Description

·       Prepared From A Mixture Of Small Fruits And Small Pieces Of Fruits (As Further Described In This Standard) Which May Be Fresh, Frozen Or Canned.

·       Peaches – Any Firm Yellow Variety Of The Species Prunus Persica L. Including Clingstone And Freestone Types But Excluding Nectarines, Peeled, Pitted And Diced.

·       Pears – Any Variety Of The Species Pyrus Communis L. Or Pyrus Sinensis L. Peeled, Cored, And Diced.

·       Pineapple – Any Variety Of The Species Ananas Comosus L., Peeled, Cored, In Sectors, Or Diced.

Cherries – Any Variety Of The Species Prunus Cerasus L., Halves Or Whole, Pitted Or Unpetted, And Which May Be:

·       Any Light, Sweet Variety; 

·       Artificially Coloured Red;

·       Artificially Coloured Red With Added Flavourings, Whether Natural Or Synthetic.

·       Grapes – Any Seedless Variety Of The Species Vitis Vinifera L. Or Vitis Labrusca L., Whole.

Ø Packed With Water Or Other Suitable Liquid Packing Medium, And Which May Contain Seasonings Or Flavourings Appropriate For The Product; And

Ø Processed By Heat In An Appropriate Manner Before Or After Being Sealed In A Container So As To Prevent Spoilage.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

Basic Ingredients :-

·       Fruit As Defined 

·       Water;

·       Fruit Juice

Other Ingredients :- 

·       One Or More Of The Following Sugars: Sucrose, Invert Sugar Syrup, Dextrose, Glucose Syrup, Dried Glucose Syrup;

·       Spices;

·       Mint

5 Fruits – Fruit Cocktail

4 Fruits – Fruit Cocktail

Peaches

30% To 50%

30% To 50%

Pears

25% To 45%

25% To 45%

Pineapple

6% To 16%

6% To 25%

– And Either –

Grapes

6% To 20%

6% To 20%

Or

Cherries

2% To 6%

2% To 15%

Compliance With Fruit Content Requirements :- 

·       The Average Of The Individual Fruit Proportions From All Containers In The Sample Is Within The Range Required For The Individual Fruits;

·       The Number Of Individual Containers Which Are Not Within The Range For Any One Or More Fruits Do Not Exceed The Acceptance Number (C) Of An Appropriate Sampling Plan With An AQL Of 6.5 (See Relevant Codex Texts On Methods Of Analysis And Sampling).

Packing Media :-

·       When Sugars Are Added To Water Or Water And One Or More Fruit Juices The Liquid Media Shall Be Classified On The Basis Of The Cut-Out Strength As Follows:

Basic Syrup Strengths :-

·       Light Syrup – Not Less Than 14 Brix 

·       Heavy Syrup – Not Less Than 18 Brix 

Optional Packing Media :-

·       Water Slightly Sweetened, Slightly Sweetened Water, Extra Light Syrup – Not Less Than 10o Brix But Less Than 14 Brix 

·       Extra Heavy Syrup – Not Less Than 22 Brix 

When Sugars Are Added To Fruit Juice(S), The Liquid Media Shall Be Not Less Than 14 Brix And They Are Classified On The Basis Of The Cut-Out Strength As Follows:

·       Lightly Sweetened, (Name Of Fruits) Juice – Not Less Than 14 Brix 

·       Heavily Sweetened, (Name Of Fruits) Juice – Not Less Than 18 Brix 

·       Cut-Out Strength Of Sweetened Juice Of Syrup Is To Be Determined On Sample Average, But No Container May Have A Brix Value Lower Than That Of The Minimum Of The Next Category Below, If Such There Be.

Diced Peaches, Pears Or Pineapple :-

·       75% Or More Of All Such Drained Fruits Are Of Approximate Cube-Shapes Which

o   Are Not Over 20 Mm In Greatest Edge Dimension;

o   Will Not Pass Through Square Meshes Of 8 Mm

Sectors Of Pineapple :-

Ø 80% Or More Of All The Drained Pineapple Portion Approximate Wedge-Shapes Of The Following Dimensions:

·       Outside Arc – 10 Mm To 25 Mm

·       Thickness – 10 Mm To 15 Mm

·       Radius (From Inside To Outside Arc) – 20 Mm To 40 Mm.

Whole Grapes Or Cherries :-

Ø 90% Or More By Count (Based On Sample Average) Of Whole Grapes, Or Of Whole Cherries, Approximate Normal Shape Except For Proper Preparation (Such As Removing Pits Or Stems)

·       Are Not Broken Into Two Or More Parts;

·       Are Not Seriously Crushed, Mutilated, Or Torn.

·       80% Or More By Count (Based On Sample Average) Of The Cherry Units Are Approximate Halves Which Are Not Broken Into Two Or More Parts.

·       Colour – Canned Fruit Cocktail Shall Have Normal Colour Except That A Slight Leaching Of Colour From The Coloured Cherries Is Acceptable.

·       Flavour – Canned Fruit Cocktail Shall Have A Normal Flavour Characteristic For Each Fruit And For The Entire Mixture.

·       Texture – The Fruit Ingredients Shall Not Be Excessively Firm Nor Excessively Soft, As Is Appropriate For The Respective Fruit.

·       Defects And Allowances – Canned Fruit Cocktail Shall Be Substantially Free From Defects Within The Limits Set Forth As Follows: (See Relevant Codex Texts On Methods Of Analysis And Sampling).

A)Blemished Fruit Pieces –

(Consisting Of Pieces Of Fruit With Dark Surface Areas, Spots Penetrating The Fruit, And Other Abnormalities)

20% M/M

Total Of All Fruit Units So Affected

(B)Peel (Based On Averages)

·       (Considered A Defect Only When Occurring On, Or From, Those Fruits Which Are Peeled)

25 Cm2

Aggregate Area Per Kg

(C) Pit Material (Based On Averages) –

(Consisting Of Pieces Of Pit Or Of Fruit Stones And Hard And Sharp Pit Points; Very Small Pit Fragments Of Less Than 5 Mm In Greatest Dimension Which Do Not Have Sharp Points

Or Edges Are Disregarded)

1 Piece, Of Any Size Per 2 Kg

(D)Small Stems (Based On Averages) –

(Such As Capstans From Grapes)

5 Per Kg

(E)Large Stems (Based On Averages) –

(Such As From Peaches, Pears, Or Cherries)

1 Large Stem, Or Piece Thereof, Per Kg

FOOD ADDITIVES

Colours :-

·       Erythrosine (To Colour Cherries Only When Artificially Coloured  Cherries Are Used) – Limited By Good Manufacturing Practice 

·       Natural Fruit Essence – Limited By Good Manufacturing Practice 

·       Natural Flavours And Synthetic Flavorings – Limited By Good Manufacturing Practice 

·       Cherry Laurel Oil (Artificially Coloured Cherries Only) – 10 Mg/Kg In The Total Product 

·       Bitter Almond Oil (Artificially Coloured Cherries Only) –  40 Mg/Kg In The Total Product 

·       Anti-Oxidant :-

·       L-Ascorbic Acid – 500 Mg/Kg

CONTAMINANTS :-

·       Lead (Pb) – 1 Mg/Kg 

·       Tin (Sn) – 250 Mg/Kg Calculated As Sn 

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 Amounts Which May Represent A Hazard To Health.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

·       The Container Shall Be Well Filled With Fruit And The Product (Including Packing Medium) Shall Occupy Not Less Than 90% Of The Water Capacity Of The Container. The Water Capacity Of The Container Is The Volume Of Distilled Water At 20oc Which The Sealed Container Will Hold When Completely Filled.

·       The Drained Weight Of The Product Shall Be Not Less Than 60% Of The Weight Of Distilled Water At 2oc Which The Sealed Container Will Hold When Completely Filled.

·       The Requirement For Minimum Drained Weight Shall Be Deemed To Be Complied With When The Average Drained Weight Of All Containers Examined Is Not Less Than The Minimum Required, Provided That There Is No Unreasonable Shortage In Individual Containers.

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 Product Shall Be “Fruit Cocktail”.

·       The Following, As Applicable, Shall Be Included As Part Of The Name Or In Close Proximity To The Name, Unless In The Country Where The Product Is Sold A True Pictorial Representation Of The Product Accompanied By A Complete List Of The Fruits In The Statement Of Ingredients Would Suffice In Accordance With Its National Legislation:

·       “5 Fruits” Or “With Five Fruits”; Or “4 Fruits” Or “With Four Fruits”.

When The Packing Medium Is Composed Of Water, Or Water And One Or More Fruit Juices In Which Water Predominates, The Packing Medium Shall Be Declared As Part Of The Name Or In Close Proximity Thereto As:

·       “In Water” Or “Packed In Water”.

When The Packing Medium Is Composed Solely Of A Single Fruit Juice, The Packing Medium Shall Be Declared As Part Of The Name Or In Close Proximity Thereto As:

·       “In (Name Of Fruit) Juice”.

When The Packing Medium Is Composed Of Two Or More Fruit Juices, It Shall Be Declared As Part Of The Name Or In Close Proximity Thereto:

·       “In (Name Of Fruits) Juice” Or “In Fruit Juices” Or “In Mixed Fruit Juices”.

When Sugars Are Added To Water, Or Water And One Or More Fruit Juices In Which Water Predominates, The Packing Medium Shall Be Declared As May Be Appropriate:

·       Water Slightly Sweetened” Or “Slightly Sweetened Water” Or “Extra Light Syrup” Or “Light Syrup” Or “Heavy Syrup” Or “Extra Heavy Syrup”.

When The Packing Medium Contains Water And One Or More Fruit Juice(S), In Which The Fruit Juice Comprises 50% Or More By Volume Of The Packing Medium, The Packing Medium Shall Be Designated To Indicate The Preponderance Of Such Fruit Juice, As For Example:

·       “In (Name Of Fruits) Juice(S) And Water”

When Sugars Are Added To One Or More Fruit Juices, The Packing Medium Shall Be Declared As May Be Appropriate:

·       “Lightly Sweetened (Name Of Fruit(S)) Juice” Or “Heavily Sweetened (Name Of Fruit(S)) Juice” Or “Lightly Sweetened Fruit Juices” Or “Lightly Sweetened Mixed Fruit Juices” Or “Heavily Sweetened Fruit Juice” Or “Heavily Sweetened Mixed Fruit Juices”

METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING

·       For Checking 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.