1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 730/1999
of 7 April 1999
laying down the marketing standard for carrots
(OJ L 93, 8.4.1999, p. 14)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1 Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
►M2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 907/2004 of 29 April 2004 L 163 50 30.4.2004
▼B
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 730/1999
of 7 April 1999
laying down the marketing standard for carrots
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October
1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegeta-bles (
1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2520/
97 (2), and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,
Where carrots are listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as
products for which standards are to be adopted; whereas CommissionRegulation (EEC) No 920/89 of 10 April 1989 laying down qualitystandards for carrots, citrus fruit and dessert apples and pears (
3), as
last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2536/98 (4), has been the subject
of multiple amendments and no longer ensures legal clarity;
Whereas the rules in question should therefore be recast and Annex I to
Regulation (EEC) No 920/89 repealed; whereas, to that end, forreasons of transparency on the world market, account should be takenof the standard recommended for carrots by the Working Party onStandardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Development of theUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE);
Whereas the effect of these standards must be to remove products of
unsatisfactory quality from the market, gear production to satisfying
consumer requirements and facilitate trade relations on the basis offair competition, thereby helping to make production more profitable;
Whereas the standards are applicable at all stages of marketing;
whereas transport over a great distance, storage for a certain lengh oftime or the various handling operations to which the products are
subjected may bring about deterioration due to the biological develop-
ment of the products or their tendency to perish; whereas accountshould be taken of such deterioration when applying the standards atthe marketing stages which follow dispatch; whereas, as products inthe ‘Extra’ class have to be particularly carefully sorted and packaged,only lack of freshness and turgidity is to be taken into account in their
case;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruitand Vegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The marketing standard for carrots falling within CN code 0706 10 00
shall be as set out in the Annex.
The standard shall apply at all stages of marketing under the conditions
laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.
However, at stages following dispatch, the products may show in rela-
tion to the provisions of the standards:
— a slight lack of freshness and turgidity,
— for products graded in classes other than the ‘Extra’ class, slight
deteriorations due to their development and their tendency to perish.1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 346, 17.12.1997, p. 41.
(3) OJ L 97, 11.4.1989, p. 19.
(4) OJ L 318, 27.11.1998, p. 23.
▼B
Article 2
Regulation (EEC) No 920/89 is hereby amended as follows:1. in Article 1 the first indent is deleted;
2. Annex I is deleted.
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that
of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 3
▼B
ANNEX
STANDARD FOR CARROTS
I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE
This standard applies to carrots of varieties (cultivars) grown from Daucus
carota L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, carrots for industrial proces-
sing being excluded.
II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of carrots
after preparation and packaging.
A.Minimum requirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the
tolerances allowed, the carrots must be:
— intact,
— sound; produce affected by rotting or other deterioration such as to
make it unfit for consumption is excluded,
— clean, that is to say:
— practically free of any visible foreign matter if they are washed,
— practically free from excess dirt and impurities if they are not
washed, or if they are washed and covered with pure peat,
— firm,
— practically free from pests,— practically free from damage caused by pests,
— not woody,
— not running to seed,— not forked, free from secondary roots,
— free of abnormal external moisture, i.e. sufficiently dried after
washing,
— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
The development and condition of the carrots 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
Carrots are classified in three classes defined below:
(i) ‘Extra’ class
Carrots in this class must be of superior quality and washed. They
must be characteristic of the variety or the varietal type.
They must be free from defects with the exception of very slight
superficial defects, provided these do not affect the general appear-
ance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and
presentation in the package.
The roots must be:
— smooth,
— of fresh appearance,
— regular in shape,— free from fissures,
— free from bruises and cracks,
— free from damage due to frost.Green or violet/purple tops are not allowed.
(ii) Class I
Carrots in this class must be of good quality. They must be charac-
teristic of the variety or the varietal type.
The roots must be:
— of fresh appearance.1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 4
▼B
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed provided
these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the
quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:
— slight defects in shape,
— slight defects in colouring,
— slight healed cracks,
— slight cracks or fissures due to handling or washing.Green or violet/purple tops up to 1 cm long for carrots not
exceeding 10 cm in length, and up to 2 cm for other carrots, are
allowed.
(iii) Class II
This class includes carrots which do not qualify for inclusion in the
higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified
above.
The following defects may be allowed provided the carrots retain
their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping
quality and presentation:
— defects in shape and in colouring,
— healed cracks not reaching the heart,— cracks or fissures due to handling or washing.Green or violet/purple tops up to 2 cm long for carrots not
exceeding 10 cm in length, and up to 3 cm for other carrots, are
allowed.
III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
Size is determined by the maximum diameter or the weight of the carrot
without foliage.
(i) Early carrots (
1) and small-root varieties
Roots must not be less than 10 mm when sizing is by diameter and not
less than 8 g when sizing is by weight.
Roots must not be more than 40 mm when sizing is by diameter and
not more than 150 g when sizing is by weight.
(ii) Main-crop carrots and large-root varieties
Roots must not be less than 20 mm when sizing is by diameter and not
less than 50 g when sizing is by weight.
Roots classified in the ‘Extra’ Class must not be more than 45 mm
when sizing is by diameter and not more than 200 g when sizing is by
weight and the difference in diameter or in weight between the smallest
and the largest root in any one package must not be more than 20 mm
or 150 g.
For roots classified in Class I, the difference in diameter or weight
between the smallest and the largest root in any one package must not
be more than 30 mm or 200 g.
For roots classified in Class II, the roots need only satisfy the minimum
sizing requirements.
IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package,
or in each lot for produce presented in bulk, for produce not satisfying the
requirements of the class indicated.
A.Quality tolerances
(i) ‘Extra’ Class
— 5 % by weight of carrots not satisfying the requirements of the
class, but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally, coming
within the tolerances of that class,
— 5 % by weight of carrots having a slight trace of green or
violet/purple colouring at the top.
(ii) Class I
— 10 % by weight of carrots not satisfying the requirements of the
class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 5
(1) Roots in which growth has not been arrested.
▼B
within the tolerances of that class. However, broken carrots
and/or carrots which have lost their tips are excluded from that
tolerance,
— 10 % by weight of broken carrots and/or roots which have lost
their tips.
(iii) Class II
— 10 % by weight of roots satisfying neither the requirements of
the class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of
produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering
it unfit for consumption,
— in addition, not more that 25 % by weight of broken carrots
may be allowed.
B.Size tolerances
For all classes: 10 % by weight of roots not satisfying the requirements
as regards sizing.
V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION
A.Uniformity
The contents of each package, or lot for produce presented in bulk, must
be uniform and contain only carrots of the same origin, variety or
varietal type, quality and size (if sized).
The visible part of the contents of the package, or lot for produce
presented in bulk, must be representative of the entire contents.
Notwithstanding the preceding provisions in this point, products covered
by this Regulation may be mixed, in sales packages of 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.Presentation
Carrots may be presented in one of the two following ways:
(i) bunched carrots
The roots must be presented with their foliage, which must be fresh,
green and sound. Roots in the same bunch should be practically
uniform in size. The bunches in each package should be practically
uniform in weight and arranged evenly in one or more layers.
(ii) topped carrots
The foliage must be evened off or cut off at the top of the carrot
without damaging the root.
The roots may be:
— put up in small packages,
— arranged in several layers or jumble packed,— dispatched in bulk (direct loading into a transport vehicle or
vehicle compartment) for Class II.
C.Packaging
Carrots must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce prop-
erly.
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, particularly of paper or stamps bearing
trade specifications is allowed provided the printing or labelling has
been done with non-toxic ink or glue. Packages, or lots for produce
presented in bulk, must be free of all foreign matter.
Where washed carrots are covered with pure peat, the peat used shall
not be considered as foreign matter.
Stickers individually affixed on product shall be such as, when removed,
neither to leave visible traces of glue, nor to lead to skin defects.1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 6
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.▼M1
▼B
▼M2
▼B
VI. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING
1. For carrots presented in packages, each package must bear the following
particulars, in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly
marked, and visible from the outisde:
A.Identification
The name and the address of the packer and/or the dispatcher
This mention may be replaced:
— for all packages with the exception of pre-packages, by the offi-
cially issued or accepted code mark representing the packer and/
or the dispatcher, indicated in close connection with the reference
‘Packer and/or Dispatcher’ (or equivalent abbreviations);
— for pre-packages only, by the name and the address of a seller
established within the Community indicated in close connection
with the mention ‘Packed for:’ or an equivalent mention. In this
case, the labelling shall also include a code representing the
packer and/or the dispatcher. The seller shall give all information
deemed necessary by the inspection body as to the meaning of
this code.
B.Nature of produce
— if the contents are not visible from the outside:
— ‘bunched carrots’ or ‘carrots’,
— ‘new carrots’ or ‘ware carrots’,
— where appropriate ‘carrots in peat’, even if the contents are
visible from the outisde,
— name of the variety or varietal type for ‘Extra’ class.
C.Origin of produce
Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national,
regional or local place name.
D.Commercial characteristics
— class,
— size expressed in minimum and maximum diameter or weight
(optional),
— number of bunches in the case of bunched carrots.
E.Official control mark (optional)
Packages need not to bear the particulars mentioned in the first subpara-
graph, when they contain sales packages, clearly visible from the
outside, and all bearing these particulars. These packages shall be free
from any indications such as could mislead. When these packages are
palletised, the particulars shall be given on a notice placed in an obvious
position on at least two sides of the pallet.
2. For carrots dispatched in bulk (direct loading into a transport vehicle or
vehicle compartment), the above particulars appear on a document
accompanying the goods or on a notice placed in a visible position
inside the vehicle.1999R0730 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 002.001 — 7
▼M2
▼B
▼M2
▼B