slight lack of freshness and turgescence,
— for the productsgraded in ►C1the classes ◄other than the
‘Extra’ class, slight alternation due to their development and theirtendency to perish.
Article 2
Regulation No 58 ishereby amended asfollows :— in Article 1, ‘cherries’ and ‘strawberries’ shall be deleted,
— Annexes I/8 and I/9, specifying the quality standards for cherries
and strawberries respectively, shall be deleted.
Article 3
Council Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69 ishereby amended asfollows :— in Article I, ‘cherries’ and ‘strawberries’ shall be deleted,
— Annexes IV and V concerning cherries and strawberries respec-
tively shall be deleted.
Article 4
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on the day following itspublica-
tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 3
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ANNEX
QUALITY STANDARD FOR CHERRIES
I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE
This standard applies to cherries, of varieties (cultivars) derived from
Prunus Avium L.,Prunus Cerasus L., or hybridsthereof, to the s upplied
fresh to the consumer, cherries for industrial processing being excluded.
II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
The purpose of this standard is to define the quality requirements for cher-
ries, after preparation and packaging.
A.Minimum requirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the
tolerancesallowed, the cherriesmus t be:
— intact,
— fresh in appearance,
— sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make
it unfit for consumption is excluded,
— firm (according to the variety),— clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter,
— practically free from pests,
— free from abnormal external moisture,
— free of any foreign smell and/or taste,
— with the stem attached (
1).
The cherries must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory
ripeness. The development and the condition must be such as to enable
them:
— to withstand transport and handling, and
— to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
B.Classification
Cherries are classified into four classes, defined below:
(i)‘Extra’ Class
Cherries in this class must be of superior quality. They must be
well developed and have all the characteristics and the colouring
typical of the variety. They must be free from defects apart from
a very slight superficial deterioration of the skin, on condition that
thisdoesnot affect the quality and general appearance of the
produce or itspres entation in the package.
(ii)Class I
Cherries in this class must be of good quality. They must present
the characteristics of the variety. They may, however, have the
following defects, provided these do not impair the external appear-
ance of the fruit or itscons ervation:
— a slight defect in shape,
— a slight defect in colouring.
They must be free of burns, cracks, bruises or defects caused by
hail.
(iii)Class II
This class includes cherries which do not qualify for inclusion in
the higher classes, but which satisfy the minimum requirements
defined above. However, the cherriesmay have:
— defectsin s hape and colouring, on condition that they retain the
characteristics of variety,1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 4
(1) Missing stems are allowed in the case of:
— sweet varieties which naturally lose the stem at harvest, on condition that the skin
isnot damaged;
— sour varieties, on condition that there is no severe leakage of juice.▼C1
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— small, healed surface scars, not likely to impair significantly the
appearance or conservation of the fruit.
III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
Sizing isdetermined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial s ection.
Cherries must have the following minimum sizes:
— ‘Extra’Class: 20 mm,
— Classes I and II: 17 mm.
IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCE
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package
for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.
A.Quality tolerances
(i)‘Extra’ Class
5 % by number or weight of cherries not satisfying the require-
ments of the class but meeting those of Class I, or exceptionally,
coming within the tolerances for that class, with the exception of
over-ripe fruit. Within thistolerance, not more than 2 % in total
may consist of split and/or worm-eaten fruit.
(ii)Class I
10 % by number or weight of cherries not satisfying the require-
ments of the class but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally,
coming within the tolerances for that class. Within this tolerance,
not more than 4 % in total may consist of split and/or worm-eaten
fruit.
(iii)Class II
10 % by number or weight of cherries satisfying neither the
requirements for the class nor the minimum requirements,
excluding fruit affected by rotting or any other deterioration
rendering it unfit for consumption. Within this tolerance, not more
than 4 % in total may consist of overripe and/or split and/or worm-
eaten fruit. Not more than 2 % in total may consist of over-ripe
fruit.
B.Size tolerances
(i)‘Extra’ Class and Classes I and II
10 % by number or weight of cherriesnot conforming to the
minimum sizes specified, provided, however, that the diameter is
not less than:
— 17 mm in the ‘Extra’ Class,
— 15 mm in Classes I and II.
V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION
A.Uniformity
The contents of each package must be uniform and consist exclusively
of cherries of the same origin, variety and quality. The fruit must be of
uniform size.1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 5
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In addition, cherries in the ‘Extra’ Class must be of uniform colouring
and ripeness.
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The visible part of the contents of each package must be representative
of the entire contents.
Notwithstanding the preceding provisions in this point, products covered
by thisRegulation may be mixed, in s alespackagesof a net weight of
less than three kilograms, with different types of fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles on the conditions laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No
48/2003 (1).
B.Packaging
The cherries must be packed in such a way as to ensure proper protec-
tion of the produce.
The materials used inside the package must be new, clean and of a
quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the
produce. The use of materials and particularly of paper or stamps
bearing trade specifications is allowed provided that the printing or
labelling hasbeen done with a non-toxic ink or glue.
The packagesmus t be free from foreign matter.
VI. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING
Each package must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the
same side, legibly and indelibly marked and visible from the outside:
A.Identification
Packer and/or Dispatcher: Name and address or officially issued or
accepted code mark. However, in the case where a code mark is used,
the reference ‘packer and/or dispatcher (or equivalent abbreviations)’
hasto be indicated in clos e connection with the code mark.
B.Nature of produce
— ‘Cherries’, where the contents are not visible from the outside,
— Name of the variety (optional) (2).
C.Origin of produce
Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown or national,
regional or local place name.
D.Commercial specifications
Class.
E.Official control mark (optional)1987R0899 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 003.001 — 6
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.
(2) Compulsory for sweet varieties whose stem normally becomes detached at harvesting
and for sour varieties presented without the stem. However, for the latter, the package
may bear the word ‘sour cherries’.▼M6
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