2. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
3. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
4. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES
5. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION
DRAFT CODEX STANDARD FOR TABLE GRAPES
(At Step 7)
This Standard applies to commercial varieties (cultivars) of table grapes grown from Vitis vinifera L. of the Vitaceae family, to be supplied fresh to the consumer, after preparation and packaging. Grapes for industrial processing are excluded.1
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the bunches and berries must be:
- sound, produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded;
- clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter;
- practically free of pests affecting the general appearance of the produce;
- practically free of damage caused by pests;
- free of abnormal external moisture, excluding condensation following removal from cold storage;
- free of any foreign smell and/or taste;
- pratically free of damage caused by low and/or high temperatures.
In addition, the berries must be:
- whole;
- well formed;
- normally developed.
Pigmentation due to sun is not a defect so long as this only affects the skin of the berries.
2.1.1 The bunches must have been carefully picked.
They must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory ripeness.
The development and condition of the table grapes must be such as to enable them:
- To withstand transport and handling, and
- To arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination
[They must have a maturity, measured with a refractometer, same or higher to what is mentioned in the Annex to this Standard or a minimum sugar/acid ratio of 20:1]
Table grapes are classified in three classes defined below:
Table grapes in this class must be of superior quality.
The bunches must be characteristic of the variety in shape, development and colouring, allowing for the district in which they are grown.
They must be free of 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.
The berries must be firm, firmly attached to the stalk, evenly spaced along the stalk and have their bloom virtually intact.
Table grapes in this class must be of good quality.
The bunches must be characteristic of the variety in shape, development and colouring, allowing for the district in which they are grown.
The berries must be firm, firmly attached to the stalk and, as far as possible, have their bloom intact. They may, however, be less evenly spaced along the stalk than in the "Extra" Class.
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:
- a slight defect in shape;
- a slight defect in colouring;
- very slight sun scorch affecting the skin only.
This class includes table grapes which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified in Section 2.1 above.
The bunches may show slight defects in shape, development and colouring, provided these do not impair the essential characteristics of the variety, allowing for the district in which they are grown.
The berries must be sufficiently firm and sufficiently attached to the stalk. They may be less evenly spaced along the stalk than in Class I.
The following defects, however, may be allowed, provided the table grapes retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:
- defects in shape;
- defects in colouring;
- slight sun scorch affecting the skin only;
- slight bruising;
- slight skin defects.
Size is determined by the weight of the bunch.
The minimum weight of bunches of table grapes shall be as follows:
Class |
All varieties excluding Small-berry varieties listed in the Annex |
Small-berry varieties |
"Extra" |
200 |
150 |
I |
150 |
100 |
II |
100 |
75 |
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.
Five percent by weight of bunches not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.
Ten percent by weight of bunches not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.
Ten percent by weight of bunches satisfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.
Ten percent by weight of bunches not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting those of the class immediately below.
Ten percent by weight of bunches not satisfying the requirements of the class, but weighing no less than 75g.
In each package for direct sale to the consumer not exceeding 1 kg net weight, one bunch weighing less than 75 g is allowed to adjust the weight, provided the bunch meets all other requirements of the specified class.
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only bunches of the same origin, variety, quality and degree of ripeness.
In the "Extra" Class, the bunches must be of more or less identical size and colouring.
However, consumer packages of a net weight not exceeding 1 kg may contain mixtures of table grapes of different varieties, provided they are uniform in quality, degree of ripeness and, for each variety concerned, in origin.
The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.
Table grapes must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly. The materials used inside the package must be new,2 clean, and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce. The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue.
Table grapes shall be packed in each container in compliance with the Recommended International Code of Practice for Packaging and Transport of Tropical Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 44-1995).
In the case of the "Extra" Class, the bunches must be packed in a single layer.
The containers shall meet the quality, hygiene, ventilation and resistance characteristics to ensure suitable handling, shipping and preserving of the table grapes.
Packages must be free of all foreign matter and smell.3
In addition to the requirements of the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985, Rev. 1-1991), the following specific provisions apply:
If the produce is not visible from the outside, each package shall be labelled as to the name of the produce and may be labelled as to the name of the variety.
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.4
Name and address of exporter, packer and/or dispatcher. Identification code (optional).5
- Name of the produce “Table grapes” if the contents are not visible from the outside;
- Name of the variety or, where applicable, names of varieties.
Country of origin or, where applicable, countries of origin and, optionally, district where grown or national, regional or local place name.
- Class;
- Net weight (optional).
Table grapes shall comply with those maximum levels for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.
Table grapes shall comply with those maximum residue limits established by Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.
8.1 It is recommended that the product covered by the provisions of this Standard be prepared and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the Recommended International Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003), Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP -2003), and other relevant Codex texts such as Codes of Hygienic Practice and Codes of Practice.
8.2 The product should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with the Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997).
1 Governments, when indicating the acceptance of the Codex Standard for Table Grapes, should notify the Commission which provisions of the Standard would be accepted for application at point of import, and which provisions would be accepted for application at point of export.
2 For the purposes of this Standard, this includes recycled material of food-grade quality.
3 A fragment of vine shoot no more than 5 cm in length may be left on the stem of the bunch as a form of special presentation without prejudice to the applicable plant protection rules.
4 Governments, when indicating their acceptance of this Standard, should notify the Commission as to which provisions of this Section apply.
5 The national legislation of a number of countries requires the explicit declaration of the name and address. However, in the case where a code mark is used, the reference “packer and/or dispatcher (or equivalent abbreviations)” has to be indicated in close connection with the code mark.