UNITED

NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

TRADE/WP.7/2000/11/Add.15

13 December 2000

ORIGINAL : ENGLISH AND FRENCH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Working Party on Standardization of

Perishable Produce and Quality Development

Fifty-sixth session, Geneva, 6 to 8 November 2000

REPORT OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION

Addendum 15

Note by the secretariat

This document contains the UN/ECE Recommendation for Avocados (FFV-42), which was adopted at the fifty-sixth session of the Working Party for a two-year trial period.

GE.00-

UN/ECE STANDARD FFV-42

concerning the marketing and commercial

quality control of

AVOCADOS

moving in international trade between and to

UN/ECE member countries

I.	DEFINITION OF PRODUCE

This standard applies to avocados of varieties (cultivars) grown from Persea americana Mill. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, parthenocarpic fruit and avocados for industrial processing being excluded.

II.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of avocados 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 avocados 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

-	practically free from pests

-	practically free from damage caused by pests

-	free of damage caused by low temperature

-	having a stalk not more than 10 mm in length which must be cut off cleanly. However, its absence is not considered a defect on condition that the place of the stalk attachment is dry and intact

-	free of abnormal external moisture

-	free of any foreign smell and/or taste.1

Avocados must be firm and carefully picked.

Their development should have reached a physiological stage which will ensure a continuation of the ripening process to completion. The ripe fruit should be free from bitterness.

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

-	to withstand transport and handling, and

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

B.	Maturity

Exporting countries must prohibit the dispatch of insufficiently developed avocados. They will have to apply their national regulations pending the establishment of objective criteria at the international level.

C.	Classification

Avocados are classified in three classes defined below:

(i)	"Extra" Class

Avocados in this class must be of superior quality. In shape and colouring they must be characteristic of the variety.

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

(ii)	Class I

Avocados in this class must be of good quality and show the typical colour and shape of the variety.

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 of shape and colour

-	slight skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn; the maximum total area should not exceed 4 cm2.

In no case may the defects affect the fruit flesh.

The stalk, if present, may be slightly damaged.

(iii)	Class II

This class includes avocados which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.

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

-	defects in shape and colouring

-	skin defects (corkiness, healed lenticels) and sunburn: the maximum total area should not exceed 6 cm2.

In no case may the defects affect the fruit flesh.

The stalk, if present, may be damaged.

III.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING

Size is determined by the weight of the fruit; the size scale is as follows:

Weight scale in grammes

Size code
781 to 1220	4
576 to 780	6
461 to 575	8
366 to 460	10
306 to 365	12
266 to 305	14
236 to 265	16
211 to 235	18
191 to 210	20
171 to 190	22
156 to 170	24
146 to 155	26
136 to 145	28
125 to	135

100 to125 (Hass variety only)	30

S *

Minimum weight for avocados is 125 g except for Hass where it is 100g.

* The difference between the smallest and largest fruit within a package should not be more than 15 g.

IV.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES

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

A.	Quality tolerances

(i)	"Extra" Class

5 per cent by number or weight of avocados not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.

(ii)	Class I

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

(iii)	Class II

10 per cent by number or weight of avocados satisfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of fruit affected by rotting, marked bruising or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.

B.	Size tolerances

For all classes: 10 per cent by number or weight of avocados conforming to the size range immediately below and/or above that mentioned in the marking.

V.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

A.	Uniformity

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only avocados of the same origin, variety, quality, colouring2 and size.

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

B.	Packaging

The avocados 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 fruit. 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.

Packages must be free of all foreign matter.

VI.	PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING

Each package3 must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside:

A.	Identification

Packer	)	Name and address or

and/or	)	officially issued or

Dispatcher	)	accepted code mark. 4

B.	Nature of produce

-	"Avocados", if the contents are not visible from the outside

-	Name of the variety.

C.	Origin of produce

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

D.	Commercial specifications

-	Class

-	Size expressed in minimum and maximum weight

-	Code number of the size scale and number of fruits when it is different from code number or, optionally, code number of the size scale and the net weight of the package.

E.	Official control mark (optional)

Published 1986

Revised 1994, 1998, 2000

The UN/ECE standard for Avocados

has led to an explanatory brochure published by the OECD Scheme