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. |