- In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the avocados must be:
- intact;
- Avocados must not have any damage or injury affecting the integrity of the produce.
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- Cutting damage
- Punctured fruit
- Severe rub
- Place of stalk attachment damaged
- sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded;
- Avocados must be free from disease or serious deterioration, which appreciably affects their appearance, edibility or keeping quality. In particular, avocados affected by rotting, even if the signs are very slight but liable to make the produce unfit for consumption upon arrival at their destination, are to be excluded.
- Avocados showing the following defects are therefore excluded:
- Severe bruising causing soft patches and a greyish discolouration of the flesh.
- Sunburn affecting the flesh: Severe symptoms are dark yellow, sunken and partly corky areas of the skin and greyish discoloured flesh. Mild symptoms causing yellowing of fruit surface facing the sun are considered as colour defects.
- Rots.
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- Severe bruising
- Severe sunburn
- Stem end rot
- Anthracnose
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- clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter;
- Avocados must be practically free of visible soil, dust, chemical residue or other visible foreign matter.
- The presence of visible foreign matter can detract from the commercial presentation and acceptance of the avocados. Therefore, the acceptable limit for “practically free” would be – in all classes – traces of foreign matter. Excessive dust, soiling or visible chemical residues would lead to the rejection of the produce.
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- Chemical residue
- Soiled fruit
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- practically free from pests;
- The presence of pests can detract from the commercial presentation and acceptance of the avocados. Therefore, the acceptable limit for “practically free” would be – in all classes – the occasional insect, mite or other pest; any colonies would lead to the rejection of the produce.
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- Scale insects
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- free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh;
- Pest damage affecting the flesh makes the produce unfit for consumption. Any pest damage affecting the skin only is assisted within the limits allowed for skin damage in the respective classes.
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- Stalk longer than 10 mm
- free of abnormal external moisture;
- This provision applies to excessive moisture, for example, free water lying inside the package but does not include condensation on produce following release from cool storage or refrigerated vehicle.
- free of any foreign smell and/or taste
- This provision applies to avocados stored or transported under poor conditions, which have consequently resulted in their absorbing abnormal smells and/or tastes, in particular through the proximity of other product which give off volatile odours.
- The development and condition of the avocados must be such as to enable them:
- to withstand transportation and handling,
- to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.