·       AT ALL MARKETING STAGES, TOLERANCES IN RESPECT OF QUALITY AND SIZE SHALL BE ALLOWED IN EACH LOT FOR PRODUCE NOT SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS INDICATED.

·       TOLERANCES ARE PROVIDED TO ALLOW FOR DEVIATION IN HANDLING AND FOR NATURAL DETERIORATION OF FRESH PRODUCE OVER TIME.

·       CONFORMITY WITH TOLERANCES SHOULD BE DETERMINED USING AT LEAST THE OPERATING RULES FOR THE CONFORMITY CHECKS AS SET OUT IN ANNEX II TO THE COUNCIL DECISION REVISING THE OECD “SCHEME” FOR THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

·       QUALITY TOLERANCES

·       “EXTRA” CLASS

o   A TOTAL TOLERANCE OF 5 PER CENT, BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT, OF CHERRIES NOT SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS BUT MEETING THOSE OF CLASS I IS ALLOWED. WITHIN THIS TOLERANCE NOT MORE THAN 0.5 PER CENT IN TOTAL MAY CONSIST OF PRODUCE SATISFYING THE REQUIREMENTS OF CLASS II QUALITY, AND NOT MORE THAN 2 PER CENT MAY CONSIST OF SPLIT AND/OR WORM-EATEN FRUIT.

o   THE 5 PER CENT TOLERANCE COVERS ALL SHAPE, SKIN AND COLOUR DEFECTS ALLOWED IN CLASS I. THE 0.5 PER CENT TOLERANCE COVERS ALL SHAPE, SKIN AND COLOUR DEFECTS, AS WELL AS BRUISES, ALLOWED IN CLASS II.

·       CLASS II

o   A TOTAL TOLERANCE OF 10 PER CENT, BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT, OF CHERRIES SATISFYING NEITHER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASS NOR THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS IS ALLOWED. WITHIN THIS TOLERANCE, NOT MORE THAN 4 PER CENT IN TOTAL MAY CONSIST OF OVER-RIPE, SPLIT, OR WORM-EATEN FRUIT OR OF PRODUCE AFFECTED BY DECAY.

o   THE 10 PER CENT TOLERANCE COVERS ALL MALFORMATION, SERIOUS SKIN AND COLOUR DEFECTS, AS WELL DEFECTS NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS BUT NOT AFFECTING EDIBILITY, SUCH AS SLIGHT DAMAGE, SOILING, AND LACK OF FRESHNESS. THE 4 PER CENT TOLERANCE FOR OVER-RIPE, SPLIT, OR WORM-EATEN FRUIT OR OF PRODUCE AFFECTED BY DECAY COVERS ALL DEFECTS NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS ANY DEFECT RENDERING THE PRODUCE UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION.

·       SIZE TOLERANCES

·       FOR ALL CLASSES: A TOTAL TOLERANCE OF 10 PER CENT, BY NUMBER OR WEIGHT, OF CHERRIES NOT CONFORMING TO THE MINIMUM SIZE IS ALLOWED, PROVIDED THE DIAMETER IS NOT LESS THAN:

o   17 MM IN “EXTRA” CLASS

o   15 MM IN CLASSES I AND II.