Definition Of Produce

·       This Standard Applies To Commercial Varieties (Cultivars) Of Litchis Grown From Litchi Chinensis Sonn., Of The Sapindaceae Family, To Be Supplied Fresh To The Consumer, After Preparation And Packaging. Litchis For Industrial Processing Are Excluded.

Provisions Concerning Quality

·       Minimum Requirements :-

In All Classes, Subject To The Special Provisions For Each Class And The Tolerances Allowed, The Litchis Must Be:

·       Whole;

·       Sound, Produce Affected By Rotting Or Deterioration Such As To Make It Unfit For Consumption Is Excluded;

·       Clean, Practically Free Of Any Visible Foreign Matter;

·       Practically Free Of Pests Affecting The General Appearance Of The Produce;

·       Practically Free Of Damage Caused By Pests;

·       Free Of Abnormal External Moisture, Excluding Condensation Following Removal From Cold Storage;

·       Free Of Any Foreign Smell And/Or Taste

·       Free Of Damage And Abrasion;

·       Practically Free Of Brown Markings.

·       The Litchis Must Be Sufficiently Developed And Mature.

The Development And Condition Of The Litchis Must Be Such As To Enable Them:

·       To Withstand Transport And Handling

·       To Arrive In Satisfactory Condition At The Place Of Destination.

·       The Colouring Of Litchis May Vary From Pink To Red In The Case Of Untreated Litchis; From Pale Yellow To Pink For Litchis That Have Been Fumigated With Sulphur Dioxide.

Classification :-

·       Litchis Are Classified In Three Classes Defined Below:

“Extra” Class :-

·       Litchis In This Class Must Be Of Superior Quality. They Must Have The Shape, Development And Colouring That Are Typical Of The Variety Or Varietal Type. They 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.

Class I :-

·       Litchis In This Class Must Be Of Good Quality. They Must Be Characteristic Of The Variety Or Varietal 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 Misshaping;

o   Slight Defects In Colouring;

o   Slight Skin Defects Provided These Do Not Exceed A Total Area Of 0.25 Cm²

Class Ii :-

·       This Class Includes Litchis Which Do 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 Litchis Retain Their Essential Characteristics As Regards The Quality, The Keeping Quality And Presentation:

o   Defects In Shape;

o   Defects In Colouring;

o   Skin Blemishes Provided These Do Not Exceed A Total Area Of 0.5 Cm².

Provisions Concerning Sizing

·       Size Is Determined By The Maximum Equatorial Diameter.

·       The Minimum Size For “Extra” Class Is 33 Mm.

·       The Minimum Size For Classes I And Ii Is 20 Mm.

·       A Maximum Size Range Of 10 Mm Between Fruit In Each Package Is Permitted.

Provisions Concerning Tolerances

·       Tolerances In Respect Of Quality And Size Shall Be Allowed In Each Package For Produce Not Satisfying The Requirements Of The Class Indicated.

Quality Tolerances :-

·       “Extra” Class Five Percent By Number Or Weight Of Litchis Not Satisfying The Requirements Of The Class, But Meeting Those Of Class I Or, Exceptionally, Coming Within The Tolerances Of That Class.

·       Class I Ten Percent By Number Or Weight Of Litchis Not Satisfying The Requirements Of The Class, But Meeting Those Of Class Ii Or, Exceptionally, Coming Within The Tolerances Of That Class.

·       Class Ii Ten Percent By Number Or Weight Of Litchis 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.

·       Size Tolerances For All Classes, 10% By Number Or Weight Of Litchis Not Satisfying The Requirements As Regards The Minimum Size, Provided, However, That The Diameter Is Not Less That 15 Mm In All Classes, And/Or The Maximum Size Range Of 10 Mm.

Provisions Concerning Presentation

Uniformity :-

·       The Contents Of Each Package Must Be Uniform And Contain Only Litchis Of The Same Origin, Variety Or Varietal Type, Quality, Size And Colour. The Visible Part Of The Contents Of The Package Must Be Representative Of The Entire Contents.

Packaging :-

·       Litchis 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.

·       Litchis Shall Be Packed In Each Container In Compliance With The Code Of Practice For Packaging And Transport Of Fresh Fruits And Vegetables (Cxc 44-1995).

·       However, The Presence Of A Limited Number Of Fresh Leaves Is Permitted Where Litchis Are Presented In Bunches.

Description Of Containers :-

·       The Containers Shall Meet The Quality, Hygiene, Ventilation And Resistance Characteristics To Ensure Suitable Handling, Shipping And Preserving Of The Litchis. Packages (Or Lot For Produce Presented In Bulk) Must Be Free Of All Foreign Matter And Smell.

Presentation :-

·       The Litchis Must Be Presented Under One Of The Following Forms:

Individually :-

·       In This Case, The Bunch Must Include More Than Three Attached And Well-Formed Litchis. The Branch Must Not Exceed 15 Cm In Length.

Marking Or Labelling

Consumer Packages :-

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

Nature Of Produce :-

·       If The Produce Is Not Visible From The Outside, Each Package Shall Be Labelled As To The Name Of The Produce And May Be Labelled As To Name Of The Variety Or Varietal Type.

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. For Produce Transported In Bulk, These Particulars Must Appear On A Document Accompanying The Goods.

Identification :-

·       Name And Address Of Exporter, Packer And/Or Dispatcher. Identification Code (Optional).

Nature Of Produce :-

·       Name Of The Produce If The Contents Are Not Visible From The Outside. Name Of The Variety Or Commercial Type (Optional). “Bunch” Specification, When Applicable.

Origin Of Produce :-

·       Country Of Origin And, Optionally, District Where Grown Or National, Regional Or Local Place Name.

Commercial Identification :-

·       Class;

·       Net Weight (Optional).

Contaminants

·       The Produce 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 Produce 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 Produce 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 Fresh Fruits And Vegetables (Cxc 53-2003), And Other Relevant Codex Texts Such As Codes Of Hygienic Practice And Codes Of Practice. 

·       The Produce 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).