DEFINITION
OF PRODUCE |
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THIS STANDARD
APPLIES TO COMMERCIAL BITTER2 VARIETIES OF CASSAVA ROOTS GROWN FROM MANIHOT
ESCULENTA CRANTZ, OF THE EUPHORBIACEAE FAMILY, TO BE SUPPLIED FRESH TO THE
CONSUMER, AFTER PREPARATION AND PACKAGING. CASSAVA FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING
IS EXCLUDED. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING QUALITY |
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· MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS o
IN ALL CLASSES, SUBJECT
TO THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR EACH CLASS AND THE TOLERANCES ALLOWED, THE
CASSAVA MUST BE: § WHOLE; § SOUND, PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING, MOULD OR
DETERIORATION SUCH AS TO MAKE IT UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION IS EXCLUDED; § CLEAN, PRACTICALLY FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN
MATTER, EXCEPT PERMITTED SUBSTANCES3 USED TO PROLONG ITS SHELF LIFE;
PRACTICALLY FREE OF PESTS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEM AFFECTING THE GENERAL
APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE; § FREE OF ABNORMAL EXTERNAL MOISTURE, EXCLUDING
CONDENSATION FOLLOWING REMOVAL FROM COLD STORAGE; § FREE OF ANY FOREIGN SMELL AND/OR TASTE § FIRM; § PRACTICALLY FREE OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE AND
BRUISING; § FREE OF LOSS OF COLOUR IN THE FLESH. o
THE CASSAVA MUST HAVE
REACHED AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT BEING
TAKEN OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIETY AND THE AREA IN WHICH THEY ARE
GROWN. § TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT AND HANDLING; § TO ARRIVE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE
OF DESTINATION. |
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CLASSIFICATION
CASSAVA IS CLASSIFIED IN THREE CLASSES DEFINED BELOW: |
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“EXTRA” CLASS
CASSAVA IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. IT MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC
OF THE VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE. IT MUST BE FREE OF DEFECTS, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF VERY SLIGHT SUPERFICIAL DEFECTS, PROVIDED THESE DO NOT AFFECT
THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE, THE QUALITY, THE KEEPING QUALITY AND
PRESENTATION IN THE PACKAGE. |
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· CLASS I CASSAVA IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF GOOD
QUALITY. IT MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE. THE
FOLLOWING SLIGHT DEFECTS, HOWEVER, MAY BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THESE DO NOT
AFFECT THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE, THE QUALITY, THE KEEPING
QUALITY AND PRESENTATION IN THE PACKAGE: o
SLIGHT DEFECTS IN
SHAPE; o
SCARRING OR HEALED
DAMAGE, NOT EXCEEDING 5% OF THE SURFACE AREA; o
SCRAPED AREAS, NOT
EXCEEDING 10% OF THE SURFACE AREA. |
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· CLASS II THIS CLASS INCLUDES CASSAVA WHICH DOES
NOT QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE HIGHER CLASSES, BUT SATISFY THE MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 2.1 ABOVE. THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS, HOWEVER,
MAY BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THE CASSAVA RETAINS ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS AS
REGARDS THE QUALITY, THE KEEPING QUALITY AND PRESENTATION: o
DEFECTS IN SHAPE; o
SCARRING OR HEALED
DAMAGE, NOT EXCEEDING 10% OF THE SURFACE AREA; o
THE DEFECTS MUST NOT,
IN ANY CASE, AFFECT THE FLESH OF THE PRODUCE. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING SIZING |
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SIZE CODE |
DIAMETER (IN
CENTIMETER) |
A |
3.5 – 7.5 |
B |
7.6 – 10.0 |
C |
> 10.0 |
PROVISIONS
CONCERNING TOLERANCES |
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· TOLERANCES IN RESPECT OF QUALITY AND SIZE SHALL BE
ALLOWED IN EACH PACKAGE FOR PRODUCE NOT SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE
CLASS INDICATED. |
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· QUALITY TOLERANCES o
“EXTRA” CLASS FIVE
PERCENT BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT OF CASSAVA NOT SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE
CLASS, BUT MEETING THOSE OF CLASS I OR, EXCEPTIONALLY, COMING WITHIN THE
TOLERANCES OF THAT CLASS. o
CLASS I TEN PERCENT BY
NUMBER OR WEIGHT OF CASSAVA NOT SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS, BUT
MEETING THOSE OF CLASS II OR, EXCEPTIONALLY, COMING WITHIN THE TOLERANCES OF
THAT CLASS. o
CLASS II TEN PERCENT BY
NUMBER OR WEIGHT OF CASSAVA 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. o
SIZE TOLERANCES FOR ALL
CLASSES, 10% BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT OF CASSAVA CORRESPONDING TO THE SIZE
IMMEDIATELY ABOVE AND/OR BELOW THAT INDICATED ON THE PACKAGE. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING PRESENTATION |
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·
UNIFORMITY THE
CONTENTS OF EACH PACKAGE MUST BE UNIFORM IN SHAPE AND CONTAIN ONLY CASSAVA OF
THE SAME ORIGIN, VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE, QUALITY AND SIZE. THE
VISIBLE PART OF THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
ENTIRE CONTENTS. |
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·
PACKAGING 5 CASSAVA
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. CASSAVA SHALL BE PACKED IN EACH CONTAINER IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PACKAGING AND TRANSPORT OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
(CAC/RCP 44-1995). |
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DESCRIPTION OF
CONTAINERS THE CONTAINERS SHALL MEET THE QUALITY, HYGIENE, VENTILATION AND
RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS TO ENSURE SUITABLE HANDLING, SHIPPING AND
PRESERVING OF THE CASSAVA. PACKAGES MUST BE FREE OF ALL FOREIGN MATTER AND
SMELL. |
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MARKING OR
LABELLING |
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CONSUMER PACKAGES
IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF
PREPACKAGED FOODS (CODEX STAN 1-1985), THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
APPLY: |
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NATURE OF PRODUCE
EACH PACKAGE SHALL BE LABELLED AS TO THE NAME OF THE PRODUCE AND TYPE
(BITTER) AND MAY BE LABELLED AS TO THE NAME OF THE VARIETY. |
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· PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS o
CASSAVA MUST NOT BE
EATEN RAW; o
CASSAVA SHALL BE
PEELED, DE-PITHED, CUT INTO PIECES, RINSED AND FULLY COOKED BEFORE
CONSUMPTION; o
COOKING OR RINSING
WATER MUST NOT BE CONSUMED OR USED FOR OTHER FOOD PREPARATION PURPOSES. |
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·
NON-RETAIL
CONTAINERS EACH PACKAGE MUST BEAR THE FOLLOWING PARTICULARS, IN LETTERS
GROUPED ON THE SAME SIDE, LEGIBLY AND INDELIBLY MARKED, AND VISIBLE FROM THE
OUTSIDE, OR IN THE DOCUMENTS ACCOMPANYING THE SHIPMENT. |
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IDENTIFICATION NAME
AND ADDRESS OF EXPORTER, PACKER AND/OR DISPATCHER. IDENTIFICATION CODE
(OPTIONAL) |
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NATURE OF PRODUCE
NAME OF THE PRODUCE AND TYPE (BITTER) IF THE CONTENTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM
THE OUTSIDE. NAME OF THE VARIETY (OPTIONAL). |
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·
ORIGIN OF PRODUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND, OPTIONALLY, DISTRICT WHERE GROWN OR NATIONAL, REGIONAL
OR LOCAL PLACE NAME. |
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· COMMERCIAL IDENTIFICATION o
CLASS; o
SIZE (SIZE CODE OR
MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DIAMETER IN CENTIMETRES); o
NET WEIGHT; o
PREPARATION
INSTRUCTIONS |
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CONTAMINANTS |
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THE PRODUCE COVERED
BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM LEVELS OF THE GENERAL STANDARD
FOR CONTAMINANTS AND TOXINS IN FOOD AND FEED (CODEX STAN 193-1995). IN THE
ABSENCE OF A CODEX MAXIMUM LEVEL FOR HYDROGEN CYANIDE, AN ACCEPTABLE MAXIMUM
LEVEL SHALL BE SET ON A SAFETY BASIS BY THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION OF THE
IMPORTING COUNTRY. |
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THE PRODUCE COVERED
BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMITS FOR PESTICIDES
ESTABLISHED BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION. |
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HYGIENE |
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IT IS RECOMMENDED
THAT THE PRODUCE COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS STANDARD BE PREPARED AND
HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONS OF THE CODE OF PRACTICE –
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE (CAC/RCP 1-1969), CODE OF HYGIENIC
PRACTICE FOR FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (CAC/RCP 532003), AND OTHER RELEVANT
CODEX TEXTS SUCH AS CODES OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE AND CODES OF PRACTICE. |
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THE PRODUCE SHOULD
COMPLY WITH ANY MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
PRINCIPLES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA
FOR FOODS (CAC/GL 21-1997). |