DESCRIPTION

·       PICKLED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IS THE PRODUCT:

o   PREPARED FROM SOUND, CLEAN AND EDIBLE FRUITS AND/OR VEGETABLES, WITH OR WITHOUT SEEDS, SPICES, AROMATIC HERBS AND/OR CONDIMENTS;

o   PROCESSED OR TREATED TO PRODUCE AN ACID OR ACIDIFIED PRODUCT PRESERVED THROUGH NATURAL FERMENTATION OR ACIDULANTS. DEPENDING ON THE TYPE, APPROPRIATE INGREDIENTS ARE ADDED IN ORDER TO ENSURE PRESERVATION AND QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT;

o   PROCESSED IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER, BEFORE OR AFTER BEING HERMETICALLY SEALED IN A CONTAINER, SO AS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY AND SAFETY AS WELL AS TO PREVENT SPOILAGE;

o   PACKED WITH OR WITHOUT A SUITABLE LIQUID PACKING MEDIUM (E.G., OIL, BRINE OR ACIDIC MEDIA SUCH AS VINEGAR) AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 3.1.2, WITH INGREDIENTS APPROPRIATE TO THE TYPE AND VARIETY OF PICKLED PRODUCT, TO ENSURE AN EQUILIBRIUM PH OF LESS THAN 4.6.

·       STYLES

o   ANY PRESENTATION OF THE PRODUCT SHOULD BE PERMITTED PROVIDED THAT THE PRODUCT MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD;

o   STYLE PRESENTATIONS COULD INCLUDE FOR EXAMPLE, WHOLE, PIECES, HALVES, QUARTERS, CUBES, SHREDDED OR CHOPPED.

·       TYPES OF PACK

o   SOLID PACK – WITHOUT ANY ADDED PACKING MEDIUM.

o   REGULAR PACK – WITH A PACKING MEDIUM

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       BASIC INGREDIENTS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND LIQUID PACKING MEDIUM WHEN APPROPRIATE

·       PACKING MEDIA 

o   FOR PICKLED FRUITS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES FOR PACKING MEDIA FOR CANNED FRUITS (CXG 51-2003).

o   FOR PICKLED VEGETABLES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:

§  BASIC INGREDIENTS WATER, AND IF NECESSARY SALT OR OIL OR ACIDIC MEDIA SUCH AS VINEGAR.

§  OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS PACKING MEDIA FOR PICKLED VEGETABLES MAY CONTAIN INGREDIENTS SUBJECT TO LABELLING REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 8 AND MAY INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

o   FOODSTUFF WITH SWEETENING PROPERTIES SUCH AS SUGARS (INCLUDING SYRUPS) AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARD FOR SUGARS (CXS 212-1999), HONEY AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARD FOR HONEY (CXS 121981) OR JUICES AND/OR NECTARS AS DEFINED IN THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR FRUIT JUICES AND NECTARS (CXS 247-2005) AND;

o   AROMATICS PLANTS, SPICES OR EXTRACTS THEREOF, SEASONING (IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELEVANT CODEX STANDARDS FOR SPICES OR CULINARY HERBS);

o   VINEGAR;

o   OIL (IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELEVANT CODEX STANDARDS FOR VEGETABLE OILS);

o   TOMATO PUREE (IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARD FOR PROCESSED TOMATO CONCENTRATES (CXS 571981));

o   MALT EXTRACT;

o   SAUCE (E.G., FISH SAUCE);

o   SOY SAUCE;

o   OTHER INGREDIENTS AS APPROPRIATE.

·       OTHER PERMITTED INGREDIENTS

o   CEREAL GRAINS;

o   DRIED FRUITS;

o   MALT EXTRACT;

o   NUTS;

o   PULSES;

o   SAUCE (E.G., FISH SAUCE);

o   SOY SAUCE;

o   FOODSTUFF WITH SWEETENING PROPERTIES SUCH AS SUGARS (INCLUDING SYRUPS) AND HONEY AS DEFINED IN THE STANDARDS FOR SUGARS (CXS 212-1999) AND HONEY (CXS 12-1981) RESPECTIVELY; 

o   OTHER INGREDIENTS AS APPROPRIATE.

·       QUALITY CRITERIA THE PRODUCT SHALL HAVE COLOUR, FLAVOUR, ODOUR AND TEXTURE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PRODUCT.

·       OTHER QUALITY CRITERIA

o   PICKLED FRUITS AND/OR VEGETABLES IN EDIBLE OIL

o   THE PERCENTAGE OF OIL IN THE PRODUCT SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN 10% BY WEIGHT.

o   PICKLED FRUITS AND/OR VEGETABLES IN BRINE OR AN ACIDIC MEDIUM

o   THE PERCENTAGE OF SALT IN THE COVERING LIQUID OR THE ACIDITY OF THE MEDIA SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE THE KEEPING QUALITY AND PROPER PRESERVATION OF THE PRODUCT.

o   DEFINITION OF DEFECTS

§  BLEMISHES – MEANS ANY CHARACTERISTIC INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BRUISES, SCAB, AND DARK DISCOLOURATION, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT.

§  HARMLESS EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL – MEANS ANY VEGETABLE PART (SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A LEAF OR PORTION THEREOF, OR A STEM) THAT DOES NOT POSE ANY HAZARD TO HUMAN HEALTH BUT AFFECTS THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE FINAL PRODUCT.

o   CLASSIFICATION OF “DEFECTIVES” A CONTAINER THAT FAILS TO MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE APPLICABLE QUALITY REQUIREMENTS, AS SET OUT IN (EXCEPT THOSE BASED ON SAMPLE AVERAGES), SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A “DEFECTIVE”.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       ACIDITY REGULATORS, ANTIFOAMING AGENTS, ANTIOXIDANTS, COLOURS, COLOUR RETENTION AGENTS, FIRMING AGENTS, FLAVOUR ENHANCERS, PRESERVATIVES, SEQUESTRANTS, STABILIZERS AND SWEETENERS USED IN ACCORDANCE OF THE GENERAL STANDARD OF FOOD ADDITIVES (CXS 192-1995) IN THE FOOD CATEGORY IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL PICKLED FRUIT OR VEGETABLE FALL INTO  OR LISTED IN TABLE 3 OF THE GENERAL STANDARD ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR USE IN FOODS CONFORMING TO THIS STANDARD.

CONTAMINANTS.

·       THE PRODUCTS 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 PRODUCTS 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 PRODUCTS 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 LOW AND ACIDIFIED LOW-ACID CANNED FOODS (CXC 23-1979) AND OTHER RELEVANT CODEX TEXTS SUCH AS CODES OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE AND CODES OF PRACTICE.

·       THE PRODUCTS 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)

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

·       FILL OF CONTAINER

o   MINIMUM FILL THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE WELL FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT (INCLUDING PACKING MEDIUM WHEN APPROPRIATE) WHICH SHOULD OCCUPY NOT LESS THAN 90% (MINUS ANY NECESSARY HEAD SPACE ACCORDING TO GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES) OF THE WATER CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER. THE WATER CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER IS THE VOLUME OF DISTILLED WATER AT 20OC WHICH THE SEALED CONTAINER WILL HOLD WHEN COMPLETELY FILLED.

o   CLASSIFICATION OF “DEFECTIVES” A CONTAINER THAT FAILS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT FOR MINIMUM FILL OF SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A “DEFECTIVE”.

o   LOT ACCEPTANCE A LOT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS MEETING THE REQUIREMENT OF  WHEN THE NUMBER OF “DEFECTIVES”, AS DEFINED , DOES NOT EXCEED THE ACCEPTANCE NUMBER (C) OF THE APPROPRIATE SAMPLING PLAN WITH AN AQL OF 6.5.

·       MINIMUM DRAINED WEIGHT

o   THE DRAINED WEIGHT OF THE PRODUCT SHOULD BE NOT LESS THAN THE FOLLOWING PERCENTAGES, CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF THE WEIGHT OF DISTILLED WATER AT 20OC WHICH THE SEALED CONTAINER WILL HOLD WHEN COMPLETELY FILLED 2 .

o   WHOLE AND HALVES STYLE SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 40% OF THE NET WEIGHT;

o   PIECES STYLE AND OTHER STYLES SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 50% OF THE NET WEIGHT (EXCEPT FOR PICKLED RED CABBAGE SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 45% OF THE NET WEIGHT).

o   LOT ACCEPTANCE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MINIMUM DRAINED WEIGHT SHOULD BE DEEMED TO BE COMPLIED WITH WHEN THE AVERAGE DRAINED WEIGHT OF ALL CONTAINERS EXAMINED IS NOT LESS THAN THE MINIMUM REQUIRED, PROVIDED THAT THERE IS NO UNREASONABLE SHORTAGE IN INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS.

LABELLING

·       THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS STANDARD SHALL BE LABELLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF PREPACKAGED FOODS (CXS 1-1985). IN ADDITION, THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC PROVISIONS APPLY:

·       NAME OF THE PRODUCT

o   PICKLED FRUITS AND/OR VEGETABLES SHALL BE LABELLED ACCORDING TO THE TYPE AND IN COMBINATION WITH THE NAME OF MAJOR INGREDIENT. EXAMPLE – A PICKLE MADE FROM GINGER SHALL BE LABELLED “PICKLED GINGER IN BRINE”.

o   THE PRESENTATION STYLE SHOULD BE DECLARED ON THE LABEL OF THE FOOD.

·       LABELLING OF NON-RETAIL CONTAINERS

o   INFORMATION FOR NON-RETAIL CONTAINERS SHALL BE GIVEN EITHER ON THE CONTAINER OR IN ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS, EXCEPT THAT THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT, LOT IDENTIFICATION, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER, PACKER, DISTRIBUTOR OR IMPORTER, AS WELL AS STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS, SHALL APPEAR ON THE CONTAINER. HOWEVER, LOT IDENTIFICATION, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER, PACKER, DISTRIBUTOR OR IMPORTER MAY BE REPLACED BY AN IDENTIFICATION MARK, PROVIDED THAT SUCH A MARK IS CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE WITH THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS.