Commission Regulation (EC) No 1543/2001 of 27 July 2001 laying down the marketing standard for lettuces and curled-leaved and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives
Date: 2001-07-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: leaf vegetable, marketing standard

28.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 203/9

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1543/2001

of 27 July 2001

laying down the marketing standard for lettuces and curled-leaved and broad-leaved (Batavian)
endives

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 Regu-
lation (EC) No 911/2001 (2), and in particular Article 2(2)
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Lettuce and curly and escarole chicory are among the
products listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2200/
96 for which standards must be adopted. Commission
Regulation (EEC) No 79/88 of 13 January 1988 laying
down quality standards
curled-leaved
endives, and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives (3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1455/1999 (4), has been
amended frequently and can no longer ensure legal
clarity.

lettuces,

for

Regulation (EC) No 79/88 should be repealed and the
rules it contains recast. To that end and in the interest of
preserving transparency on the world market, account
should be taken of the standards for lettuces and curled-
leaved and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives
recom-
mended by the Working Party on Standardisation of
Perishable Produce and Quality Development of
the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UN/ECE).

Application of this standard should remove products of
unsatisfactory quality from the market, bring production
into line with consumer requirements and facilitate trade
based on fair competition, thereby helping to improve
profitability.

The standard applies at all marketing stages. Long-
distance transport, storage over a certain period and the
various processes the products undergo may cause

the products or

certain deterioration owing to the biological develop-
ment of
relatively perishable
nature. Account should be taken of such deterioration
when applying the standard at
the marketing stages
following dispatch.

their

(5)

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 the following products shall be as
set out in the Annex:
— lettuces, falling within CN codes 0705 11 and 0705 19,
— curled-leaved and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives, falling

within CN code 0705 29.

The standard shall apply at all marketing stages under the
conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.

However, at stages following dispatch, products may show in
relation to the requirements of the standard a slight lack of
freshness and turgidity, as well as slight deterioration due to
their development and their tendency to perish.

Article 2

Regulation (EEC) No 79/88 is repealed.

Article 3

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2002.

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

Done at Brussels, 27 July 2001.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 129, 11.5.2001, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 10, 14.1.1988, p. 8.
(4) OJ L 167, 2.7.1999, p. 22.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

28.7.2001

STANDARD FOR LETTUCES, CURLED-LEAVED ENDIVES AND BROAD-LEAVED (BATAVIAN) ENDIVES

ANNEX

I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE

This standard applies to:
— lettuces of varieties (cultivars) grown from:

— Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata L.
— Lactuca sativa L. var.
— Lactuca sativa L. var. crispa L. (leaf lettuces) and
— crosses of these varieties,

(head (cabbage)

longifolia Lam. (Cos or Romaine lettuces),

lettuces including crisphead and ‘Iceberg’ type lettuces).

— curled-leaved endives of varieties (cultivars) grown from Cichorium endivia L. var. crispum Lam.,
— broad-leaved (Batavian) endives (escaroles) of varieties (cultivars) grown from Cichorium endivia L. var. latifolium

Lam.,

to be supplied fresh to the consumer.

This standard does not apply to produce for industrial processing, produce presented as individual leaves or lettuces
in pots.

II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

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

A. Minimum requirements

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the produce must be:
— intact,
— sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded,
— clean and trimmed, i.e. practically free from all earth or other growing medium and practically free of any

visible foreign matter,

— fresh in appearance,
— turgescent,
— practically free from pests,
— practically free from damage caused by pests,
— not running to seed,
— free of abnormal external moisture,
— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

In the case of lettuce, a reddish discolouration, caused by low temperature during growth, is allowed, unless it
seriously affects the appearance of the produce.

The roots must be cut close to the base of the outer leaves and the cut must be neat.

The produce must be of normal development.

The development and condition of the procedure must be such as to enable it:
— to withstand transport and handling, and
— to arrive in a satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

B. Classification

Products are classified in two classes defined below:

(i) Class I

Produce in this class must be of good quality. It must be characteristic of the variety or commercial type,
especially the colour.

The produce must also be:
— well formed,
— firm, taking into account the cultivation methods and the type of produce,
— free from damage or deterioration impairing edibility,
— free from frost damage.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Head lettuces must have a single well-formed heart. However, in the case of head lettuces grown under
protection, the heart may be small.

Cos lettuces must have a heart, which may be small.

The centre of curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives must be yellow in colour.

(ii) Class II

This class includes produce which does not qualify for inclusion in Class I, but satisfies the minimum
requirements specified above.

The produce must be:
— reasonably well formed,
— free from damage and deterioration which may seriously impair edibility.

The following defects may be allowed provided the produce retain their essential characteristics as regards the
quality, the keeping quality and presentation:
— slight defects in colouring,
— slight damage caused by pests.

Head lettuces must have a heart, which may be small. However, in the case of head lettuces grown under
protection, absence of heart is permissible.

Cos lettuces may show no heart.

III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING

Size is determined by the weight of one unit.

A. Minimum weight

The minimum weight for Classes I and II is:

Open-grown

Grown under protection

Head lettuces (excluding crisphead and ‘Iceberg’ type lettuces) and
Cos or Romaine lettuces (excluding ‘Little gem’ type lettuces)

150 g

100 g

Crisphead and ‘Iceberg’ type lettuces

Leaf lettuces and ‘Little gem’ type lettuces

Curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives

300 g

100 g

200 g

200 g

100 g

150 g

B. Uniformity

(a) Lettuces

In all classes, the difference between the lightest and heaviest units in each package must not exceed:
— 40 g when the lightest units weighs less than 150 g per unit,
— 100 g when the lightest unit weighs between 150 g and 300 g per unit,
— 150 g when the lightest unit weighs between 300 g and 450 g per unit,
— 300 g when the lightest unit weighs more than 450 g per unit.

(b) Curled-leaved and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives

In all classes, the difference between the lightest and heaviest units in each package must not exceed 300 g.

IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES

Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements
of the class indicated.

A. Quality tolerances

(i) Class I

10 % by number of units not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II or,
exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(ii) Class II

10 % by number of units 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.

B. Size tolerances

In all classes, 10 % by number of units not satisfying the requirements as regards sizing, but weighing no more
than 10 % over or under the size in question.

V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

A. Unformity

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only produce of the same origin, variety or
commercial type, quality and size.

However, a mixture of the various types of produce described in this standard may be packed together, provided
they are uniform in quality and, for each type concerned,
in size. In addition, the types should be clearly
distinguishable from one another and the proportion of each type in the package should be visible without
damaging the package.

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

B. Packaging

The produce must be packaged in such a way as to protect it 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 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

Produce presented in more than one layer may be packed base-to-heart provided the layers or heads are suitably
protected or separated.

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, where a code
mark is used, the reference ‘packer and/or dispatcher’ (or equivalent abbrevations ) must be indicated in close
connection with the code mark.

B. Nature of produce

— ‘Lettuces’,

‘Butterhead lettuces’,

‘Leaf lettuce’ (or, for
example and if appropriate, ‘Oak leaf’, ‘Lollo bionda’, ‘Lollo rossa’, ‘Curled-leaved endives’ or ‘Broad-leaved
(Batavian) endives’ or other synonyms if the contents are not visible from the outside

‘Crisphead lettuces (Iceberg)’,

‘Cos lettuces’,

‘Batavia’,

— ‘Little gem’ where appropriate or other synonyms
— An indication ‘grown under protection’, or other appropriate indication, where appropriate
— Name of the variety (optional)
— Where different types of produce are mixed together:

— the indication ‘Mixed salads’, or,
— the indication of each type of produce, and, where the contents are not visible from the outside, the

indication of the number of pieces of each type.

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 by the minimum weight per unit or the number of units
— Net weight (optional),

E. Official control mark (optional)