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DEFINITION
OF PRODUCE |
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THIS STANDARD
APPLIES TO COMMERCIAL VARIETIES (CULTIVARS) OF TABLE GRAPES GROWN FROM VITIS
VINIFERA L., OF THE VITACEAE FAMILY, TO BE SUPPLIED FRESH TO THE CONSUMER,
AFTER PREPARATION AND PACKAGING. GRAPES FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING ARE
EXCLUDED. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING QUALITY |
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· MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS IN ALL CLASSES, SUBJECT TO
THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR EACH CLASS AND THE TOLERANCES ALLOWED, THE BUNCHES
AND BERRIES MUST BE: o
SOUND, PRODUCE AFFECTED
BY ROTTING OR DETERIORATION SUCH AS TO MAKE IT UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION IS
EXCLUDED; o
CLEAN, PRACTICALLY FREE
OF ANY VISIBLE FOREIGN MATTER; o
PRACTICALLY FREE OF
PESTS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEM AFFECTING THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCE; o
FREE OF ABNORMAL
EXTERNAL MOISTURE, EXCLUDING CONDENSATION FOLLOWING REMOVAL FROM COLD
STORAGE; o
FREE OF ANY FOREIGN
SMELL AND/OR TASTE; o
PRACTICALLY FREE OF
DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOW AND/OR HIGH TEMPERATURES. o
IN ADDITION, THE
BERRIES MUST BE: § WHOLE; § WELL FORMED; § NORMALLY DEVELOPED. o
THE DEVELOPMENT AND
CONDITION OF THE TABLE GRAPES MUST BE SUCH AS TO ENABLE THEM: § TO WITHSTAND TRANSPORT AND HANDLING; § TO ARRIVE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION AT THE PLACE
OF DESTINATION. |
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· MATURITY REQUIREMENTS o
TABLE GRAPES MUST BE
SUFFICIENTLY DEVELOPED AND DISPLAY SATISFACTORY RIPENESS. IN ORDER TO SATISFY
THIS REQUIREMENT, THE FRUIT MUST HAVE OBTAINED A REFRACTOMETRIC INDEX OF AT
LEAST 16°BRIX. FRUIT WITH A LOWER REFRACTOMETRIC INDEX ARE ACCEPTED PROVIDED
THE SUGAR/ACID RATIO IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO: § 20:1 IF THE BRIX LEVEL IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO
12.5° AND LESS THAN 14°BRIX, § 18:1 IF THE BRIX LEVEL IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO
14° AND LESS THAN 16°BRIX. |
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CLASSIFICATION
TABLE GRAPES ARE CLASSIFIED IN THREE CLASSES DEFINED BELOW: |
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“EXTRA” CLASS TABLE
GRAPES IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. THE BUNCHES BE
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY IN SHAPE, DEVELOPMENT AND COLOURING, ALLOWING
FOR THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY ARE GROWN. THE BERRIES MUST BE FIRM, FIRMLY
ATTACHED TO THE STALK, EVENLY SPACED ALONG THE STALK AND HAVE THEIR BLOOM
VIRTUALLY INTACT. 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 TABLE GRAPES IN THIS CLASS MUST BE OF GOOD
QUALITY. THE BUNCHES MUST BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VARIETY IN SHAPE,
DEVELOPMENT AND COLOURING, ALLOWING FOR THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY ARE GROWN.
THE BERRIES MUST BE FIRM, FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE STALK AND, AS FAR AS
POSSIBLE, HAVE THEIR BLOOM INTACT. THEY MAY, HOWEVER, BE LESS EVENLY SPACED
ALONG THE STALK THAN IN THE “EXTRA” CLASS. o
A SLIGHT DEFECT IN
SHAPE; o
A SLIGHT DEFECT IN
COLOURING; o
VERY SLIGHT SUN SCORCH
AFFECTING THE SKIN ONLY. |
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· CLASS II THE BUNCHES MAY SHOW SLIGHT DEFECTS IN
SHAPE, DEVELOPMENT AND COLOURING, PROVIDED THESE DO NOT IMPAIR THE ESSENTIAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIETY, ALLOWING FOR THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY ARE
GROWN. THE BERRIES MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY FIRM AND SUFFICIENTLY ATTACHED TO THE
STALK. THEY MAY BE LESS EVENLY SPACED ALONG THE STALK THAN IN CLASS I. THE
FOLLOWING DEFECTS, HOWEVER, MAY BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THE TABLE GRAPES RETAIN
THEIR ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS AS REGARDS THE QUALITY, THE KEEPING QUALITY
AND PRESENTATION: o
DEFECTS IN SHAPE; o
DEFECTS IN COLOURING; o
SLIGHT SUN SCORCH
AFFECTING THE SKIN ONLY; o
SLIGHT BRUISING; o
SLIGHT SKIN
DEFECTS. |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING SIZING |
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SIZE IS DETERMINED
BY THE WEIGHT OF THE BUNCH. |
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MINIMUM BUNCH
WEIGHT THE MINIMUM BUNCH WEIGHT SHALL BE 75 G. THIS PROVISION DOES NOT APPLY
TO PACKAGES INTENDED FOR SINGLE SERVINGS. |
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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 WEIGHT OF BUNCHES 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
WEIGHT OF BUNCHES 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
WEIGHT OF BUNCHES SATISFYING NEITHER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS NOR THE
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PRODUCE AFFECTED BY ROTTING OR
ANY OTHER DETERIORATION RENDERING IT UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION. o
SIZE TOLERANCES TEN
PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF BUNCHES NOT SATISFYING THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS |
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PROVISIONS
CONCERNING PRESENTATION |
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UNIFORMITY THE
CONTENTS OF EACH PACKAGE MUST BE UNIFORM AND CONTAIN ONLY BUNCHES OF THE SAME
ORIGIN, VARIETY, QUALITY AND DEGREE OF RIPENESS. IN THE “EXTRA” CLASS, THE
BUNCHES MUST BE OF MORE OR LESS IDENTICAL SIZE AND COLOURING. IN THE CASE OF
CLASS I, THE BUNCHES MAY HAVE SLIGHT VARIATION IN SIZE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER
PACKAGES OF A NET WEIGHT NOT EXCEEDING 1 KG MAY CONTAIN MIXTURES OF TABLE
GRAPES OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES, PROVIDED THEY ARE UNIFORM IN QUALITY, DEGREE
OF RIPENESS AND, FOR EACH VARIETY CONCERNED, IN ORIGIN. |
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PACKAGING 1 TABLE
GRAPES 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. TABLE GRAPES 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). IN THE CASE OF THE “EXTRA” CLASS, THE BUNCHES MUST
BE PACKED IN A SINGLE LAYER. |
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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 TABLE GRAPES. 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 1-1985), 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 NAME OF THE
VARIETY. |
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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 3
. NAME OF THE PRODUCE “TABLE GRAPES” IF THE CONTENTS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE
OUTSIDE. NAME OF THE VARIETY OR, WHERE APPLICABLE, NAMES OF VARIETIES. |
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ORIGIN OF PRODUCE
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR, WHERE APPLICABLE, COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND, OPTIONALLY,
DISTRICT WHERE GROWN OR NATIONAL, REGIONAL OR LOCAL PLACE NAME. |
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· COMMERCIAL IDENTIFICATION o
CLASS; o
NET WEIGHT (OPTIONAL); o
“BUNCHES BELOW 75 G
INTENDED FOR SINGLE SERVINGS”, IF APPROPRIATE. |
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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 21-1997). |
