1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 831/97
of 7 May 1997
laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados
(OJ L 119, 8.5.1997, p. 13)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1 Commission Regulation (EC) No 1167/1999 of 3 June 1999 L 141 4 4.6.1999
►M2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
►M3 Commission Regulation (EC) No 907/2004 of 29 April 2004 L 163 50 30.4.2004
▼B
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 831/97
of 7 May 1997
laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados
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,
Whereas Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, in Annex I, lists the 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 products are subject 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;
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
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-
tions laid 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
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 June 1997.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 2
(1) OJ No L 297, 21. 11. 1996, p. 1.
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ANNEX
STANDARDS FOR AVOCADOS
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
avocados after preparation and packaging.
A. Minimum requirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the toler-
ances allowed, the avocados must 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.
Avocados must be ►
M1 firm 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 defects may be allowed provided the avocados retain
their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality
and presentation:
— defects in shape and colouring,1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 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. Quality tolerances
(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. Size tolerances
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 contents of each package must be uniform and contain only avocados
of the same origin, variety, quality, coloration (
1) and size.1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 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
is allowed provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic
ink or glue.
Packages must be free of all 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.
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
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 officially
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 estab-
lished within the Community indicated in close connection with the
mention ‘Packed for:’ or an equivalent mention. In this case, the label-
ling 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
— ‘Avocados’, if the contents are not visible from the outside,
— name of the variety.
C. Origin of produce
— Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national,
regional or local place name.
D. Commercial specifications
— 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.1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 5
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.▼M2
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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.1997R0831 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 003.001 — 6
▼M3