UNICE standard on the marketing and commercial quality control of

PINEAPPLES

A Draft EXPLANATORY BROCHURE

1

NOTE:Commercial quality standards for agricultural produce are developed and approved by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe through its Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards.These international standards facilitate trade, encourage high-quality production, improve profitability and protect consumer interests. They are used by Governments, producers, traders, importers and exporters, as well as international organizations.

They cover a wide range of agricultural products, Including fresh fruit and vegetables, dry and dried produce, seed potatoes, meat, cut flowers, eggs and egg products.

The Explanatory Brochure for the Standard for pineapples has been developed to harmonize the interpretation of the Standard, thereby facilitating international as well as national trade. It addresses producers and traders, as well as inspection authorities.

All material may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested.

Please contact the following address with any comments or enquiries:Agricultural Standards Unit, Trade and Timber DivisionUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropePalais des NationsCH-1211, Geneva 10, Switzerland

e-mail: agristandards@unece.org

2

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Secretariat concerningthe legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning thedelimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of company names or commercial productsdoes not imply endorsement by the United Nations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Definition of Produce.............................................................................................6

II.Provisions Concerning Quality...............................................................................7

III . Provisions Concerning Sizing.............................................................................16

IV. Provisons Concerning Tolerance.......................................................................18

V.Provisions Concerning Presentation....................................................................21

3

VI. Provisions Concerning Marking...............................................................................................24

4

On the following pages, the official text of the standard is indicated in blue, the interprative

text of the standard is indicated in black.

Definition of

Produce

5

I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCEThe Standard applies to commercial varieties of pineapples grown from Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., of the Bromeliaceae family, to be supplied fresh to the consumer, after preparation and packaging. Pineapples for ornamental use or industrial processing are excluded.

Interpretation : Pineapples come in a range of shapes and sizes such as the following types: Round, oval and conical.

Examples of this range are shown in Photos 1- 4

Photo-1 connical shaped pineapple

Photo - 2 oval shaped pineapple

Photo -3 round shaped pineapple

Photo -4 varying sizes pineapple

Provisions Concerning

6

Quality

7

II.PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY Standard:

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of pineapples at the export control stage, after preparation and packaging.

However, if applied at stages following export, products may show in relation to the requirements of the standard:

A slight lack of freshness and turgidity

For products graded in classes other than the “Extra” Class, a slight deterioration due to their development and their tendancy to perish.

The holder/seller of the products may not display such products or offer them for sale, or deliver or market them in any manner other than in conformity with this standard. The holder shall be responsible for observing such conformity.

Standard:

A. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the pineapples must be:

- Intact

Interpretation: Pineapples must not have any mutilation or injury spoiling the intergrity of the produce,fresh in appearance, including the crown, which should be free of wilted, dry, loose or damaged leaves.

Examples relating to the minimum requirement “intact” are shown in Photos 5-6

Photo 5 – minimum requirement “intact” mutilation Injury not allowed.

Photo 6 – minimum requirement “intact” rotting not allowed

8

Standard:

-Sound, produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded.

Interpretation: Pineapples must be free from disease or serious deterioration, which appreciably affects their apperance, eligibility or market value. In particular , this excludes pineapples affected by rotting, even if the signs are very slight but liable to make the Pineaaples unfit for comsumption upon arrival at their destination.

Pineapples showing the following defects are therefore excluded:

Severe Bruises

Diseases

Damages caused by low temperature or frost

Physiological defects

Examples relating to the minimum requirement “sound” are shown in Photos 7-11

Standard:

Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matters

Interpratation: Pineapples must be practically free of visible soil , dust, chemical residue or other visible foreign matter.

Examples relating to the minimum requirement “clean” are shown in Photos 12-13

9

Standard:

Fresh in apperance and firm

Pineapples showing lack of freshness and discoluration are to excluded

Interpretation: Pineapples should be firm and turgid. Pineapples that have lost firmness and/ or show signs of shrivelling or dehydration are to be excluded.

Examples relating to the minimum requirement “fresh in appearance” are shown in Photos 14-15

Standard:

Free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh

Interpretation: Pest damage can detract from the general apperance, keeping quality and eliogibilty of pineaaples.

Pineapples should be practically free of insects or other pests . The presence of pests can detract from the commercial presenation and acceptance of the pineapples.

- free of internal browning

- practically free of pests affecting the general appearance of the produce

- practically free of damage caused by pests

- free of pronounced blemishes, in particular unhealed cuts, bruising, scorching, holes, cracks (healed or not)

Examples relating to the minimum requirement “Free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh” are shown in Photos 16- 21

10

Standard:

Free of bitter taste (Subject to special provision for class II- to be specified latter)

Bitterness in pineaaples is influenced by both genetic and enviromental factors.

Standard:

Free of abnormal external moisture

Interpretation: 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.

Standard:

Free from any foreign smell and /or taste

Interpretation: This particulary refers to pineapples which have been stored on badly kept premises or have travelled in an badly maintained vehicle,especially pineapples that have acquired a strong smell from other stored produce on the same premises or travelling in the same vehicle. Therefore, care should be taken to use only non-smelling material as protection in packaging.

Pineapples must be sufficiently developed

Interpretation: Pineapples that are sufficiently developed show yellow green cast at the stem scar after removing the calyx and grooves of the two layers of eyes from the bottom are turning yellow and are far apart .

Carefully picked pineapple which have reached an appropiate degree of development and ripeness (According to variety/and or commercial type and growing area)

The fruit must be physiologically ripe, i.e. without evidence of unripeness (opaque, flavourless, exceedingly porous1 flesh) or over-ripeness (exceedingly translucent or fermented flesh)

A transverse section of the fruit must not reveal flesh that is excessively fibrous or lacking in aroma.

The “eyes” should be well-filled, according to the characteristics of the variety

When a peduncle (stem) is present, it shall be no longer than 2.0 cm and the cut must be transversal, straight and clean.

1

11

The total soluble solids content of the fruit flesh should be at least 120 Brix (twelve Brix degrees). For the determination of Brix degrees, a sample of the juice representative of all the fruit shall be taken.

The development and condition of the pineaaples must be such that to enable them:

To withstand transportation and handling, and

To arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination

Standard:

B. CLASSIFICATION

Pineapples are classified in three classes defined below:

(i) “Extra” Class

Pineapples in this class must be of superior quality. They must have all the typical characteristics and colouring of the variety and/ or commercial type.

Pineapples must be very carefully presented

They must be :

Well developed

fresh in appearance and firm, with well-developed eyes.

The crown must be simple and straight with no side-shoots and between 50-150% of the length of the fruit for pineaaples with untrimmed crowns .

They must be free from defects, with the exception of very slight superficial defects, provided that these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package.

Very slight defects may appear during cultivation, harvest, storage , packaging or transportation. Photo 23

12

(ii) Class I

Pineapples in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety and/or commercial type.

Although the Class 1 quality requirements are less strict than for “Extra “ Class, Class 1 Pineapples must, nevertheless , be carefully selected and presented.

They must be:

Reasonably developed

fresh in appearance and firm, with well-developed eyes.

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

Slight defects in colouring, including sun-scorch

Slight skin defects (i.e. scratches, scars, scrapes and blemishes) not exceeding 4 per cent of the total surface area.

The crown may be simple or double and straight or slightly curved, with no side-shoots and should not exceed 150 per cent of the length of the fruit.

The maximum inclination of the crown should not exceed 300 from the longitudinal axis of the fruit.

The defects must not, in any case, affect the pulp of the fruit.

Examples of Class I defects are shown in Photos 24-27.

13

(iii) Class II

This class includes pineapples that do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.

Pineapples in this class must be of marketable quality, suitability presented and suitable for human consumption

The following defects may be allowed, provided the pineapples retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:

Defects in shape

Defects in colouring, including sun-scorch (Photos 26)

Skin defects (i.e. scratches, scars, scrapes, bruises and blemishes) not exceeding 8 per cent of the total surface area.

The crown if present should be simple or double and straight or slightly curved with no sprouts.

The defects must not, in any case, affect the pulp of the fruit.

Examples of Class II defects are shown in Photos 28-30

(iv) Classification by exterior colouring

Colour criteria of the fruit are as follows:

C0: totally green exterior

C1: beginning to turn yellow/orange on ¼ of the fruit surface

C2: yellow/orange on ½ of the fruit surface

C3: yellow/orange on 2/3 of the fruit surface

C4: totally yellow/orange fruit

Examples of Classification by exterior colouring Photos 31-35

14

PROVISIONS CONCERNING

SIZING

15

III . PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING Standard:

Size is determined by weight

Uniformity in size is cumplusory for Classes “Extra” and 1.

The minimum weight per individual fruit is 700 grams2

Pineapples within a carton may vary in weight by not more than 10 per cent above or below the average individual fruit weight for the carton.

2

16

Provisons Concerning Tolerance

17

IV. PROVISONS CONCERNING TOLERANCE Standard:

Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each lot for produce not satisfying the requirements for the class indicated.

Interpretation: Tolerances are provided to allow for human error during the grading and packaging process. During grading and sizing it is not permitted to deliberately include out of grade produce, i.e to exploit the tolerances deliberately.

The tolerances are determined after examining each sample and taking the average of the all samples examined. The tolerances are stated interms of percentages, by number of pineaples in the total sample not conforming to the calss or to the size indicated on the package.

Standard:

A. Quality tolerances(i) “Extra” class

A total tolerance of Five per cent by number or weight, of pineapples not satasfying 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 requiremebnts of class II quality.

(ii) Class I

A total tolerance of ten per cent by number or weight , of pineapples not satasfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 1 per cent in total may consist of produce satisfying neither the requirements of class II quality nor the minium requirements. Produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for comsumption is excluuded.

(iii) Class II

A total tolerance of ten per cent by number or weight , of pineapples not satasfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements is allowed. Produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering if unfit for comsumption is excluded. Within this tolerance, a maximum of 2 percent by number of fruit may have ---------- to be defined latter (e.g bitter taste)

18

B. Size tolerances For all classes (If Sized), a total tolerance of 10 per cent by number or weight of pineapples

not satisfying the requirements as regard to sizing is allowed . however, this tolerance is applicable only to produce that differs by no more than 10 per cent from the sizes and weight limit specified. Corresponding to the size immediately above and/or below that indicated on the package.

Deviation from the size range: 10 % by number of pineapples may be allowed up to 10 above or below the indicated size range.

19

Provisions Concerning Presentati

on

20

V.PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATIONStandard:

A. Uniformity

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only pineapples of the same origin, variety and/or commercial type, quality and size.

In addition, for the “Extra” Class, uniformity in colouring and maturity is required.

The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.

A special effort should be made to supress camouflage, i.e concealing in the lower layers of the package produce inferior in quality and size to that displayed and marked.

Similarly prohibited is any packaging method or practice intended to give a deceptively superior appreance to the top layer of the consignment.

B. Packaging

Pineapples must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce effectively.

The pineapples must be packed sufficiently tightly so as to avoid damage during transportation

Packages must be of a quality, strength and characteristics to protect the produce during transportation and handling.

For protection purposes, especially aganist loss of humidity due to transportaion and certain protection aganist low tempertature, Pineapples should be wrappedin plastic film (to be confirmed)

The material 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 materilas particularily paper or stamps bearing trade specifications, is allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue.

This provision is designed to ensure suitable protection of the produce by means of materials inside the package which are clean and also prevent foreign matter such as leaves, sand or soil from spoling its good presenation.

Stickers individually affixed to the produce shall be such that , when removed, they neither leave visible traces of glue, nor lead to skin defects.

21

Packages must be free of all foreign matter and smell.

A visible lack of cleaniness in several packages could result in the goods being rejected.

DESCRIPTION OF CONTAINERS

The containers shall meet the quality, hygiene, ventilation and resistance characteristics that ensure suitable handling, shipping and preserving of the pineapples.”]

C. Presentation

The pineapples may be presented:

- laid down horizontally in the carton,

- stood up vertically in the carton with the crowns uppermost.

22

Provisions Concerning

Marking

23

VI. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKINGStandard:

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.

Interpretation: In the case of packed produce, all particulars must be grouped on the same side of the package, either on a label attached to or printed on the package with water- insoluble ink.

In the case of re-used packages, all previous labels must be carefully removed and previous indications deleted.

Standard:

A. Identification

Packer and or Dispatcher } Name and physical address ( e.g. street/ city/ region/ postal code and , if different from the country of origin , the country) or a code mark officially recognized by the national authority.2

Interpretation: For inspection purposes , the “Packer” is the person or firm responsible for the packaging of the produce (this does not mean the staff who actually carry out the work, who are responsible only to their employer). The code mark is not a trademark, but an official control system enabling the person or firm responsible for packaging to be readily identified. The dispatcher (shiper or exporter) may, however, voluntarily or compulsorily, assume sole responsibility for inspection purposes, in which case identification of the “packer” as defined above is no longer necessary.

To Prevent indistictness in the case where a code mark is used , the reference “Packer”,”dispatcher” and / or “exporter” (or equivalent abbreviations, i.e “Pack”. , “exp”.) has to be indicated in close connection with the code mark.

24

B. Nature of produce

“Pineapples” if the content is not visible form outside

The word (s) “Pineapples” need only to be stated on the closed packages, whose contents are not visible form the outside.

Name of variety and/or commercial type (optional).

If the crown is absent, this must be clearly indicated.

C. Origin of produce

Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national, regional or local place name.

Markings must include the country of origin, i.e the country in which the pineaaples were grown (e.g “Kenya”, “South Africa”). Optionally, district of origin in national, regional or local terms may also be shown.

D. Commercial specifications

Class

Stating the class is compulsory

Size /Weight range (or recognised size code if appropriate )expressed in minimum and maximum weight

The size range must be stated for classes “Extra” and 1 and may be stated for Class 11.

Coloration code, if appropriate

Tare weight (optional)

Net weight (optional)

The indication - “To be stored at 80 C” (optional)

Number of fruits (Optional)

E.Official control mark (Optional)

25