- In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the cucumbers must be:
- intact.
- Cucumbers must not have any mutilation or injury spoiling the integrity of the produce.
- sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded.
- Cucumbers must be free from disease or serious deterioration, which appreciably affects their appearance, edibility or market value. In particular, this excludes cucumbers affected by rotting, even if the signs are very slight but liable to make the cucumbers unfit for consumption upon arrival at their destination.
- Cucumbers showing the following defects are therefore excluded:
- severe bruises.
- diseases.
- damages caused by low temperature or frost.
- physiological defects such as severe hollowness due to waters tress affecting the texture of the flesh and the eating quality.
- clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter.
- Cucumbers must be practically free of visible soil, dust, chemical residue or other visible foreign matter.
- fresh in appearance, and firm.
- Cucumbers showing a lack of freshness show yellow discoloration and are to be excluded.
- Cucumbers must be firm and turgid. Cucumbers that have lost their firmness and show a “weak neck” and/or show any sign of shrivelling or dehydration are to be excluded.
- practically free from pests.
- Cucumbers must be practically free of insects or other pests. The presence of pests can detract from the commercial presentation and acceptance of the cucumbers.
- free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh.
- Pest damage can detract from the general appearance, keeping quality and edibility of the cucumbers.
- free of bitter taste (subject to the special provision for Class II under the heading “IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES”).
- Bitterness in cucumbers – related to cucurbitacins – is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
- 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 refers particularly to cucumbers which have been stored on badly kept premises or have travelled in a badly maintained vehicle, especially cucumbers which have acquired a strong smell from other produce stored on the same premises or travelling in the same vehicle. Therefore, care should be taken to use only non-smelling materials as protection in packaging.
- Cucumbers must be sufficiently developed but their seeds must be soft.
- Cucumbers that are not sufficiently developed are pointed and wrinkled at the flower end.
- Cucumbers with developing seeds may externally show deformation. Development of hard seeds has to be checked by cutting the cucumbers.
- The development and condition of the cucumbers must be such as to enable them:
- to withstand transportation and handling,
- to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
