1997R0831 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSIONREGULATION(EC)No831/97
of7May1997
layingdownmarketingstandardsapplicabletoavocados
(OJ L 119, 8.5.1997, p. 13)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EC) No 1167/1999 of 3 June 1999 L 141 4 4.6.1999
►M2Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
▼B
COMMISSIONREGULATION(EC)No831/97
of7May1997
layingdownmarketingstandardsapplicabletoavocados
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 organization of the market in fruit and vegeta-bles(
1), and in particular Article 2 (2) thereof,
WhereasRegulation (EC) No 2200/96, in Annex I, lis tsthe products
for which standards must be adopted; whereas, of the products listed
in that Annex, no Community standards have yet been laid down for,inter alia , avocados; whereas it is therefore necessary to lay down
marketing standards for those products; whereas, to that end, for thesake of transparency on the world market, account should be taken ofthe standards recommended for those products by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe;
Whereas application of those standards should have the effect of
keeping products of unsatisfactory quality off the market, directingproduction to meet consumers' requirements and facilitating trade underfair competitive conditions, thereby helping to improve the profitabilityof production;
Whereas those standards are applicable to all marketing stages;
whereas transport over large distances, storage for more than a certain
duration and the amount of handling to which productsare s ubject canresult in some degree of deterioration owing to the biological develop-ment of the product or its perishable nature; whereas such deteriorationshould be taken into account in the application of the standards to themarketing stages following consignment; whereas, since products of the
‘Extra’ class must be particularly carefully selected and packed, allow-
ance should only be made for some loss of freshness and turgidity;
Whereasthe meas uresprovided for in thisRegulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruitand Vegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. The marketing standards applicable to avocados falling within CN
code 0804 40 shall be as set out in the Annex.
2. The standards shall apply to all marketing stages under the condi-
tionslaid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.
However, at stages following consignment the following tolerances
shall be allowed:
(a) a slight loss of freshness and turgidity;
(b) for products other than ‘Extra’ class, slight deterioration due to
biological development and perishability.
Article 2
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on 1 June 1997.
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1997R0831 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ No L 297, 21. 11. 1996, p. 1.
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ANNEX
STANDARDSFORAVOCADOS
I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE
This standard applies to avocados of varieties (cultivars) grown from Persea
americana Mill. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, parthenocarpic fruit
and avocados for industrial processing being excluded.
II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of
avocadosafter preparation and packaging.
A.Minimumrequirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the toler-
ancesallowed, the avocadosmus t be:
— intact,
— sound, produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it
unfit for consumption is excluded,
— clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter,— practically free from damage caused by pests,— free of damage caused by low temperature,— having a stalk not more than 10 mm in length which must be cut off
cleanly. However, its absence is not considered a defect on condition
that the place of the stalk attachment is dry and intact,
— free of abnormal external moisture,— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
Avocadosmus t be ►
M1firm at the point of dispatch, and ◄carefully
picked. Their development should have reached a physiological stage which
will ensure a continuation of the ripening process to completion. The ripe
fruit should be free from bitterness.
The development and condition of the avocados 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
Avocados are classified in three classes defined below:
(i)‘Extra’ Class
Avocados in this class must be of superior quality. In shape and
colouring they must be characteristic of the variety.
They must be free from defects, with the exception of very slight
superficial defects of the skin provided these do not affect the general
appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presen-
tation in the package. If present, the stalk must be intact.
(ii)Class I
Avocados in this class must be of good quality and show the typical
colour and shape of the variety.
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 of shape and colour,
— slight skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn; the
maximum total area should not exceed 4 cm2.
In no case may the defects affect the fruit flesh.The stalk, if present, may be slightly damaged.
(iii) Class II
This class includes avocados which do not qualify for inclusion in the
higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.
The following defectsmay be allowed provided the avocadosretain
their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality
and presentation:
— defectsin s hape and colouring,1997R0831 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 002.001 — 3
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— skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn: the
maximum total area should not exceed 6 cm2.
In no case may the defects affect the fruit flesh.
The stalk, if present, may be damaged.
III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
Size is determined by the weight of the fruit; the size scale is as follows:
Weight scale in grams Code size
781 to 1 220 4
576 to 780 6
461 to 575 8
366 to 460 10
306 to 365 12
266 to 305 14
236 to 265 16
211 to 235 18
191 to 210 20
171 to 190 22
156 to 170 24
146 to 155 26
136 to 145 28
125 to 135 30
The minimum weight of avocados must not be less than 125 g.
IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package
for produce not satisfying the requirements for the class indicated.
A.Qualitytolerances
(i)‘Extra’ Class
5 per cent by number or weight of avocados not satisfying the require-
ments of avocados but meeting those of class I or, exceptionally,
coming within the tolerances of that class.
(ii)Class I
10 per cent by number or weight of avocados not satisfying the
requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II or, exception-
ally, coming within the tolerance of that class.
(iii) Class II
10 per cent by number or weight of avocados satisfying neither the
requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements, with the
exception of fruit affected by rotting, marked bruising or any other
deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.
B.Sizetolerances
For all classes: 10 % by number or weight of avocados conforming to the
size range immediately below and/or above that mentioned in the marking.
V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATIONA.Uniformity
The contentsof each package mus t be uniform and contain only avocados
of the same origin, variety, quality, coloration (
1) and size.1997R0831 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 002.001 — 4
(1) A change in the colour of the dark-skinned varieties is not considered as a defect, but
the colouring of the fruit in each package must be uniform at the point of dispatch.▼M1
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The visible part of the contents of the package 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 vegetables on the
conditions laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 48/2003 (1).
B.Packaging
The avocados 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 fruit. The
use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications
isallowed provided the printing or labelling hasbeen done with non-toxic
ink or glue.
Packagesmus t be free of all 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) has to be indicated
in close connection with the code mark.
B.Natureofproduce
— ‘Avocados’, if the contents are not visible from the outside,
— name of the variety.
C.Originofproduce
— Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national,
regional or local place name.
D.Commercialspecifications
— Class,
— size expressed in minimum and maximum weight,
— code number of the size scale and number of fruits when it is different
from code number or, optionally, code number of the size scale and the
net weight of the package.
E.Official controlmark(optional)1997R0831 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 002.001 — 5
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.▼M2
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