1997R0831 — EN — 07.06.1999 — 001.001 — 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
►M1Commission Regulation (EC) No 1167/1999 of 3 June 1999 L 141 4 4.6.1999
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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 831/97
of 7 May 1997
laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Havingreg ard to the Treaty establishingthe 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 veget-ables(
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 thatAnnex, 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 the sake oftransparency on the world market, account should be taken of thestandards recommended for those products by the United NationsEconomic Commission for Europe;
Whereas application of those standards should have the effect of
keepingproducts of unsatisfactory quality off the market, directingproduction to meet consumers’ requirements and facilitatingtrade underfair competitive conditions, thereby helpingto improve the profitabilityof production;
Whereas those standards are applicable to all marketingstag es; whereas
transport over large distances, storage for more than a certain durationand the amount of handlingto which products are subject can result insome degree of deterioration owing to the biological development of theproduct or its perishable nature; whereas such deterioration should betaken into account in the application of the standards to the marketingstages following consignment; whereas, since products of the ‘Extra'class must be particularly carefully selected and packed, allowanceshould only be made for some loss of freshness and turgidity;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance
with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit andVegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. The marketingstandards applicable to avocados fallingwithin CN
code 0804 40 shall be as set out in the Annex.
2. The standards shall apply to all marketingstag es 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.
(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 fruitand avocados for industrial processingbeingexcluded.
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
tolerances allowed, the avocados must be:
— intact,
— sound, produce affected by rottingor 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,— havinga stalk not more than 10 mm in leng th which must be cut off
cleanly. However, its absence is not considered a defect on conditionthat 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 ►
M1firm at the point of dispatch, and ◄carefully
picked. Their development should have reached a physiological stage whichwill ensure a continuation of the ripeningprocess to completion. The ripefruit 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
colouringthey 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 generalappearance of the produce, the quality, the keepingquality 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 followingslig ht defects, however, may be allowed provided these
do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, thekeepingquality and presentation in the packag e:
— slight defects of shape and colour,
— slight skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn; the
maximum total area should not exceed 4 cm
2.
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 followingdefects may be allowed provided the avocados retain
their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping qualityand presentation:
— defects in shape and colouring,
— skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn: the
maximum total area should not exceed 6 cm
2.
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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 satisfyingthe 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 meetingthose of class I or, exceptionally,comingwithin the tolerances of that class.
(ii) Class I
10 per cent by number or weight of avocados not satisfying the require-
ments of the class but meetingthose of Class II or, exceptionally,comingwithin 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 theexception of fruit affected by rotting, marked bruising or any otherdeterioration renderingit 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 PRESENTATION
A.Uniformity
▼
M1
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only avocados ofthe same origin, variety, quality, coloration (
1) and size.
▼B
The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of theentire contents.
(1) A change in the colour of the dark-skinned varieties is not considered as a defect,
but the colouringof the fruit in each packag e must be uniform at the point ofdispatch.
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B.Packaging
The avocados must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce
properly.
The materials used inside the package must be new, clean and of a quality
such as to avoid causingany external or internal damag e to the fruit. The useof materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearingtrade specifications isallowed provided the printingor labellinghas been done with non-toxic inkor glue.
Packages must 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 inclose connection with the code mark.
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 thenet weight of the package.
E.Official control mark (optional)