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DEFINITION
OF PRODUCE |
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THIS STANDARD
APPLIES TO COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF OKRA GROWN FROM VARIETIES OF ABELMOSCHUS
ESCULENTUS (L.) MOENCH (SYN. HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS L.) OF THE MALVACEAE FAMILY,
TO BE SUPPLIED FRESH TO THE CONSUMER AFTER PREPARATION AND PACKAGING. OKRA
FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING IS EXCLUDED. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING QUALITY |
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· MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS o
WHOLE, WITH CLEAN CUT
PEDUNCLE; o
FRESH IN APPEARANCE;
SOUND, PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING OR DETERIORATION SUCH AS TO MAKE IT UNFIT
FOR CONSUMPTION IS EXCLUDED; o
CLEAN AND PRACTICALLY
FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER; o
CLEAN AND PRACTICALLY
FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER; o
FREE OF ABNORMAL
EXTERNAL MOISTURE, EXCLUDING CONDENSATION FOLLOWING REMOVAL FROM COLD
STORAGE; o
FREE OF ANY FOREIGN
SMELL AND/OR TASTE; o
FREE FROM DAMAGE CAUSED
BY LOW OR HIGH TEMPERATURES; |
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· THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONDITION OF THE OKRA MUST BE
SUCH AS TO ENABLE THEM: o
TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT
AND HANDLING; o
TO ARRIVE IN
SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE OF DESTINATION. |
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MATURITY
REQUIREMENTS THE OKRA MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY DEVELOPED, NOT FIBROUS. |
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CLASSIFICATION OKRA
IS CLASSIFIED IN THREE CLASSES DEFINED BELOW: |
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“EXTRA” CLASS OKRA
IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. THEY MUST BE FIRM AND MUST BE
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY AS REGARDS SHAPE, APPEARANCE AND DEVELOPMENT.
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. |
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· CLASS I OKRA IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF GOOD
QUALITY. 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
A SLIGHT DEFECT IN
SHAPE AND DEVELOPMENT; o
A SLIGHT DEFECT IN
COLOURING NOT EXCEEDING 5% OF THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA; o
SLIGHT SKIN DEFECTS
SUCH AS SCARS, BLEMISHES, SCRATCHES AND BRUISES NOT EXCEEDING 2% OF THE TOTAL
SURFACE AREA. |
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· CLASS II THIS CLASS INCLUDES OKRA WHICH DOES NOT
QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE HIGHER CLASSES BUT SATISFIES THE MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS, HOWEVER, MAY BE ALLOWED,
PROVIDED THE OKRA RETAINS ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS AS REGARDS THE
QUALITY, THE KEEPING QUALITY AND PRESENTATION: o
DEFECTS IN SHAPE AND
DEVELOPMENT; o
A SLIGHT DEFECT IN
COLOURING NOT EXCEEDING 10% OF THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA; o
SKIN DEFECTS SUCH AS
SCARS, BLEMISHES, SCRATCHES AND BRUISES NOT EXCEEDING 5% OF THE TOTAL SURFACE
AREA. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING SIZING |
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SIZE IS DETERMINED
BY THE LENGTH OF THE OKRA (IN CM. WITHOUT PEDUNCLE). |
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THE FOLLOWING TABLE
IS A GUIDE AND MAY BE USED ON AN OPTIONAL BASIS. |
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SIZE CODE |
LENGTH (CM) |
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1 |
2.0 – 4.0 |
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2 |
> 4.0 – 6.0 |
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3 |
> 6.0 – 8.0 |
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4 |
> 8.0 – 10.0 |
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5 |
> 10 |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING TOLERANCES |
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TOLERANCES IN
RESPECT OF QUALITY AND SIZE SHALL BE ALLOWED IN EACH PACKAGE FOR PRODUCE NOT
SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS INDICATED. |
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· QUALITY TOLERANCES o
“EXTRA” CLASS FIVE
PERCENT BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT OF OKRA 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 OKRA 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 OKRA SATISFYING NEITHER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS NOR
THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING,
MARKED BRUISING OR ANY OTHER DETERIORATION RENDERING IT UNFIT FOR
CONSUMPTION. o
SIZE
TOLERANCES FOR ALL CLASSES, 10% BY NUMBER OF OKRA CORRESPONDING TO THE SIZE
IMMEDIATELY ABOVE OR BELOW THAT INDICATED ON THE PACKAGE. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING PRESENTATION |
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UNIFORMITY THE
CONTENTS OF EACH PACKAGE MUST BE UNIFORM AND CONTAIN OKRA OF THE SAME ORIGIN,
VARIETY OR COMMERCIAL TYPE, QUALITY AND SIZE. THE VISIBLE PART OF THE
CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE CONTENTS. |
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PACKAGING 1 OKRA
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. OKRA 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). |
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DESCRIPTION OF
CONTAINERS THE CONTAINERS SHALL MEET THE QUALITY, HYGIENE, VENTILATION AND
RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS TO ENSURE SUITABLE HANDLING, SHIPPING AND
PRESERVING OF THE OKRA. PACKAGES MUST BE FREE OF ALL FOREIGN MATTER AND
SMELL. |
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MARKING OR
LABELLING |
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CONSUMER PACKAGES
IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF
PREPACKAGED FOODS (CXS 11985), THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC PROVISIONS APPLY: |
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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 THE NAME OF
THE VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE. |
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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. |
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IDENTIFICATION NAME
AND ADDRESS OF EXPORTER, PACKER AND/OR DISPATCHER. IDENTIFICATION CODE (OPTIONAL) |
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NATURE OF PRODUCE 2
. NAME OF THE PRODUCE “OKRA” IF THE CONTENTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE
OUTSIDE. NAME OF THE VARIETY AND/OR COMMERCIAL TYPE (OPTIONAL). |
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ORIGIN OF PRODUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND, OPTIONALLY, DISTRICT WHERE GROWN OR NATIONAL, REGIONAL
OR LOCAL PLACE NAME. |
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· COMMERCIAL IDENTIFICATION o
CLASS; o
SIZE (SIZE
CODE OR MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM LENGTH IN CM). IF THE SIZE CODE IS DIFFERENT FROM
THE TABLE, IT SHOULD BE LABELLED ACCORDINGLY. |
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CONTAMINANTS |
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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). |
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THE PRODUCE COVERED
BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMITS FOR PESTICIDES ESTABLISHED
BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION. |
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HYGIENE |
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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. |
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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 211997). |
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