PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

·       THE PURPOSE OF THE STANDARD IS TO DEFINE THE QUALITY REQUIREMENTS OF CARROTS AT THE EXPORT CONTROL STAGE, AFTER PREPARATION AND PACKAGING.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

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

o   INTACT: MEANS NOT HAVING ANY MUTILATION OR INJURY SPOILING THE INTEGRITY OF THE

o   SOUND; PRODUCE AFFECTED BY RITTING OR DETERIORATION SUCH AS TO MAKE IT UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION IS EXCLUDED: MUST BE FREE FROM DISEASE OR SERIOUS DETERIORATION WHICH APPRECIABLY AFFECTS ITS APPEARANCE, EDIBILITY OR MARKET VALUE. IN PARTICULAR, THIS EXCLUDES PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING, EVEN IF THE SIGNS ARE VERY SLIGHT BUT LIABLE TO MAKE THE PRODUCE UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION UPON ARRIVAL AT ITS DESTINATION.

o   CLEAN, THAT IS TO SAY:

§  PRACTICALLY FREE OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER, IF THEY ARE WASHED. WASHED CARROTS MUST BE PRACTICALLY FREE OF VISIBLE SOIL, DUST, CHEMICAL RESIDUE OR OTHER VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER.

§  PRACTICALLY FREE OF EXCESS DIRT AND IMPURITIES IF THEY ARE NOT WASHED. UNWASHED CARROTS MUST BE PRACTICALLY FREE OF EXCESSIVE SOIL, DUST, CHEMICAL RESIDUE OR OTHER VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER. HOWEVER, 2% BY WEIGHT OF ADHERING SOIL MAY BE REGARDED AS NORMAL.

§  PRACTICALLY FREE FROM PESTS: THE PRODUCE MUST BE PRACTICALLY FREE OF INSECTS OR OTHER PESTS. THE PRESENCE OF PESTS CAN DETRACT FROM THE COMMERCIAL PRESENTATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRODUCE.

§  PRACTICALLY FREE FROM DAMAGE CAUSED BY PESTS: PEST DAMAGE CAN DETRACT FROM THE GENERAL APPEARANCE, KEEPING QUALITY AND EDIBILITY OF THE PRODUCE.

§  FIRM: CARROTS WHICH ARE NO LONGER FIRM AND HAVE BECOME SHRIVELLED OR DEHYDRATED ARE EXCLUDED. 

§  NOT FORKED, FREE OF SECONDARY ROOTS: CARROTS GROWN IN STONY OR POORLY PREPARED GROUND CAN DEVELOP FORKED GROWTH. CARROTS MUST BE SINGLE ROOTS.

§  MOREOVER, CARROTS WITH SECONDARY ROOT GROWTHS ARE EXCLUDED. 

§  NOT WOODY: CARROTS WHICH HAVE BECOME FIBROUS OR WOODY ARE EXCLUDED.

§  NOT RUNNING TO SEED: CARROTS WHICH HAVE STARTED TO PRODUCE SEED HEADS OR STEMS ARE EXCLUDED 

§  FREE OF ABNORMAL EXTERNAL MOISTURE SUFFICIENTLY DRIED AFTER WASHING: 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. IN ORDER THAT THE CARROTS REMAIN IN GOOD CONDITION DURING TRANSPORT AND HANDLING, THEY MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY DRIED BEFORE PACKAGING.

§  FREE OF FOREIGN SMELL AND/OR TASTE: THIS REFERS PARTICULARLY TO PRODUCE WHICH HAS BEEN STORED IN BADLY KEPT PREMISES OR HAS TRAVELLED IN A BADLY MAINTAINED VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY PRODUCE WHICH HAS ACQUIRED A STRONG SMELL FROM OTHER PRODUCE STORED ON THE SAME PREMISES OR TRAVELLING IN THE SAME VEHICLE. FOR EXAMPLE, CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO USE ONLY NON-SMELLING MATERIALS AS PROTECTION IN PACKAGING.

o   THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONDITION OF THE CARROTS MUST BE SUCH AS TO ENABLE THEM:

§  TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT AND HANDLING, AND

§  TO ARRIVE IN A SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE OF DESTINATION

CLASSIFICATION

·       CARROTS ARE CLASSIFIED IN THREE CLASSES DEFINED BELOW:

“EXTRA” CLASS

·       THE CARROTS IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY AND WASHED. THEY MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY OR THE VARIETAL TYPE. THEY MUST BE CAREFULLY PRESENTED.

·       THEY MUST BE FREE FROM 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. SUCH ALTERATIONS MAY APPEAR DURING CULTIVATION, HARVEST, STORAGE, PACKAGING OR TRANSPORT.

·       THE ROOTS MUST BE:

§  SMOOTH: WITH DUE REGARD TO THE VARIETAL TYPE, THE SURFACE OF THE CARROT SHOULD BE SMOOTH AND FREE FROM WRINKLES, INDENTATIONS OR UNDULATIONS. 

§  FRESH IN APPEARANCE: ROOTS SHOULD BE BRIGHT SHOWING NO SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION OR AGEING.

§  REGULAR IN SHAPE: ROOTS SHOULD DISPLAY A SHAPE FULLY CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY AND THEY MUST NOT SHOW ANY MALFORMATION. 

§  FREE OF FISSURES

§  FREE OF BRUISES AND CRACKS

§  FREE OF DAMAGE DUE TO FROST. GREEN OR VIOLET/PURPLE TOPS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

CLASS I

·       CARROTS IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF GOOD QUALITY. THEY MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY OR THE VARIETAL TYPE. ALTHOUGH THE CLASS I QUALITY REQUIREMENTS ARE LESS STRICT THAN FOR “EXTRA” CLASS, CLASS I CARROTS MUST, NEVERTHELESS, BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY OR VARIETAL TYPE, CAREFULLY SELECTED AND PRESENTED.

·       THE ROOTS MUST BE:

o   THE ROOTS MUST BE:

§  FRESH IN APPEARANCE: ROOTS SHOULD BE BRIGHT SHOWING NO SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION OR AGEING. SLIGHT SILVERING OF THE SKIN IS PERMISSIBLE.

§  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:

§  SLIGHT DEFECTS IN SHAPE: ROOTS SHOULD REMAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETAL TYPE; HOWEVER, THEY MAY SHOW SLIGHT DISTORTIONS. 

§  SLIGHT DEFECTS IN COLOURING: CARROTS MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETAL TYPE; HOWEVER A SLIGHT COLOUR DEFECT IS ALLOWED. 

§  SLIGHT HEALED CRACKS: SMALL HEALED CRACKS CAUSED DURING GROWTH ARE ACCEPTABLE PROVIDED THEY ARE SHALLOW, CLEAN AND DRY.

§  SLIGHT CRACKS OR FISSURES DUE TO HANDLING OR WASHING PROVIDED THEY ARE FRESH, SHALLOW AND COVER ONLY A SMALL AREA.

§  FINE CRACKS DUE TO FROST ESPECIALLY AROUND THE CROWN AND SHOULDERS ARE ALLOWED PROVIDED THE FLESH REMAINS FIRM. 

o   GREEN OR VIOLET/PURPLE TOPS UP TO 1 CM LONG FOR ROOTS NOT EXCEEDING 10 CM IN LENGTH , AND UP TO 2 CM FOR OTHER ROOTS, ARE ALLOWED. THIS DISCOLORATION REFERS TO THE CARROT WHERE THE ROOT HAS PROTRUDED FROM THE GROUND DURING GROWTH.

CLASS II

·       THIS CLASS INCLUDES CARROTS WHICH DO NOT QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE HIGHER CLASSES BUT
SATISFY THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED ABOVE. THE CARROTS IN THIS CLASS MUST BE
OF MARKETABLE QUALITY, SUITABLE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND SUITABLY PRESENTED.

·       THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS MAY BE ALLOWED PROVIDED THE CARROTS RETAIN THEIR ESSENTIAL
CHARACTERISTICS AS REGARDS THE QUALITY, THE KEEPING QUALITY AND PRESENTATION:

o   DEFECTS IN SHAPE AND IN COLOURING: CARROTS CAN BE DISTORTED PROVIDED THEY RETAIN THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIETAL TYPE.

o   DEFECTS IN COLOURING ARE ALLOWED PROVIDED THE CARROTS RETAIN THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIETAL TYPE. 

o   HEALED CRACKS NOT REACHING THE HEART: HEALED CRACKS CAUSED DURING GROWTH ARE ACCEPTABLE PROVIDED THEY DO NOT EXPOSE THE CORE OF THE CARROT AND ARE CLEAN AND DRY.

o   CRACKS OR FISSURES DUE TO HANDLING OR WASHING PROVIDED THEY ARE FRESH AND DO NOT EXPOSE THE CORE. 

o   CRACKS DUE TO FROST ESPECIALLY AROUND THE CROWN AND SHOULDERS ARE ALLOWED PROVIDED THE FLESH REMAINS REASONABLY FIRM AND SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT.

·       GREEN OR VIOLET/PURPLE TOPS UP TO 2 CM LONG FOR ROOTS NOT EXCEEDING 10 CM IN LENGTH, AND UP TO 3 CM FOR OTHER ROOTS, ARE ALLOWED. THIS DISCOLORATION REFERS TO THE CARROT WHERE THE ROOT HAS PROTRUDED FROM THE GROUND DURING GROWTH.