UNITED

NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9/Add.4

11 January 2002

ORIGINAL : ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Working Party on Standardization of

Perishable Produce and Quality Development

Fifty-seventh session, 12-14 November 2001, Geneva

REPORT OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH SESSION

Addendum 4

Note by the Secretariat: This documents contains the revised UNECE Standard for Onions (FFV-25) as adopted by the Working Party.

GE.02-

UN/ECE STANDARD FFV-25

concerning the marketing and commercial

quality control of

ONIONS

moving in international trade between and to

UNECE member countries

I.	DEFINITION OF PRODUCE

This standard applies to onions of varieties (cultivars) grown from Allium cepa L. to be supplied to the consumer in the natural state, green onions with full leaves and onions for industrial processing being excluded.

II.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

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

A.	Minimum requirements

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

-	intact;

-	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

-	free from damage due to frost

-	sufficiently dry for the intended use (in the case of pickling onions, at least the first two outer skins and the stem must be fully dried)

-	without hollow or tough stems

-	practically free from pests

-	practically free from damages caused by pests

-	free of abnormal external moisture

-	free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

In addition the stems must be twisted or clean cut and must not exceed 6cm in length (except for stringed onions).

The development and condition of the onions must be such as to enable them:

-	to withstand transport and handling, and

-	to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

B.	Classification

The onions are classified in two classes defined below:

(i)	Class I

Onions in this class must be of good quality. Their characteristics must be typical of the variety.

The bulbs must be:

-	firm and compact

-	unsprouted (free from externally visible shoots)

-	free from swelling caused by abnormal vegetative development

-	practically free of root tufts; however, for onions harvested before complete maturity, root tufts are allowed.

The following defects, however, may be allowed, provided they do not affect the ge neral appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality or presentation in the package:

-	a slight defect in shape

-	a slight defect in colouring

-	light staining which does not affect the last dried skin protecting the flesh, provided it does not cover more than one fifth of the bulb's surface

-	superficial cracks in, and partial absence of the outer skins, provided the flesh is protected.

(ii)	Class II

This class includes onions which do not qualify for inclusion in Class I, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above. They must be reasonably firm.

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

-	defect in shape

-	defect in colouring

-	early evidence of externally visible shoot growth (no more than 10 per cent by number or weight by unit of presentation)

-	traces due to rubbing

-	slight marking caused by parasites or disease

-	small healed cracks

-	slight bruising, healed, unlikely to impair keeping qualities

-	root tufts

-	stains which do not affect the last dried skin protecting the flesh, provided they do not cover more than half the bulb's surface

-	cracks in the outer skins and partial absence of over a maximum of one third of the bulb's surface, provided the flesh is not damaged.

III.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING

Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section. The difference between the diameters of the smallest and largest onions in the same package must not exceed:

-	5 mm where the diameter of the smallest onion is 10 mm and over but under 20 mm. However, where the diameter of the onion is 15 mm and over but under 25 mm, the difference may be 10 mm

-	15 mm where the diameter of the smallest onion is 20 mm and over but under 40 mm

-	20 mm where the diameter of the smallest onion is 40 mm and over but under 70 mm

-	30 mm where the diameter of the smallest onion is 70 mm or over.

The minimum diameter is fixed at 10 mm.

IV.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES

Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package (or in each batch, for onions in bulk) for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.

A.	Quality tolerances

(i)	Class I

10 per cent by number or weight of onions not satisfying the requirements of this class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.

(ii)	Class II

10 per cent by number or weight of onions 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.

B.	Size tolerances

For all classes: 10 per cent by number or weight of onions not satisfying the size identified, but with a diameter of no more than 20 per cent below or above it.

V.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

A.	Uniformity

The contents of each package (or in each batch, for onions in bulk) must be uniform and contain only onions of the same origin, variety, quality and size.

The visible part of the contents of the package (or in each batch, for onions in bulk) must be representative of the entire contents.

B.	Packaging

Onions must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.

The materials 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 materials, and in particular of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is allowed, provided the printing or labelling is done with non-toxic ink or glue.

Packages must be free of all foreign matter.

C.	Presentation

Onions may be presented:

-	arranged in layers

-	loose in a package (including bulk bins)

-	transported in bulk

-	in strings

-	either of a certain number of bulbs, in which case the strings must contain at least six onions (with fully dried stems)

-	or of a certain net weight.

For stringed onions, the characteristics of the strings in any one package (number of bulbs or net weight) must be uniform.

VI.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING

Each package1 must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside:

(For onions transported in bulk (direct loading into a transport vehicle) these particulars must appear on a document accompanying the goods, and attached in a visible position inside the transport vehicle.)

A.	Identification

Packer	)	Name and address or

and/or	)	officially issued or

Dispatcher	)	accepted code mark. 2

B.	Nature of produce

-	"Onions" if the contents are not visible from the outside.

C.	Origin of produce

-	Country of origin and, optionally, national, regional or local place name.

D.	Commercial specifications

-	Class

-	Size expressed by minimum and maximum diameters

-	Net weight.

E.	Official control mark (optional)

Published 1961

Revised 1988, 2001

The UNECE Standard for Onions

has led to an explanatory brochure published by the OECD Scheme