Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables John B. Cassar 30 th August 2013 M.E.U.S.A.C. Consultation
Why Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables? EU legislation contains rules on Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables (FV) to set standards for the way these are presented, graded and sold to consumers to increase market transparency. This also facilitates trade, ensuring it is based on fair competition.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 Under EU law, traders offering FV for sale are responsible for ensuring that the produce meets minimum quality requirements and is correctly as well as clearly labelled with the required information.
When do Marketing Standards apply? The marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables shall apply at all marketing stages, i.e. whenever they are sold and including when they enter into or leave Malta.
What are Marketing Standards? MS relate to: Quality grading into classes Weight and Sizing Packaging and Wrapping Storage and Transport presentation origin and labelling
Specific Marketing Standards apply for the following: apples pears citrus fruit strawberries kiwifruit sweet peppers lettuces, curled leaved and broad-leaved endives table grapes peaches and nectarines tomatoes
Specific Marketing Standards – ‘Extra Class’ Products in this class must be of superior quality. They must be characteristic of the variety and the [ district ] in which the fruit is grown – Ex. Frawli tal- Imgarr. The flesh must be perfectly sound . 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.
Extra Class
. Specific Marketing Standards – Class 1 Products in this class must be of good quality , and characteristic of the variety and the district in which the fruit is grown. The flesh must be perfectly sound. Slight defects may be allowed, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package.
Class 1 tollerances
Class 1 tollerances
Specific Marketing Standards – Class 2 This class includes products that do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements . The flesh must be free from major defects . Some defects may be allowed, provided the products retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation.
Class 2 ‘Defect in Shape
Specific Marketing Standards – Bananas Bananas fall under a separate EU REGULATION (EU) No 1333/2011 which provides specific rules for this product which is mostly imported into the EU from third countries. They mainly concern importation, storage and point of sale – Ex. Can be stored un ripened but must be perfectly ripe at point of sale.
Specific Marketing Standards – Cultivated Mushrooms Mushrooms also fall under a separate Regulation (EU) No 1863/2004 which applies at all stages of marketing.
Proposed amendment to (EU)543/2011 currently under discussion. To ensure that products which are deemed to be fit for consumption by local communities but do not conform to the marketing standards are not prevented from being marketed locally, those products can be exempted from the marketing standards by a Commission Decision taken at the request of the M S concerned. It is appropriate to clarify that such products may be sold by the retail trade of that Member State, and exceptionally even outside the region concerned.
The General Marketing Standard Save for some minor exemptions, all fresh fruit and vegetables not covered by a specific marketing standard must conform to the General Marketing Standard (GMS), which is defined separately.
GMS minimum quality requirements The fruit and vegetables must be: - intact (tolerances are permitted) - clean (practically free of any visible foreign matter) - practically free from pests and from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh - free of abnormal external moisture - free of any foreign smell and/or taste - in such a condition that they can withstand transport and handling and arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination
‘Intact’ F&V
‘Sound’ F&V
‘Sound’ F&GV
‘Clean’ F&V
‘Clean’F&V
Fresh’ F&V
‘Practically Free from Pests’ F&V
Example of Classification
Presentation ‘Extra’ Class
Presentation Class 1 ‘Careful presentation’
Presentation ‘Class 2’ Suitable presentation
Presentation Not allowed
Minimum maturity requirements The products must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory ripeness . Tolerance: A tolerance of 10% by number of weight of product not satisfying the minimum requirements is permitted in each lot. However, the tolerance does not cover products affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for human consumption. Mixes: The marketing of packages of a net weight of 5 kg or less containing mixes of different types of fruit and vegetables is allowed provided that the products are of uniform quality and each product complies with the relevant specific marketing standard or, if no specific marketing standards exists, the general marketing standard.
Labelling requirements For products covered by the general marketing standard, the country of origin must be indicated in Maltese or English, even for products from other EU Member States. Products covered by a specific marketing standard may have their own labelling requirements. If the fruit and vegetables in a mix originate in more than one third country, the full names of the countries may by replaced with “mix of non -EC fruit and vegetables”.
Labelling Fruit and vegetables destined for the processing industry must be clearly labelled “intended for processing” or “for animal feed” or any other equivalent wording. Labelling information must be clear and legible on one side of the package, either indelibly printed directly onto the package or on a label which is an integral part of the package or affixed to it. For goods shipped in bulk, the labelling information may be given in the documents accompanying the goods .
Products exempted from the GMS: Non-cultivated mushrooms Capers Most varieties of nuts Dried plantains Dried citrus Saffron
Exemptions from Marketing Standards The following products are not required to conform to the marketing standards: products sold or delivered by the grower for preparation and packaging stations or storage facilities products moved from storage facilities to preparation and packaging stations.
Processed Fruit and Vegetables FV intended for processing are not required to conform to marketing standards, so it should be ensured that they are not sold on the market for fresh products. Frozen FV are considered as processed.Such products should be appropriately labelled.
Labelling and Information particulars The information particulars required by marketing standards should be clearly displayed on the packaging and/or label. To avoid fraud and cases of misleading consumers, the information particulars required by the standards should be available to consumers before purchase, especially in case of distance selling (Ex. online purchase from supermarkets which deliver)
Labelling and Information
Labelling- On a package
Information particulars of Invoices and accompanying documents Invoices and accompanying documents, excluding receipts for the consumer, shall indicate the name and the country of origin of the products, where appropriate, the class, the variety or commercial type (if required in a specific marketing standard), or the fact that it is intended for processing.
Information particulars at the retail stage At retail stage, the information particulars required shall be legible and conspicuous. Products may be presented for sale provided the retailer displays prominently, adjacent to and legibly the information particulars relating to country of origin and, where appropriate, class and variety or commercial type in such a way as not to mislead the consumer.
Information particulars at the retail stage- pre packed products For products which are pre-packaged, the net weight shall be indicated, in addition to all the information provided for in the marketing standards. For products sold by number, the requirement to indicate the net weight shall not apply if the number of items may be clearly seen and easily counted from the outside or, if the number is indicated on the label.
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