Proposed Draft Revised Standard for Canned Carrots
Status of Proposed Draft Revised Standards for Canned Carrots/Vegetables
53. The Committee considered the Proposed Draft Revised Standard for Canned Carrots keeping in mind the possibility of combining all Proposed Draft Revised Standards for canned vegetables into one general standard. General decisions taken by the Committee in relation to Canned Applesauce, Canned Pears or Canned Stone Fruits are not reproduced here.
Description
Product Definition
54. The Committee agreed to include the reference to “fresh, frozen or previously canned” raw materials to reflect the current practice and in conformity with the comparable section in the Proposed Draft Standard for Stone Fruits. It was noted that this might not apply to canned tomatoes.
55. The Committee agreed to add a provision for products vacuum packed in rigid containers in addition to normal hermetically sealed containers. However, no consensus was reached on a need for a numerical value for an appropriate vacuum in the container or the maximum percentage of liquid medium. The Committee therefore decided to amend the relevant section as follows:
“packed with water or other suitable liquid medium, which may contain sugars and/or other carbohydrate sweeteners such as honey and other permitted ingredients, appropriate to the product, or vacuum packed [with the liquid medium not exceeding 20% of total weight] in a closed container [under suitable vacuum]; and”It also decided to include the following provision in the Annex:
|
“[1.5 Vacuum pack |
Suitable pressure in the container normally less than 500
mbar.]” |
56. The Committee agreed to insert a section on presentation as in the Proposed Draft Standards for Canned Pears and Stone Fruits.
Other Permitted Ingredients
57. The Committee agreed to amend “dried aromatic plants and spices” to “herbs and spices” in order to provide for opportunities to use fresh herbs or herb essence or related products. It also agreed to add, subject to further consideration, a maximum for 15% garnish with respect to total drained weight of vegetables.
58. The Committee discussed whether or not it would be appropriate to delete the references to sauce packs. Some delegations preferred the deletion of sauce ingredients stating that products in sauce packs did not move significantly in international trade. However some other delegations stated that such products were traded internationally. It was noted that the provisions of the existing standards showed that products packed in sauce were covered by the standard.
59. The Committee considered some options to arrive at consensus: (1) to include a general statement concerning optional ingredients similar to the one contained in Codex Standards for canned fishery products and delete the detailed list of other permitted ingredients; (2) to elaborate guidelines for packing media for canned vegetables which would include sauces and refer to them in individual standards; and (3) to place the whole section in square brackets. The Committee agreed that all possible options should be included in a draft which would be prepared for consideration at the next Session.
Food Additives
60. The Committee agreed to include a provision for the use of those acidifying agents approved by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The Committee further agreed to add certain flavour enhancers and firming agents[14] to reflect the current practice and to provide flexibility of manufacturing.
61. The Committee agreed to place the provision for thickeners in square brackets with the understanding that whether or not to retain them would depend on a decision taken in relation to sauce packs.
Hygiene
62. The Committee agreed to retain the explicit reference to the need for treatment sufficient to destroy Clostridium botulinum as it was felt important to emphasize the need for careful handling. It was noted, however, that this would be assured by the application of the Codes of Hygienic Practice referenced in the standard.
63. The Committee decided that all of the Proposed Draft Revised Standards for canned vegetables should be combined into one standard for canned vegetables pending approval by the Executive Committee. The Committee took no decision on whether or not to include canned mushrooms or canned tomatoes in this general standard. It requested the Codex Secretariat to arrange the drafting of the standard based on the decision taken at the present session. The Committee also decided to elaborate guidelines for packing media for canned vegetables pending approval by the Executive Committee. The Proposed Draft Standard for Canned Carrots was returned to Step 3 in the interim.
