MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

·       IN ALL CLASSES, SUBJECT TO THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR EACH CLASS AND THE TOLERANCES ALLOWED, THE POMEGRANATES MUST BE:

o   WHOLE;

§  POMEGRANATES MUST NOT HAVE ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE PRODUCE.

§  HOWEVER, REMOVED OR BROKEN CROWN IS PERMITTED, PROVIDED THE CUT OR THE BREAK IS CLEAN AND THE ADJACENT SKIN IS NOT DAMAGED.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE

o   DEFECTS OF THE CROWN

o   DAMAGE EXPOSING THE INTERIOR OF THE FRUIT (ARILS)

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

o   POMEGRANATES MUST BE FREE FROM DISEASE OR SERIOUS DETERIORATION WHICH APPRECIABLY AFFECTS ITS APPEARANCE, EDIBILITY OR KEEPING QUALITY. IN PARTICULAR, POMEGRANATES AFFECTED BY ROTTING, EVEN IF THE SIGNS ARE VERY SLIGHT BUT LIABLE TO MAKE THE PRODUCE UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION UPON ARRIVAL AT ITS DESTINATION, ARE TO BE EXCLUDED.

o   POMEGRANATES SHOWING THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS ARE THEREFORE EXCLUDED:

§  ALTERNARIA CAN CAUSES INTERNAL PROGRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. LIGHTER WEIGHT FRUIT CAN INDICATE FOR ALTERNARIA DAMAGE AND THE FRUIT SHOULD BE CUT FOR VERIFICATION.

§  CROWN ROT AND OTHER ROTS ARE PROGRESSIVE DEFECTS

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE

o   ALTERNARIA DAMAGE (INTERNAL)

o   CROWN ROT

o   ROTTING

·       CLEAN, FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER;

o   POMEGRANATES MUST BE PRACTICALLY FREE OF SOIL, DUST, CHEMICAL RESIDUE OR OTHER FOREIGN MATTER.

o   THE PRESENCE OF VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER CAN DETRACT FROM COMMERCIAL PRESENTATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF POMEGRANATES. THEREFORE, THE ACCEPTABLE LIMIT FOR “PRACTICALLY FREE” WOULD BE – IN ALL CLASSES – VERY SLIGHT TRACES OF DUST. ANY TRACES OF DUST EXCEEDING THIS LIMIT AND ANY TRACES OF SOILING OR VISIBLE CHEMICAL RESIDUES WOULD LEAD TO THE REJECTION OF THE PRODUCE.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE

 

o   PRESENCE OF FOREIGN MATTER

·       FREE OF PESTS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEM AFFECTING THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE;

o   THE PRESENCE OF PESTS CAN DETRACT FROM THE COMMERCIAL PRESENTATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE POMEGRANATES. THEREFORE, THE ACCEPTABLE LIMIT FOR “PRACTICALLY FREE” WOULD BE – IN ALL CLASSES – THE OCCASIONAL INSECT, MITE OR OTHER PEST IN THE PACKAGE OR SAMPLE; ANY COLONIES WOULD LEAD TO THE REJECTION OF THE PRODUCE.

o   PEST DAMAGE AFFECTING THE FLESH MAKES THE POMEGRANATE UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION. THEREFORE IT IS NOT ALLOWED.

o   DUE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE POMEGRANATE SKIN, SOME SUPERFICIAL TO LIGHT PEST DAMAGE ARE ALLOWED PROVIDED THEY DO NOT PENETRATE THE SKIN OR SIGNIFICANTLY DETRACT FROM THE FRUIT’S APPEARANCE. ANY PEST DAMAGE AFFECTING THE SKIN ONLY IS EVALUATED WITHIN THE LIMITS ALLOWED FOR SKIN DAMAGE IN THE RESPECTIVE CLASSES.

o   THE CROWN SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CHECKED FOR THE PRESENCE OF MEALYBUG OR SNAILS. SOMETIMES THEY ALSO MOVE TO THE SURFACE OF THE FRUIT.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE

o   PESTS AND PEST DAMAGE – FRUIT FLY & MOTH

o   PRESENCE OF CITRUS MEALYBUG (PLANOCOCCUS CITRI)

o   PRESENCE OF SNAILS

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

o   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.

o   EXTERNAL MOISTURE CAN BE ACCEPTED IN ALL CLASSES WHEN THE POMEGRANATES ARE PACKED IN NYLON BAGS FOR KEEPING STORAGE IN CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE (C.A.)

·       FREE OF ANY FOREIGN SMELL AND/OR TASTE;

o   THIS PROVISION APPLIES TO POMEGRANATES 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.

·       FREE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY FROST;

o   DAMAGE CAUSED BY FROST OCCURS AT THE ORCHARD DUE TO LOW TEMPERATURES (PRE HARVEST).

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

o   DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOW TEMPERATURES OCCURS DURING STORAGE OR TRANSPORTATION (POST HARVEST). 

o   DAMAGE CAUSED BY HIGH TEMPERATURES OCCURS AT THE ORCHARD AFTER HARVEST OR DURING PACKING OR STORAGE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE 

o   DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOW TEMPERATURE

·       FREE OF SUNBURNS AFFECTING THE ARILS OF THE FRUIT.

o   SUNBURN IS A SKIN DEFECT. HOWEVER, IN SEVERE CASES IT MIGHT CAUSE DISCOLORATION OF THE ARILS. THUS, THIS SEVERE SYMPTOM ONLY OCCURS UNDER A DISCOLOURED, SUNBURNED SKIN. IN THIS CASE, THE ARIL’S COLOR CAN CHANGE FROM TYPICAL VARIETY COLOR TO LIGHT RED OR WHITE AND THE PRODUCE IS REJECTED.

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE 

o   SUNBURN – INTERNAL DAMAGE – DISCOLORATION OF ARILS – NOT ALLOWED

o   SUNBURN – SKIN DEFECTS (CLASSIFICATION)

·       THE POMEGRANATES MUST HAVE REACHED AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT AND RIPENESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRITERIA PROPER TO THE VARIETIES AND TO THE AREA IN WHICH THEY ARE GROWN.

·       SHAPE, SURFACE COLOR, ARILS DEVELOPMENT AND COLOR ACCORDING TO THE VARIETY GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MATURITY LEVEL.

·       THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONDITION OF THE POMEGRANATES MUST BE SUCH AS TO ENABLE THEM:

o   TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT AND HANDLING; AND

o   TO ARRIVE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE OF DESTINATION

·       NAME OF ILLUSTRATION POMEGRANATE 

o   MATURITY (RED/PINK VARIETIES)