THE QUALITY STANDARD FOR CITRUS AND UGLY FRUIT
The quality requirements of citrus fruits for marketing in the territory of the EU are set out in COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2021/1890 of 2 August 2021: ‘amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 543/2011 as regards marketing standards in the fruit and vegetables sector’.
It defines the minimum quality conditions for their sale and distribution labelled as Class II:
‘Class II
This class includes citrus fruit which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.
The following defects may be allowed, provided the citrus fruit retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:
• defects in shape
• defects in colouring, including sunburn
• progressive skin defects, provided they do not affect the flesh
• skin defects occurring during the formation of the fruit, such as silver scurfs, russets or pest damage
• healed defects due to a mechanical cause such as hail damage, rubbing or damage from handling
• superficial healed skin alterations
• rough skin
• a slight and partial detachment of the peel (or rind) for oranges and a partial detachment of the peel (or rind) for fruit of the mandarin group’.
Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section of the fruit.
As for the sizes, they are stipulated as minimum sizes. It can be concluded that the EU quality standards for citrus fruits provide producers and distributors with sufficient tolerance for the marketing of ugly fruit, complying with the requirements related to the correct marking as class II.
The basic condition for their acceptance is to avoid those defects that can lead to the loss of the fruit due to its evolution to rottenness.
That is the main reason to establish quality controls that eliminate the fruits that are affected by non-stable defect while those with stable defects can be marketed and consumed, reducing the percentages of loss and/or waste.
These considerations can be applied to all other fruits and vegetables.
TOWARDS A NEW ZERO FOOD WASTE MINDSET BASED ON HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT
Ongoing | 2022-2027
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece