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Fruit and Vegetables - Specific Marketing Standards

Specific marketing standards are set out in Part B of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 (no longer in force, updated version as at 1 June 2011) for the following products:

Fruit:

  1. apples
  2. citrus fruit
  3. kiwifruit
  4. peaches and nectarines
  5. pears
  6. strawberries
  7. table grapes

Vegetables and salads:

  1. lettuces
  2. curled leaved and broad-leaved endives
  3. sweet peppers
  4. tomatoes

The requirements of the specific marketing standards apply to the listed fruit and vegetables above which are to be supplied fresh to the consumer. Products for industrial processing are excluded.

The following products are currently subject to specific marketing standards:

Specific marketing standards – Fruit

Apples: 

Apples of varieties (cultivars) grown from Malus domestica Borkh.

Citrus fruit:

Lemons of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.,

Mandarins of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus reticulata Blanco, including satsumas (Citrus unshiu Marcow.), clementines (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.), common mandarins (Citrus deliciosa Ten.) and tangerines (Citrus tangerina Hort. ex Tan.) grown from these species and its hybrids.

Oranges of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.

Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit of varieties (cultivars) grown from Actinidia chinensis (Planch.) and Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev., C.F. Liang and A.R. Ferguson)

Peaches and nectarines

Peaches and nectarines grown from varieties (cultivars) of Prunus persica Sieb. and Zucc., to be supplied fresh to the consumer. Peaches and nectarines for industrial processing are excluded.

Pears

Pears of varieties (cultivars) grown from Pyrus communis L.

Strawberries

Strawberries of varieties (cultivars) grown from the genus Fragaria L.

Table grapes

Table grapes of varieties (cultivars) grown from Vitis vinifera L.

 

Specific marketing standards – Vegetables and salads

Lettuces, curled leaved and broad-leaved endives

Lettuces of varieties (cultivars) grown from:

  • Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata L. (head (cabbage) lettuces including crisphead and ‘Iceberg’ type lettuces),
  • Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Lam. (cos or romaine lettuces),
  • Lactuca sativa L. var. crispa L. (leaf lettuces),
  • crosses of these varieties, and
  • curled-leaved endives of varieties (cultivars) grown from Cichorium endivia L. var. crispa Lam., and
  • broad-leaved (Batavian) endives (escaroles) of varieties (cultivars) grown from Cichorium endivia L. var. latifolium Lam.

Sweet peppers

Sweet peppers of varieties (cultivars) grown from Capsicum annuum L. var. annuum.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes of varieties (cultivars) grown from Lycopersicum esculentum Mill

Requirements of specific marketing standards

The specific marketing standards classify the fruit and vegetables into three classes and the requirements for each class of the specific product is set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007

  1. ‘Extra’ class
  2.  Class I
  3.  Class II

The Standard also sets out provisions concerning:

  • quality – minimum requirements, classification, sizing
  • tolerances in respect of quality and size that are allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated
  • presentation – uniformity of the produce, packaging, presentation
  • indications on the packaging which must be in letters grouped together on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked and visible from the outside.

Packaging

Produce 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 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, will not leave visible traces of glue, nor to lead to skin defects.

Where a product is wrapped, thin, dry, new and odourless paper must be used.

Indications required on the packaging

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 established within the Community indicated in close connection with the mention ‘Packed for:’ or an equivalent mention. In this case, the labelling 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

C. Origin of produce

Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown or national, regional or local place name.

D. Commercial specifications

E. Official control mark (optional)