Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 of 28 July 1983 laying down quality standards for onions and witloof chicory
Modified by
  • Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1654/87 of 12 June 1987, 387R1654, June 13, 1987
  • Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1872/91of 28 June 1991amending Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 laying down quality standards for onions and witloof chicory as regards the characterics of class II for witloof chicory, 391R1872, June 29, 1991
  • Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3439/91of 26 November 1991correcting the Danish version of Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 as regards the quality standards for onions, 391R3439, November 28, 1991
  • Commission Regulation (EEC) No 658/92of 16 March 1992correcting the Danish version of Regulations (EEC) No 778/83, (EEC) No 2213/83, (EEC) No 899/87, (EEC) No 1591/87, (EEC) No 1730/87, (EEC) No 79/88 and (EEC) No 920/89 as regards the provisions concerning marketing in quality standards for certain fresh fruit and vegetables, 392R0658, March 17, 1992
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 888/97of 16 May 1997amending certain provisions of the standards for fresh fruit and vegetables, 397R0888, May 17, 1997
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 2390/97of 1 December 1997amending Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 laying down quality standards for onions and witloof chicory, 397R2390, December 2, 1997
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 1508/2001of 24 July 2001laying down the marketing standard for onions and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83, 301R1508, July 25, 2001
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003of 10 January 2003amending the marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables as regards mixes of different types of fresh fruit and vegetables in the same sales package, 303R0046, January 11, 2003
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 907/2004of 29 April 2004amending the marketing standards applicable for fresh fruit and vegetables with regards to presentation and labelling, 304R0907, April 30, 2004
Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83of 28 July 1983laying down quality standards for onions and witloof chicory THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of 18 May 1972 on the common oganization of the market in fruit and vegetablesOJ No L 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1., as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1738/82OJ No L 190, 1. 7. 1982, p. 7., and in particular Article 2 (3) thereof,Whereas the quality standards for onions are laid down in Annex II/6 of Regulation No 23OJ No 30, 20. 4. 1962, p. 965/62.; whereas those standards were amended by Regulation No 87/64/EECOJ No 116, 21. 7. 1964, p. 1050/64.;Whereas the quality standards for witloof chicory are laid down in Annex I/2 to Regulation No 58OJ No 56, 7. 7. 1962, p. 1607/62.;Whereas a change has occurred in the production and marketing of these products particularly as regards the requirements of consumer and wholesale markets; whereas the common quality standards for onions and witloof chicory should therefore be changed to take those new requirements into account;Whereas such changes entail alteration of the definition of the supplementary quality class as laid down by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69OJ No L 157, 28. 6. 1969, p. 1.; whereas account should be taken, in defining that class, of the economic importance to producers of the products concerned and of the need to meet consumer requirements;Whereas the standards are applicable at all stages of marketing; whereas transportation over a long distance, storage for a certain length of time or the various handling operations may bring about deterioration due to the biological development of the products or their tendency to perish; whereas, therefore, account should be taken of such deterioration when applying the standards at the marketing stages following dispatch; whereas, since the products in the "Extra" class have to be particularly carefully sorted and packaged, only lack of freshness or turgescence is to be taken into account only in their case;Whereas in the interest of clarity and certainty as to legal requirements for ease of use the standards thus changed should be consolidated in a single text;Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1The marketing standard for witloof chicory, falling within CN code 07052100, shall be as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.These standards shall apply at all marketing stages, under the conditions laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72.However, at the stages following dispatch the products may show, in relation to the standards prescribed,a slight lack of freshness and turgescence,for the products graded in the classes other than the "Extra" class, slight alternation due to their development and their tendency to perish.
Article 21.The words "to onions" in Article 2 of Regulation No 23 and the words "witloof chicory" in the first Article of Regulation No 58 and the terms "onions, witloof chicory" in the first Article of Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69 are hereby deleted.2.Annex II/6 to Regulation No 23 and Annex I/2 to Regulation No 58 and Annexes II and III to Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69 are hereby repealed.
Article 3This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 September 1983.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.ANNEX IQUALITY STANDARD FOR ONIONSI.DEFINITION OF PRODUCEThis standard applies to onions grown from varieties (cultivars) of Allium cepa L. (SIC! 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 QUALITYThe purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for onions after preparation and packaging.A.Minimum requirementsIn all cases, 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 should be fully dried),free of all abnormal external moisture,free of foreign smell and/or taste.Lastly, the stems must be twisted or clean cut and must not be more than 4 cm long (except for stringed onions).The condition of the onions must be such as to enable them:to withstand transport and handling, andto arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.B.ClassificationOnions are classified into three classes defined below:(i)Class I:Onions in this class must be of good quality. In shape and colour they must be typical of the variety.The bulbs must be:firm and compact,without evidence of sprouting (free of externally visible shoots),without hollow or tough stems,free from swelling caused by abnormal development,practically free of root tufts (however, for onions harvested before complete maturity, root tufts are allowed), small cracks in the outer skin are allowed.The following are, however, permitted:light staining which does not affect the last dried skin protecting the flesh, provided it does not cover more than one-fifth of the surface of the bulb,small cracks in the outer skins and the absence of part of the outer skins provided that 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 should be reasonably firm and, provided they retain their essential characteristics of quality and preservation, they may show the following defects:shape and colouring not typical of the variety,early signs of externally visible sprouting (not more than 10 % by number or weight per unit of presentation),traces of rubbing,slight marking caused by parasites or disease,small healed cracks,slight bruising, healed, unlikely to impair keeping qualities.They may have root tufts.The following, however, are permitted:staining which does not affect the last dried skin protecting the flesh provided it does not cover more than half the surface of the bulb,cracks in the outer skins and the absence of a part of the outer skins from not more than one-third of the surface of the bulb, provided the flesh remains intact.(iii)Glass IIIAdditional class within the meaning of Article 2 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72. Application of this quality class or of some of its requirements is subject to a decision to be taken pursuant to Article 4 (1) of the same Regulation.:This class includes onions which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the requirements for class II. However, they may show the following:slight traces of soil,incipient shoot growth sprouting affecting not more than 20 % by number or weight by unit of presentation,bruising unlikely to impair keeping qualities. (SIC! qualities,)staining which does not affect the last dried skin protecting the flesh.III.PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZINGSizing is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section. The minimum diameter is 10 mm. The difference between the diameters of the smallest and largest onions in the same package must not exceed:Classes I and II: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 when the diameter of the smallest onion is 70 mm or over.Onions in class III may differ in size by not more than 30 mm in any one package.IV.PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCESTolerances in respect of quality and size are allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.A.Quality tolerances(i)Class I:10 % by number or weight of onions not satisfying the requirements for the class, but meeting those for class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances for that class.(ii)Class II and III:10 % by number or weight of onions satisfying neither the requirements for the class nor the minimum requirements, excluding produce affected by rotting, or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.B.Size tolerancesFor all classes: 10 % by number or weight of onions not conforming to the size identified, but with a diameter of not more than 20 % below or above it.V.PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATIONA.UniformityThe contents of each package must be uniform and contain only onions of the same origin, variety, quality and size.Uniformity may be limited to origin and size for onions in class III.The visible part of the contents of each package must be representative of the entire contents.B.PresentationOnions may be presented:arranged in layers,packed in bulk,in "strings" (of not less than 16 bulbs, with fully dried stems).C.PackagingOnions must be packed in such a way as to ensure proper protection of the produce.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 particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is allowed provided that the printing or labelling has been done with a non-toxic ink or glue.Packaging must be free from all foreign matter.VI.PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKINGEach package must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the same side; (SIC! side,) legibly and indelibly marked and visible from the outside:A.IdentificationPacker and/or Dispatcher: Name and address or officially issued or accepted code mark. 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.B.Nature of produce"Onions", if the contents are not visible from the outside.C.Origin of produceCountry of origin, and optionally, district where grown or national, regional or local place name.D.Commercial specificationsclass,size indicated by minimum and maximum diameters,weight.E.Official control mark (optional)ANNEXQUALITY STANDARDS FOR WITLOOF CHICORYI.DEFINITION OF PRODUCEThis standard applies to chicory, i.e. chicory sprouts forced from the roots of varieties (cultivars) of "witloof chicory" derived from Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum HEGI (SIC! Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum HEGI), intended for supply fresh to the consumer, witloof chicory for industrial processing being excluded.II.PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITYThe purpose of this standard is to define the quality requirements for witloof chicory after preparation and packaging.A.Minimum requirementsIn all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the chicory must be:intact,sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded,free from reddish discoloration, frost-nip or traces of bruising,free from damage caused by rodents or disease,free from damage caused by insects or other parasites,free from incipient flower spike more than three-quarters of their length,clean, in particular having no earth-soiled leaves and practically free of any visible foreign matter,pale, i.e. white to yellowish — white in colour,cut or broken off cleanly at the neck,fresh in appearance,free of abnormal external moisture,free of any foreign smell and/or taste.The development and condition of the chicory must be such as to enable them:to withstand transport and handling, andto arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.B.ClassificationThe chicory is classified into four classes defined below:(i)"Extra" class:Chicory in this class must be of superior quality. It must, in particular:be well-formed,be firm,have close heads, i.e. heads with a sharp, well-closed tip,have outer leaves of at least three quarters of the length of the chicory,not be greenish or glassy-looking.(ii)Class I:Chicory in this class must be of good quality. It must, in particular:be reasonably firm,have outer leaves of at least half the length of the chicory,not be greenish or glassy-looking.It may be less regular in shape, and the tips, without the diameter of the opening exceeding the chicory's maximum diameter by more than one-fifth, may be less tight and close than for the "Extra" class.(iii)Class II:This class includes chicory which does not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfies the minimum requirements specified above.It may, however, have the following defects:be of a slightly irregular shape,be slightly greenish at the tips of the leaves,be slightly open at the tip (the diameter of the opening may not exceed the chicory's maximum diameter by more than one-third.in (SIC! In) addition this class may include chicory of irregular form provided it is presented separately in homogeneous packages and fulfils all the other requirements laid down for the class.(iv)Class IIIAn additional class within the meaning of Article 2 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72. The application of this quality class or of certain of its requirements is conditional on a decision being taken on the basis of Article 4 (1) of the same Regulation.:This class includes chicory which does not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfies the requirements defined for class II.It may, however, have the following defects:be of an irregular shape,be greenish at the tips of the leaves,show slight traces of reddish discoloration on outer leaves.III.PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZINGSizing is determined firstly by the diameter of the widest section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, and secondly by length. For each class, the sizes are fixed as follows:
However, chicory ranging between 6 and 12 cm in length may be included in class II and III, subject to mention being made on the package of the minimum and maximum length of the chicory contained therein.
(cm)
ExtraIIIIII
Minimum diameter
—chicory under 14 cm in length2,52,52,52,5
—chicory 14 cm or over in length332,52,5
Maximum diameter68——
Minimum length9999
Maximum length17202424
Within any one package:(i)the maximum permissible difference in length between the chicory sprouts is 5 cm for the "Extra" class, 8 cm for class I and 10 cm for class II and III;(ii)the maximum permissible difference in diameter between the chicory sprouts is 2,5 cm for the "Extra" class, 4 cm for class I and 5 cm for class II. No limit is fixed for chicory in class III.IV.PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCESTolerances in respect of quality and size are allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements for its class.A.Quality tolerances(i)"Extra" class:5 % by number or weight of chicory sprouts not satisfying the requirements of this class but meeting the requirements of class I or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances for that class.(ii)Class I:10 % by number or weight of chicory sprouts not satisfying the requirements of this class but meeting the requirements of class II, or exceptionally coming within the tolerances for that class.(iii)Class II:10 % by number or weight of chicory sprouts satisfying neither the requirements of this class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.(iv)Class III:15 % by number or weight of chicory sprouts satisfying neither the requirements of this class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.B.Size tolerancesFor all classes: 10 % by number or weight of chicory sprouts whose length and diameter are no more than 1 cm above or below the measurements for size-grades given in section III. No tolerances are allowed, however, in respect of the minimum diameter.V.PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATIONA.UniformityThe contents of each package must be uniform and comprise only chicory of the same origin, variety (SIC! variety,) quality and size.Uniformity may be limited to origin and size for chicory in class III.The visible part of the contents of each package must be representative of the entire contents.Notwithstanding the preceding provisions in this point, products covered by this Regulation may be mixed, in sales packages of a net weight of less than three kilograms, with different types of fresh fruit and vegetables on the conditions laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 48/2003OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65..B.PresentationChicory graded as "Extra" and as classes I and II must be put up:either evenly in layers,or in small packages.Chicory in class II of irregular shape and chicory in class III must be put in packages weighing 7 kilogrammes or more.C.PackagingThe chicory must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.If it is presented in wooden cases, it must be separated from all the sides of the case by protective material.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 particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is allowed, provided that the printing or labelling has been done with a non-toxic ink or glue.Packages must be free from any foreign matter.Stickers individually affixed on product shall be such as, when removed, neither to leave visible traces of glue, nor to lead to skin defects.VI.PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKINGEach package must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside. (SIC! outside:)A.IdentificationThe name and the address of the packer and/or the dispatcherThis mention may be replaced:for all packages with the exception of pre-packages, by the officially issued or accepted code mark representing the packer and/or the dispatcher, indicated in close connection with the reference "Packer and/or Dispatcher" (or equivalent abbreviations);for pre-packages only, by the name and the address of a seller established within the Community indicated in close connection with the mention "Packed for:" or an equivalent mention. In this case, the labelling shall also include a code representing the packer and/or the dispatcher. The seller shall give all information deemed necessary by the inspection body as to the meaning of this code.B.Nature of produceWitloof or "witloof chicory" if the contents are not visible from the outside.C.Origin of produceCountry of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national, regional or local place name.D.Commercial specificationsClass (SIC! class) and, in the case of class II, the words "irregular shape", where applicable, and optionally an equivalent national description.maximum and minimum length for chicory in class II and III ranging between 6 and 12 cm in length only.E.Official control mark (optional)Packages need not to bear the particulars mentioned in the first subparagraph, when they contain sales packages, clearly visible from the outside, and all bearing these particulars. These packages shall be free from any indications such as could mislead. When these packages are palletised, the particulars shall be given on a notice placed in an obvious position on at least two sides of the pallet.