Description

· Quick Frozen Raspberries Are The Product Prepared From Fresh, Clean, Sound, Ripe And Stemmed Raspberries Of Firm Texture Conforming To The Characteristics Of Rubus Idaeus L. (Red, Yellow Or Black Varieties).

· Quick Frozen Raspberries Is The Product Subjected To A Freezing Process In Appropriate Equipment And Complying With The Conditions Laid Down Hereafter. This Freezing Operation Shall Be Carried Out In Such A Way That The Range Of Temperature Of Maximum Crystallization Is Passed Quickly. The Quick Freezing Process Shall Not Be Regarded As Complete Unless And Until The Product Temperature Has Reached -18°C (0cf) At The Thermal Centre After Thermal Stabilization. The Recognized Practice Of Repacking Quick Frozen Products Under Controlled Conditions Is Permitted.

· The Product Shall Be Handled Under Such Conditions As Will Maintain The Quality During Transportation, Storage And Distribution Up To And Including The Time Of Final Sale. It Is Recommended That During Storage, Transportation, Distribution And Retail, The Product Be Handled In Accordance With The Provisions In The Code Of Practice For The Processing And Handling Of Quick Frozen Foods (CXC 8-1976).

· Style :- Quick Frozen Raspberries May Be Presented As Free-Flowing (I.E. As Individual Berries Not Adhering To One Another) Or Non Free-Flowing (I.E. As A Solid Block

Essential Composition And Quality Factors

· Optional Ingredients Sugars (Sucrose, Invert Sugar, Invert Sugar Syrup, Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose Syrup, Dried Glucose Syrup).

· The Total Soluble Solids Content Of The Liquid Extracted From The Thawed Comminuted Sample Shall Be Not More Than 35% M/M Nor Less Than 18% M/M Expressed As Sucrose, As Determined By Refractometer At 20C.

· The Amount Of Syrup Used Shall Be Not More Than That Required To Cover The Berries And Fill The Spaces Between Them. The Total Soluble Solids Content Of The Liquid Extracted From The Thawed, Comminuted Sample Shall Be Not More Than 30% M/M Nor Less Than 15% M/M Expressed As Sucrose, As Determined By Refractometry At 20C.

Quick Frozen Raspberries Shall Be:

· Of Good, Reasonably Uniform Colour, Characteristic Of The Variety;

· Clean, Sound And Practically Free From Foreign Matter;

· Free From Foreign Flavour And Odour;

· Practically Free From Sand And Grit;

· When Presented As Free-Flowing, Practically Free From Berries Adhering One To Another And Which Cannot Be Easily Separated When In The Frozen State;

· Reasonably Free From Uncoloured Berries;

· Practically Free From Completely Uncoloured Berries;

· Reasonably Free From Stalks (Cap Stems);

· Practically Free From Extraneous Vegetable Matter;

· Reasonably Free From Damage Or Blemish Due To Pathological Injury Or Pests;

· Normally Developed;

· Of Similar Varietal Characteristics

· Reasonably Free From Disintegrated Berries Or Berries Not Intact.

· Analytical Characteristics :- Mineral Impurities – Not More Than 0.05% M/M On A Whole Product Basis (Berries And Packing Medium, If Any).

Free-Flowing Characteristics :-

· When Presented As “Free-Flowing” A Tolerance Of 10% M/M Shall Be Allowed For Berries Which Adhere To One Another And Not Easily Separated In The Frozen State.

· The Sample Unit For The Determination Of The Requirement For “Free Flowing” Is The Entire Contents Of The Container Or As Large A Quantity As Practicable.

Definition Of Visual Defects :-

· Partially Uncoloured Berries – 25 To 75% Of The Surface Area Without The Colour Characteristic Of The Variety;

· Completely Uncoloured Berries – 75% Or More Of The Surface Area Without The Colour Characteristic Of The Variety;

· Stalks (Cap Stems) – A Stalk Or Portions Of Stalk, Either Loose Or Attached To The Berry, And Greater Than 3 Mm In Length;

· Extraneous Vegetable Matter (E.V.M.) – Calyces Or Portion Of Calyces, Leaves Or Other Harmless Extraneous Vegetable Material;

· Blemished – Any Damage Whether Due To Pathological Injury Or Pests Which Materially Affect The Appearance Of The Berry;

o Minor – Blemishes Are Those That Do Not Exceed The Area Of A Circle Having A Diameter Of 5 Mm.

o Major – Blemishes Are Those That Exceed The Area Of A Circle Having A Diameter Of 5 Mm.

· Not Normally Developed – Berries Containing Shrivelled Parts In The Fruit Fresh (Drupelets);

· Dissimilar Varieties – Berries That Are Significantly Different In Colour Or Shape Due To Varietal Characteristics;

· Disintegrated Or Not Intact – Berries In Which More Than 25% Of The Berry Is Missing Or Berries Which Are Crushed, Broken Or Smashed Into Small Pieces Or Flattened Into A Pulpy Mass.

· Standard Sample Unit :- The Sample Unit For Segregation And Evaluating Visual Effects Shall Be 300 Grammes Of Drained Berry Ingredient (See Relevant Codex Texts On Methods Of Analysis And Sampling.).

Definition Of “Defective” For Quality Criteria :- Any Sample Unit Taken In Accordance With An Appropriate Sampling Plan With An AQL 6.5 (See Relevant Codex Texts On Methods Of Analysis And Sampling) Shall Be Regarded As A “Defective” For The Respective Characteristics As Follows:

· That Exceeds The Tolerance For Mineral Impurities

· That Exceeds The Tolerance For “Free Flowing”

· That Exceeds The “Total Allowable Points” For “Visual Defects” In Any One Or More Of The Categories

· That Exceeds The Tolerance For “Disintegrated”

Food Additives

· None Permitted.

Hygiene

· It Is Recommended That The Product Covered By The Provisions Of This Standard Be Prepared And Handled In Accordance With The Appropriate Sections Of The General Principles Of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), And Other Codes Of Practice Recommended By The Codex Alimentarius Commission Which Are Relevant To This Product.

· To The Extent Possible In Good Manufacturing Practice, The Product Shall Be Free From Objectionable Matter.

When Tested By Appropriate Methods Of Sampling And Examination, The Product:

· Shall Be Free From Microorganisms In Amounts Which May Represent A Hazard To Health;

· Shall Be Free From Parasites Which May Represent A Hazard To Health;

· Shall Not Contain Any Substance Originating From Microorganisms In Amount Which May Represent A Hazard To Health.

Labelling

· In Addition To The Requirements Of The General Standard For The Labelling Of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985) The Following Specific Provisions Apply:

· The Name Of The Food 6.1.1 The Name Of The Food As Declared On The Label Shall Include “Raspberries”. The Words “Quick Frozen” Shall Also Appear On The Label, Except That The Term “Frozen”1 May Be Applied In Countries Where This Term Is Customarily Used For Describing The Product Processed In Accordance With Of The Standard.

· In Addition, There Shall Appear On The Label In Conjunction With Or In Close Proximity To The Word “Raspberries”: (A) A Reference To The Colour For Varieties Other Than The Red Variety: (B) The Packing Medium “With (Name Of Sweetener And Whether As Such Or As The Syrup)”.

· Additional Requirements :- The Packages Shall Bear Clear Directions For Keeping From The Time They Are Purchased From The Retailer To The Time Of Their Use, As Well As Directions For Thawing.

· Bulk Packs :- In The Case Of Quick Frozen Raspberries In Bulk, The Information Required Shall Either Be Placed On The Container Or Be Given In Accompanying Documents, Except That The Name Of The Food Accompanied By The Words “Quick Frozen” (The Term “Frozen” May Be Used In Accordance With The Name And Address Of The Manufacturer Or Packer Shall Appear On The Container.

Packaging

Packaging Used For Quick Frozen Raspberries Shall:

· Protect The Organoleptic And Other Quality Characteristics Of The Product;

· Protect The Product Against Microbiological And Other Contamination;

· Protect The Product, As Far As Practicable, Against Dehydration, Heat Accumulation By Radiation, And, Where Appropriate, Leakage;

Methods Of Analysis And Sampling

· For Checking The Compliance With This Standard, The Methods Of Analysis And Sampling Contained In The Recommended Methods Of Analysis And Sampling (CXS 234-1999) Relevant To The Provisions In This Standard Shall Be Used.