Commission Regulation (EC) No 730/1999 of 7 April 1999 laying down the marketing standard for carrots
Date: 1999-04-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: fresh vegetable, marketing standard, product quality, root vegetable

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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 vegetables (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 Commission Regulation (EEC) No 920/
89 of 10 April 1989 laying down quality standards 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and Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 920/89 repealed;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, for reasons of transparency on the
world market, account should be taken of the standard
recommended for carrots by the Working Party on Stan-
dardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Develop-
ment of the United 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 facil-
itate trade relations on the basis of
fair 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 of time or the various handling opera-
tions to which the products are subjected may bring about
deterioration due to the biological development of the
products or their tendency to perish; whereas account

should be taken of such deterioration when applying the
standards at the marketing stages which follow dispatch;
whereas, as products in the ‘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 accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Fresh Fruit and 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 relation to the provisions of the standards:

(cid:190) a slight lack of freshness and turgidity,

(cid:190) for products graded in classes other than the ‘Extra'
class, slight deteriorations due to their development
and their tendency to perish.

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

(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.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of
the European Communities.

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 7 April 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

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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 processing 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:

(cid:190) intact,

(cid:190) sound; produce affected by rotting or other deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption

is excluded,

(cid:190) clean, that is to say:

(cid:190) practically free of any visible foreign matter if they are washed,

(cid:190) practically free from excess dirt and impurities if they are not washed, or if they are washed

and covered with pure peat,

(cid:190) firm,

(cid:190) practically free from pests,

(cid:190) practically free from damage caused by pests,

(cid:190) not woody,

(cid:190) not running to seed,

(cid:190) not forked, free from secondary roots,

(cid:190) free of abnormal external moisture, i.e. sufficiently dried after washing,

(cid:190) free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

The development and condition of the carrots must be such as to enable them:

(cid:190) to withstand transport and handling, and

(cid:190) 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 appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and
presentation in the package.

The roots must be:

(cid:190) smooth,

(cid:190) of fresh appearance,

(cid:190) regular in shape,

(cid:190) free from fissures,

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(cid:190) free from bruises and cracks,

(cid:190) 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 characteristic of the variety or the
varietal type.

The roots must be:

(cid:190) of fresh appearance.

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:

(cid:190) slight defects in shape,

(cid:190) slight defects in colouring,

(cid:190) slight healed cracks,

(cid:190) 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:

(cid:190) defects in shape and in colouring,

(cid:190) healed cracks not reaching the heart,

(cid:190) 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 ) E a r l y c a r r o t s ( 1) a n d s m a l l - r o o t v a r i e t i e s

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.

( i i ) M a i n - c r o p c a r r o t s a n d l a r g e - r o o t v a r i e t i e s

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.

(1) Roots in which growth has not been arrested.

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A. Quality tolerances

(i)

‘Extra' Class

(cid:190) 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,

(cid:190) 5 % by weight of carrots having a slight trace of green or violet/purple colouring at the top.

(ii) Class I

(cid:190) 10 % by weight of carrots not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting those of
Class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class. However, broken carrots
and/or carrots which have lost their tips are excluded from that tolerance,

(cid:190) 10 % by weight of broken carrots and/or roots which have lost their tips.

(iii) Class II

(cid:190) 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,

(cid:190) 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.

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:

(cid:190) put up in small packages,

(cid:190) arranged in several layers or jumble packed,

(cid:190) 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 properly.

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.

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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

(cid:190) Packer and/or dispatcher: name and address or officially used or accepted code mark. However,
where a code mark is used, the reference ‘packer and/or dispatcher' (or equivalent abbrevia-
tions) has to be indicated in close proximity to the code mark.

B. Nature of produce

(cid:190) if the contents are not visible from the outside:

(cid:190) ‘bunched carrots' or ‘carrots',

(cid:190) ‘new carrots' or ‘ware carrots',

(cid:190) where appropriate ‘carrots in peat', even if the contents are visible from the outisde,

(cid:190) 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

(cid:190) class,

(cid:190) size expressed in minimum and maximum diameter or weight (optional),

(cid:190) number of bunches in the case of bunched carrots.

E. Official control mark (optional)

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.