DESCRIPTION

·       CANNED FOUL MEDAMES IS THE PRODUCT:

o   PREPARED THROUGH SEVERAL STEPS (SOAKING, HEAT TREATMENT, CANNING …ETC.) WHICH MAKE THE DRY PULSES OF VICIA FABA SOFT AND EASILY CRUSHED (SQUASHABLE), WITH OR WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF ONE OR MORE OF THE OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS MENTIONED

o   PACKED IN A WELL-SEALED CONTAINER;

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

·       THE STATE OF DRY PULSES OF VICIA FABA COOKED BY HEAT TO BECOME RIPE WITH THE SKIN OF SOME PULSES, CRACK OPEN AND PART OF THE PULPS MELT IN THE LIQUID.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       BASIC INGREDIENTS PULSES OF VICIA FABA.

·       OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

o   THE FOLLOWING OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS MAY BE USED:

o   VEGETABLE OIL.

o   SALT IN A MAXIMUM LIMIT OF 2%.

o   TOMATO SAUCE, GARLIC AND SPICES IN A MAXIMUM LIMIT OF 2% SINGLE AND OF 4% WHEN MIXED.

o   TEHENA

o   LEMON JUICE

·       QUALITY FACTORS – GENERAL

o   THE FINAL PRODUCT SHALL MEET THE FOLLOWING GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

o   ALL THE INGREDIENTS, INCLUDING FOOD ADDITIVES, SHALL COMPLY WITH THEIR OWN STANDARDS, AND BE SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL BE FREE FROM ABNORMAL FLAVOUR, ODOUR, COLOUR AND HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF THE FINAL PRODUCT.

o   PRODUCT SHALL BE FREE FROM INSECTS AND ANY FOREIGN MATTER.

·       QUALITY FACTORS – SPECIFIC

o   THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO THE PRODUCT WHEN PREPARED READY- FOR CONSUMPTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE.

o   DRAINED WEIGHT SHALL BE NOT LESS THAN 65% OF THE NET WEIGHT, WITHOUT THE ADDED OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS.

o   DRAINED WEIGHT SHALL BE NOT LESS THAN 67% OF THE NET WEIGHT, WITH THE ADDED OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL NOT CONTAIN ANY PRESERVATIVE (SUBCLAUSE 4.2 EXCLUDED) OR COLOURING SUBSTANCE.

o   FOUL PULSES SHALL MATCH IN COLOUR, SIZE AND APPEARANCE. THE TEXTURE OF THE PRODUCT SHALL BE DISTINGUISHABLE AND TENDER.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       ONLY THOSE FOOD ADDITIVES LISTED BELOW MAY BE USED AND ONLY WITHIN THE LIMITS SPECIFIED.

·       ACIDITY REGULATORS

INS NO

FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

330

CITRIC ACID

GMP

ANTIOXIDANT, PRESERVATIVE

INS NO

FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

385, 386

EDTAS

365 MG/KG (SINGLY OR IN COMBINATION) (AS ANHYDROUS CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA)

CONTAMINANTS

·       THE PRODUCT COVERED BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM LIMITS FOR CONTAMINANTS AND THE MAXIMUM RESIDUES LIMITS FOR PESTICIDES ESTABLISHED BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION.

HYGIENE

·       IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRODUCTS 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), CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR LOW-ACID 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 PRODUCTS 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).

PACKAGING AND STORAGE

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE PACKED IN CONTAINERS, WHICH WILL SAFEGUARD THE HYGIENIC, NUTRITIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL QUALITY OF THE END PRODUCT.

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE STORED IN A WELL-VENTILATED STORE, PROTECTED AGAINST DIRECT HEAT, MOISTURE AND CONTAMINATION.

·       THE USED METAL CONTAINER SHALL BE COATED WITH FOOD GRADE LACQUER, SUITABLE FOR THE PRODUCT, WITH NO MECHANICAL DEFECT AND RUST FREE.

·       THE END PRODUCT CONTAINER SHALL HAVE NO SWELLING, THE INNER PRESSURE SHALL BE LESS THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT 20° C.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

·       MINIMUM FILL THE CONTAINER SHALL BE WELL FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT AND THE PRODUCT SHALL OCCUPY NOT LESS THAN 90% OF THE WATER CAPACITY. THE WATER CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER IS THE VOLUME OF DISTILLED WATER AT 20OC WHICH THE SEALED CONTAINER WILL HOLD WHEN COMPLETELY FILLED.

LABELLING

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE LABELLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF PREPACKAGED FOODS (CXS 1-1985):

·       NAME OF THE FOOD THE NAME OF THE FOOD SHALL BE “FOUL MEDAMES”.