Commission Regulation (EC) No 2335/1999 of 3 November 1999 laying down marketing standards for peaches and nectarines
Date: 1999-11-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: marketing standard, stone fruit

4. 11. 1999

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2335/1999

of 3 November 1999

laying down marketing standards for peaches and nectarines

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 Regulation (EC) No
1257/1999 (2), and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

peaches and nectarines are among the products listed in
Annex I
to Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 for which
standards must be adopted; many amendments must be
made to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3596/90 of
12 December 1990 laying down quality standards for
peaches and nectarines (3), as last amended by Regula-
tion (EC) No 888/97 (4). In order to ensure legal clarity,
Regulation (EEC) No 3596/90 should be repealed and
the rules it contains recast. To that end and in the
interests of preserving transparency on the world
market, account should be taken of the standard for
peaches and nectarines recommended by the Working
Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce and
Quality Development of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE);

the standards for peaches and nectarines provide for the
obligation to comply with a sizing scale; under Commis-
sion Regulation (EEC) No 1169/93 (5), size D is author-
ised only during the period from the beginning of the
marketing year until 30 June in order to permit early
varieties of small fruits to be marketed while at the same
time preventing the marketing after 1 July of late vari-
eties of peaches and nectarines of size D, which are
larger when ripe; this restriction need not extend beyond
the marketing period for Community peaches and
nectarines;

the market in fresh peaches and nectarines, particularly
at the retail stage, is greatly dependent on the organo-
leptic quality of these products, which may vary consid-
erably. The branch should therefore be allowed to indi-
cate on the packaging minimum or maximum values for
essential maturity criteria to allow consumers freedom
of choice in purchasing fruit of an optimal organoleptic
quality;

(4)

applying these standards should result in products of
unsatisfactory quality being removed from the market,
bringing production into line with consumer require-

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(3) OJ L 350, 14.12.1990, p. 38.
(4) OJ L 126, 17.5.1997, p. 11.
(5) OJ L 118, 14.5.1993, p. 22.

ments and facilitating trade relationships based on fair
competition, thereby helping improve the profitability of
production;

(5)

the standards apply to all marketing stages. Long-
distance transport, storage over a certain period and the
various processes which the products undergo may
cause certain alterations owing to the biological develop-
ment of the products or to their relatively perishable
nature. Account should be taken of such deterioration
when applying the standards at the marketing stages
which follow dispatch. Since products in the ‘Extra’ class
must be sorted and packaged with particular care, only
lack of
freshness and turgidity is to be taken into
account in their case;

(6)

the measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Fruit and Vegetables,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The marketing standards relating to peaches and nectarines
falling within CN code 0809 30 shall be as indicated in the
Annex hereto.

This standard shall apply at all marketing stages, 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 standard:

— 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.

Article 2

Regulation (EEC) No 3596/90 is hereby repealed.

Article 3

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

It shall apply from the first day of the month following that of
its entry into force.

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

Done at Brussels, 3 November 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

MARKETING STANDARD FOR PEACHES AND NECTARINES

I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE

This standard applies to peaches and nectarines (1) grown from varieties (cultivars) of Prunus persica Sieb. and Zucc., to
be supplied fresh to the consumer, peaches and nectarines for industrial processing being excluded.

II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for peaches and nectarines after preparation and
packaging.

A. Minimum requirements

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, peaches and nectarines
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 pests,

— practically free from damage caused by pests,

— free of abnormal external moisture,

— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

Peaches and nectarines must have been carefully picked.

The development and state of ripeness of peaches and nectarines 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

Peaches and nectarines are classified into three classes as defined below:

(i) ‘Extra’ class

Peaches and nectarines in this class must be of a superior quality. In shape, development and colouring they
must be typical of the variety allowing for the district in which they are grown. They must be free from
defects with the exception of very slight superficial defects, provided that these do not affect the general
appearance of the produce,

its quality, keeping quality and presentation in the package.

(ii) Class I

Peaches and nectarines in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety,
allowing for the district in which they are grown. However, a slight defect in shape, development or
colouring may be allowed.

The flesh must be perfectly sound.

Peaches and nectarines split where the stem is joined to the fruit are excluded.

Slight skin defects, however, may be allowed provided these do not affect the general appearance of the
produce, the quality, the keeping quality, the keeping quality and presentaiton in the package and do not
exceed:

— 1 cm in length for defects of elongated shape,

— 0.5 cm2 in total area for other defects.

(1) This text applies to all varieties grown from Prunus persica Sieb. and Zucc., being peaches or nectarines or similar with attached

(clingstones) or unattached stone and smooth or rough skin.

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(iii) Class II

This class includes peaches and nectarines which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but which
satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.

The flesh should not show any serious defects. Fruits split where the stem is joined to the fruit are allowed
only in connection with quality tolerances.

The following skin defects may be allowed provided the peaches and nectarines retain their essential
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation and do not exceed:

— 2 cm in length for defects of elongated shape,

— 1.5 cm2 in total area for other defects.

III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING

Size is determined by:

— circumference, or

— maximum diameter of the equatorial section.

Peaches and nectarines must be graded according to the following scale:

Diameter

Sizing
(code)

Circumference

90 mm and above

80 mm and over but under 90 mm

73 mm and over but under 80 mm

67 mm and over but under 73 mm

61 mm and over but under 67 mm

56 mm and over but under 61 mm

51 mm and over but under 56 mm

AAAA

AAA

AA

A

B

C

D

28 cm and above

25 cm and over but under 28 cm

23 cm and over but under 25 cm

21 cm and over but under 23 cm

19 cm and over but under 21 cm

17,5 cm and over but under 19 cm

16 cm and over but under 17,5 cm

The minimum size allowed for the ‘Extra’ class is 17,5 cm (circumference) or 56 mm (diameter).

Size D (51 mm and over but under 56 mm in diameter or 16 cm and over but under 17,5 cm in circumference) is
not allowed in the period from 1 July to 31 October.

Sizing is compulsory for all classes.

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 % by number or weight of peaches or nectarines not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting
those of class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.

(ii) Class I

10 % by number or weight of peaches or nectarines not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting
those of class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances for that class.

(iii) Class II

10 % by number or weight of peaches or nectarines 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.

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B. Size tolerances

For all classes, 10 % by number or weight of peaches or nectarines up to 1 cm more or less than the size stated
on the package in the case of sizing by circumference and up to 3 mm more or less in the case of sizing by
diameter. However, for fruit in the smallest size, this tolerance shall apply only to peaches or nectarines of a size
smaller by not more than 6 mm (circumference) or 2 mm (diameter) than the specified minimum size.

V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

A. Uniformity

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only peaches or nectarines of the same origin, variety,
quality, degree of ripeness and size, and for the ‘Extra’ class, the contents must also be uniform in colour.

The visible part of the contents of each package must be representative of the entire contents.

B. Packaging

The peaches or nectarines 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 must be free of all foreign matter.

C. Presentation

The peaches and nectarines may be presented:

— in small unit packages,

— in a single layer, in the case of ‘Extra’ class; each individual fruit in this class must be separated from its

neighbours.

In classes I and II:

— in one or two layers, or

— in no more than four layers when the fruit is placed in rigid pockets so arranged that they do not rest on the

fruit in the layer immediately below.

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. 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. Nature of produce

— ‘peaches’ or ‘nectarines’,

if the contents are not visible from the outside,

— name of the variety for classes ‘Extra’ and I.

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 diameters or minimum and maximum circumference or according

to the coding set out in Section III ‘Provisions concerning sizing’,

— number of units (optional),

— minimum sugar content, measured by refractometer and expressed in Brix degrees (optional),

— maximum firmness, measured by penetrometer and expressed in kg/0,5 cm2 (optional),

E. Official control mark (optional).