UNIFORMITY

·       THE CONTENTS OF EACH PACKAGE MUST BE UNIFORM AND CONTAIN ONLY TOMATOES OF THE SAME ORIGIN, VARIETY OR COMMERCIAL TYPE, QUALITY AND SIZE (IF SIZED).

·       THE TOMATOES MAY BE PRESENTED AS FOLLOWS:

o   AS INDIVIDUAL TOMATOES, WITH OR WITHOUT CALYX AND SHORT STALK;

o   AS TRUSSES OF TOMATOES, IN OTHER WORDS, IN ENTIRE INFLORESCENCES OR PARTS OF INFLORESCENCES, WHERE EACH INFLORESCENCE OR PART OF EACH INFLORESCENCE SHOULD COMPRISE AT LEAST 2 TOMATOES.

·       THE RIPENESS AND COLOURING OF TOMATOES IN “EXTRA” CLASS AND CLASS I MUST BE PRACTICALLY UNIFORM. IN ADDITION, THE LENGTH OF “OBLONG” TOMATOES MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY UNIFORM.

·       WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING UNIFORM COLOURING IN A GIVEN PACKAGE IN CLASSES “EXTRA” AND I DURING MARKETING, ALL FRUITS SHOULD BELONG TO THREE CONSECUTIVE SHADES OF COLOURING ACCORDING TO THE OECD COLOUR GAUGE. THE TOLERANCE FOR FRUITS DIFFERENT FROM THE DOMINANT COLOUR, MUST NOT EXCEED 5 PER CENT IN “EXTRA” CLASS AND 10 PER CENT IN CLASS I, PROVIDED THEY BELONG TO THE NEIGHBORING COLOUR GROUP(S). OTHERWISE THE LOT SHOULD BE DOWNGRADED.

·       TRUSSES OF TOMATOES ARE NOT EXCLUDED FROM THIS REQUIREMENT FOR UNIFORM COLOURING.

·       IN CLASS II MIXING FRUIT OF DIFFERENT COLOURING (AND RIPENESS) IS ALLOWED.

·       HOWEVER, A MIXTURE OF TOMATOES OF DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT VARIETIES, COMMERCIAL TYPES AND/OR COLOURS MAY BE PACKED TOGETHER IN A PACKAGE, PROVIDED THEY ARE UNIFORM IN QUALITY AND, FOR EACH VARIETY, COMMERCIAL TYPE AND/OR COLOUR CONCERNED, IN ORIGIN. HOWEVER, IN CASE OF THOSE MIXTURES UNIFORMITY IN SIZE IS NOT REQUIRED.

·       THE VISIBLE PART OF THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE CONTENTS.

·       PRESENTATION SHOULD NOT BE MISLEADING, I.E. CONCEALING IN THE LOWER LAYERS OF THE PACKAGE PRODUCE INFERIOR IN QUALITY AND SIZE TO THAT DISPLAYED AND MARKED.

o   NAME OF ILLUSTRATION

§  UNIFORM COLOURING

§  PRESENTATION IN THE PACKAGE

PACKAGING

·       TOMATOES MUST BE PACKED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PROTECT THE PRODUCE PROPERLY.

·       PACKAGES MUST BE OF A QUALITY, STRENGTH AND CHARACTERISTICS TO PROTECT THE PRODUCE DURING TRANSPORT AND HANDLING.

·       THE MATERIALS USED INSIDE THE PACKAGE MUST BE CLEAN AND OF A QUALITY SUCH AS TO AVOID CAUSING ANY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE PRODUCE. THE USE OF MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY PAPER OR STAMPS BEARING TRADE SPECIFICATIONS, IS ALLOWED, PROVIDED THE PRINTING OR LABELLING HAS BEEN DONE WITH NON-TOXIC INK OR GLUE.

·       STICKERS INDIVIDUALLY AFFIXED TO THE PRODUCE SHALL BE SUCH THAT, WHEN REMOVED, THEY NEITHER LEAVE VISIBLE TRACES OF GLUE NOR LEAD TO SKIN DEFECTS. INFORMATION LASERED ON SINGLE FRUIT SHOULD NOT LEAD TO FLESH OR SKIN DEFECTS.

·       PACKAGES MUST BE FREE OF ALL FOREIGN MATTER.

·       CLEAN MATERIALS SHOULD BE USED TO PROTECT THE PRODUCE FROM FOREIGN MATTER SUCH AS LEAVES, SAND OR SOIL, WHICH COULD CAUSE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE PRODUCE AND ITS PRESENTATION.

·       A VISIBLE LACK OF CLEANLINESS IN SEVERAL PACKAGES COULD RESULT IN THE GOODS BEING REJECTED.