Wonky fruit & vegetables make a comeback!

Published: 7 July 2009 y., Tuesday

Agurkai
For those of you who like your fruit and vegetables to look as crooked, knobbly and curvy as possible 1 July was a good day. It saw the phasing out of minimum EU standards for 26 types of fruit and veg. The rules, intended to ensure proper marketing standards and help storage and transport, became the subject of ridicule with the press running “straight cucumber” stories. From now on everything from leeks and onions can be sold just the way nature made them.

It is hoped that the repeal of such rules by the European Commission will lessen the burden of regulation and also allow shoppers more choice and ensure that fruit and vegetables that look slightly different will not be thrown away.
 
The fruit and vegetables affected are: apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocadoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons, and witloof/chicory.
 
10 popular favourites could also be exempted
 
It is thought that EU States could also decide to exempt a further 10 popular products such as apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes from marketing standards.
 
Originally the so called “Cucumber Regulation” (EEC No 1677/88) and the “Carrot Regulation” (EEC No 730/1999) set EU-wide quality standards for fruits and vegetables to facilitate their storage, handling and transportation and ensure they remain fresh.

Šaltinis: europarl.europa.eu
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

EBRD makes equity investment in Croatian geodetic company

The EBRD is making a €4 million equity investment in Geofoto, a Croatian geodetic company offering mapping, geodetic survey, photogrammetry, geoinformatics and aerial survey services, to support its drive to expand operations on international level. more »

Strong year - risk-adjusted profit up 22%

Nordea came out of 2009 in an even stronger position, despite one of the most challenging years for decades. Risk-adjusted profit increased 22% and our capital position and cost of funding are among the best in Europe. more »

Small business start-ups by the unemployed: deal agreed on funding

MEPs gave the green light on Thursday for EU funding to help Europe's unemployed start up small businesses. more »

Yemen: international efforts needed to prevent crisis escalation

MEPs are deeply concerned about the long-standing and growing presence of al-Qaeda, and the deteriorating security, social and economic problems in Yemen, which they think could destabilise neighbouring countries. more »

Africa: Fighting the Global Economic Crisis through Private Enterprise, Innovation and Integration

At the start of a new decade, Sub Saharan Africa is reeling from the effects of three major global crises – food, fuel and financial – that have reversed many of the economic achievements of the last 10 years and left some growth projections at levels below those of 30 years ago. more »

5th High-level Seminar of Central Banks in the East Asia-Pacific Region and the Euro Area

The 5th High-level Seminar of Central Banks in the East Asia-Pacific Region and the Euro Area was jointly organised by the European Central Bank and the Reserve Bank of Australia, in cooperation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. more »

EBRD and EFSE support micro and small businesses in Moldova

The EBRD and European Fund for Southeast Europe are boosting the availability of financing to private businesses in Moldova with a $10 million loan to ProCredit Bank in Moldova for on-lending to micro and small enterprises. more »

EBRD finances new shopping centre in Croatia

The EBRD is supporting the development of the retail infrastructure in Croatia with a €68 million loan to finance the construction of a modern shopping centre in Split, the second largest city in Croatia. more »

EBRD agrees to sell 15 percent stake in Swedbank’s Russian banking arm

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to sell its 15 percent stake in OAO Swedbank Russia to its parent and major stakeholder, Sweden’s Swedbank AB, a move which would give it full ownership of its Russian subsidiary. more »

Ministers of Industry agree that the European Commission should promote a common strategy on electric cars

The Ministers of Industry took the first steps in San Sebastián today to make the electric vehicle a reality in Europe and agreed that European institutions, with the EC at the head, should lead a common strategy on electric vehicles. more »