LUCUMA​ codex

DEFINITION OF PRODUCE

·       THIS STANDARD APPLIES TO THE FRUIT OF COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF LUCUMA GROWN FROM THE POUTERIA LUCUMA (R. Y P.) SPECIES, OF THE SAPOTACEAE FAMILY, TO BE SUPPLIED FRESH TO THE CONSUMER, AFTER PREPARATION AND PACKAGING. LUCUMA FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING ARE EXCLUDED.

PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

·       MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

o   WHOLE, AND PREFERABLY WITH ITS STALK WHICH MUST ALWAYS BE ATTACHED TO THE CALYX; THE STALK SHOULD NOT EXCEED 5 MM AND SHOULD BE CLEANLY CUT;

o   SOUND, PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING, MOULD, OR DETERIORATION SUCH AS TO MAKE IT UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION IS EXCLUDED;

o   CLEAN, PRACTICALLY FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER;

o   PRACTICALLY FREE OF PESTS, AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEM, AFFECTING THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE;

o   FREE OF ABNORMAL EXTERNAL MOISTURE, EXCLUDING CONDENSATION FOLLOWING REMOVAL FROM COLD STORAGE;

o   FREE OF ANY FOREIGN SMELL AND/OR TASTE;

o   FREE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOW AND/OR HIGH TEMPERATURES;

o   FREE OF PHYSICAL DAMAGE INCLUDING DEEP BRUISING, CUTS, ABRASIONS ETC. SUPERFICIAL NATURAL CRACKING DUE TO RIPENING IS ACCEPTABLE AT THE TIME OF COMMERCE;

o   FREE OF SUNBURNS.

·       THE LUCUMA MUST HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY PICKED, AND HAVE REACHED AN APPROPRIATE PHYSIOLOGICAL DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT AND RIPENESS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE, THE TIME OF PICKING, AND THE AREA IN WHICH IT IS GROWN.

o   TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT AND HANDLING;

o   TO ARRIVE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE OF DESTINATION.

·       CLASSIFICATION LUCUMA IS CLASSIFIED INTO THE THREE CLASSES DEFINED BELOW:

·       “EXTRA” CLASS LUCUMA IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. THE PRODUCE MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY IN SHAPE, DEVELOPMENT AND COLOURING, ALLOWING FOR THE DISTRICT IN WHICH IT IS GROWN. 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. 1 THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SEEDS IN THIS CLASS IS 2, THE FIRMNESS OF “SILK’ LUCUMA IS SOFT WHILE THAT OF ‘STICK’ LUCUMA IS SEMI-HARD. THE DEFECTS MUST NOT, IN ANY CASE, AFFECT THE PULP OF THE PRODUCE

·       CLASS I LUCUMA IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF GOOD QUALITY. THE PRODUCE MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY IN SHAPE, DEVELOPMENT AND COLOURING, ALLOWING FOR THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY ARE GROWN. 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   SLIGHTS DEFECTS IN SHAPE NOT CORRESPONDING TO THE VARIETY, SLIGHT SKIN DEFECTS NOT EXCEEDING 1 CM2 IN TOTAL FOR ALL SIZES OF LUCUMA.

·       CLASS II THIS CLASS INCLUDES LUCUMA WHICH DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE HIGHER CLASSES, BUT SATISFIES THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 2.1 ABOVE. THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS, HOWEVER, MAY BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THE LUCUMA RETAINS ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS AS REGARDS QUALITY, KEEPING QUALITY AND PRESENTATION:

o   DEFECTS IN SHAPE NOT CORRESPONDING TO THE VARIETY, SLIGHT SKIN DEFECTS NOT EXCEEDING 2 CM2 IN TOTAL FOR ALL SIZES OF LUCUMA.

PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING

·       SIZE IS DETERMINED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE FRUIT. LUCUMAS ARE GRADED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING TABLE.

·       SIZE SPECIFICATIONS FOR LUCUMA2

SIZE CODE

AVERAGE UNIT WEIGHT (G)

WEIGHT RANGE (G)

A

–

UNDER 55

B

90

50 – 130

C

160

120 – 200

D

230

190 – 270

E

300

260 – 340

F

–

OVER 330

·       SIZE CLASSES FOR LUCUMA

 

CLASSES

 

 

 

EXTRA


I

II

DIAMETER OF EQUATORIAL SECTION (CM)

FROM 6 TO 9

OVER 9, OR MORE THAN OR EQUAL TO 4 AND LESS THAN 6

LESS THAN 4

WEIGHT (G)

120 TO 300

OVER 300, OR MORE THAN OR EQUAL TO 50 AND LESS THAN 120

LESS THAN 50

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

o   “EXTRA” CLASS FIVE PERCENT, BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT, OF LUCUMA, 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 LUCUMA, 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 LUCUMA, 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 LUCUMA, CORRESPONDING TO THE SIZE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE AND/OR BELOW THAT INDICATED ON THE PACKAGE.

PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

·       UNIFORMITY THE CONTENTS OF EACH PACKAGE MUST BE UNIFORM AND CONTAIN ONLY LUCUMA OF THE SAME ORIGIN, VARIETY, QUALITY, SIZE, AND APPRECIABLY OF THE SAME DEGREE OF RIPENESS AND DEVELOPMENT. THE VISIBLE PART OF THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE CONTENTS.

·       PACKAGING 3 THE LUCUMA 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. THE LUCUMA 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).

·       DESCRIPTION OF CONTAINERS THE CONTAINERS SHALL MEET THE QUALITY, HYGIENE, VENTILATION AND RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS TO ENSURE SUITABLE HANDLING, SHIPPING AND PRESERVING OF THE LUCUMA. PACKAGES MUST BE FREE OF ALL FOREIGN MATTER AND SMELL.

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.

·       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.

·       IDENTIFICATION NAME AND ADDRESS OF EXPORTER, PACKER AND/OR DISPATCHER. IDENTIFICATION CODE (OPTIONAL) 4 .

·       NATURE OF PRODUCE NAME OF THE PRODUCE “LUCUMA” IF THE CONTENTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE. NAME OF THE VARIETY (OPTIONAL).

·       ORIGIN OF PRODUCE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND, OPTIONALLY, DISTRICT WHERE GROWN OR NATIONAL, REGIONAL OR LOCAL PLACE NAME. 

·       COMMERCIAL IDENTIFICATION

o   CLASS;

o   SIZE (SIZE CODE OR MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DIAMETER IN MILLIMETRES);

o   NET WEIGHT;

o   LOT NUMBER.

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).