DESCRIPTION

·       CANNED BAMBOO SHOOTS IS THE PRODUCT:

o   PREPARED FROM EDIBLE BAMBOO SHOOTS IN PACKING MEDIA WITH OR WITHOUT FERMENTATION.

o   PROCESSED BY HEAT, IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER, BEFORE OR AFTER BEING HERMETICALLY SEALED IN A CONTAINER, SO AS TO PREVENT SPOILAGE.

o   THE PH VALUE OF THE PRODUCT SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:

§  NATURAL FERMENTED BAMBOO SHOOTS PRODUCT – PH LOWER THAN 4.0;

§  ACIDIFIED BAMBOO SHOOTS PRODUCT – PH 4.0 – 4.6;

§  NON-FERMENTED, NON ACIDIFIED BAMBOO SHOOTS PRODUCT – PH HIGHER THAN 4.6.

o   SPECIES :-

§  BAMBUSA SPP;

§  DENDROCALAMUS SPP;

§  GIGANTOCHLOA SPP;

§  PHYLLOSTACHYS SPP;

§  MELOCANDA HUMILIS;

§  THYRSOSTACHYS SIAMENSIS;

§  NASTUS ELATUS.

o   STYLES :-

§  WHOLE – BAMBOO SHOOTS WITH TIPS AND FLESH TRIMMED TO REMOVE THE OUTER SURFACES AND HARD BASES.

§  HALF – WHOLE BAMBOO SHOOTS CUT LONGITUDINALLY INTO HALVES.

§  SLICE – BAMBOO SHOOTS CUT INTO UNIFORM SLICES.

§  STRIP – BAMBOO SHOOTS CUT INTO FINE STRIPS OF REGULAR SIZE.

§  DICE – BAMBOO SHOOTS CUT INTO CUBES OF REGULAR SIZE.

o   OTHER STYLES :-

§  IS SUFFICIENTLY DISTINCTIVE FROM OTHER FORMS OF PRESENTATION LAID DOWN IN THE STANDARD;

§  MEETS ALL RELEVANT REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD, INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON DEFECTS, DRAINED WEIGHT, AND ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO THAT STYLE WHICH MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE STYLE OR STYLES INTENDED TO BE PROVIDED FOR UNDER THIS PROVISION;

§  IS ADEQUATELY DESCRIBED ON THE LABEL TO AVOID CONFUSING OR MISLEADING THE CONSUMER.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       BASIC INGREDIENTS BAMBOO SHOOTS AS DEFINED IN SECTION 2 AND LIQUID PACKING MEDIUM APPROPRIATE TO THE PRODUCT.

·       BASIC INGREDIENTS WATER AND IF NECESSARY, SALT.

·       OTHER PERMITTED INGREDIENTS :-

o   SUGARS, AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARD FOR SUGARS (CXS 212-1999), AND/OR OTHER FOODSTUFFS WITH SWEETENING PROPERTIES SUCH AS HONEY, AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARD FOR HONEY (CXS 12-1981);

o   AROMATIC PLANTS, SPICES OR EXTRACTS THEREOF, SEASONING;

o   VINEGAR;

o   REGULAR OR CONCENTRATED FRUIT JUICE AS DEFINED IN THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR FRUIT JUICES AND NECTARS (CXS 247-2005);

o   OIL;

o   TOMATO PUREE AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARD FOR PROCESSED TOMATO CONCENTRATES (CXS 57-1981).

·       QUALITY CRITERIA CANNED BAMBOO SHOOTS SHALL HAVE NORMAL COLOUR, FLAVOUR AND ODOUR AND SHALL POSSESS A TEXTURE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PRODUCT.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       ACIDITY REGULATORS ACIDITY REGULATORS USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TABLE 3 OF THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR FOOD ADDITIVES (CXS 1921995) ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR USE IN FOODS CONFORMING TO THIS STANDARD. IN ADDITION:

INS NO.

NAME OF THE FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

INS 334; 335 II; 337

TART RATES

1300 MG/KG AS TARTARIC ACID

CONTAMINANTS

·       THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM LEVELS OF THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR CONTAMINANTS AND TOXINS IN FOOD AND FEED (CXS 193-1995).

·       THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMITS FOR PESTICIDES ESTABLISHED BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION.

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), THE CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR LOW AND ACIDIFIED LOW ACID CANNED FOODS (CXC 23-1979), AND OTHER RELEVANT CODEX TEXTS SUCH AS CODES OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE AND CODES OF PRACTICE.

·       THE PRODUCT SHOULD COMPLY WITH ANY MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA RELATED TO FOODS (CXG 21-1997)

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

·       MINIMUM FILL  THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE WELL FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT (INCLUDING PACKING MEDIUM) WHICH SHOULD OCCUPY NOT LESS THAN 90% (MINUS ANY NECESSARY HEAD SPACE ACCORDING TO GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES) 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.

·       MINIMUM DRAINED WEIGHT THE DRAINED WEIGHT OF THE PRODUCT SHOULD BE NOT LESS THAN 50% OF THE NET WEIGHT, CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF THE WEIGHT OF DISTILLED WATER AT 20OC WHICH THE SEALED CONTAINER WILL HOLD WHEN COMPLETELY FILLED 2 .

·       LOT ACCEPTANCE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MINIMUM DRAINED WEIGHT SHOULD 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

·       THE PRODUCT COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS STANDARD SHALL BE LABELLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF PREPACKAGED FOODS (CXS 1-1985). IN ADDITION, THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC PROVISIONS APPLY:

·       NAME OF THE PRODUCT THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT SHALL BE “BAMBOO SHOOTS” OR “BOILED BAMBOO SHOOTS” OR “FERMENTED BAMBOO SHOOTS”. THE STYLE, AS APPROPRIATE, SHALL BE DECLARED AS PART OF THE NAME. 

·       OTHER STYLES – IF THE PRODUCT IS PRODUCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OTHER STYLES PROVISION (SECTION 2.3.6), THE LABEL SHOULD CONTAIN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT SUCH ADDITIONAL WORDS OR PHRASES THAT WILL AVOID MISLEADING OR CONFUSING THE CONSUMER.

·       LABELLING OF NON-RETAIL CONTAINERS INFORMATION FOR NON-RETAIL CONTAINERS SHALL BE GIVEN EITHER ON THE CONTAINER OR IN ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS, EXCEPT THAT THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT, LOT IDENTIFICATION, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER, PACKER, DISTRIBUTOR OR IMPORTER, AS WELL AS STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS, SHALL APPEAR ON THE CONTAINER. HOWEVER, LOT IDENTIFICATION, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER, PACKER, DISTRIBUTOR OR IMPORTER MAY BE REPLACED BY AN IDENTIFICATION MARK, PROVIDED THAT SUCH A MARK IS CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE WITH THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS.