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Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has said it will challenge a ban on selling "ugly" fruit and vegetables which fail to meet EU rules on size and shape.

The move could reduce prices by up to 40% and cut down on the one-fifth of produce wasted, the retailer said.

The store has written to EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel over what it calls "bonkers" regulations.

It decided against selling a Hallowe'en range of mis-shapen fruit and veg for fear shop managers could be prosecuted.

The store has written to EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel over what it calls "bonkers" regulations.

rightee wrote:Can anyone actually point me to the eu regulation that this involves? Would be really interested in finding it! Ta.

rightee wrote:Can anyone actually point me to the eu regulation that this involves? Would be really interested in finding it! Ta.

Will the Commission state why it originally proposed the legislative measure that became Commission Regulation (EC) No 2257/94(1) of 16 September 1994 on quality standards for bananas?

In particular, was it encouraged to do so by banana producers, banana buyers or others involved in the commercial trade in bananas?

What requests has the Commission received from those involved in the commercial trade in bananas for the legislation to be repealed or revised?

EU Regulation (EC) No 2257/94(1) of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas, last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 228/2006(2) of 9 February 2006, establishes minimum requirements and classification for unripened green bananas, and labelling requirements for bananas at the stage of first landing at a Community port and to bananas delivered fresh to the consumer in the producing region at the stage of leaving the packaging station.

An international standard for bananas was supported by France at the first session of the Codex Committee on tropical fresh fruits and vegetables in June 1988. In France, a standard on bananas, elaborated after consultation of the French banana inter-branch committee, has already existed since 1969. In February 1993, in the fourth session of the same Codex Committee, several delegations pointed out that the elaboration of a Codex standard for bananas would be of great importance for facilitating international trade. In 1994, the Commission adopted a common quality standard for bananas to ensure that the market is supplied with products of uniform and satisfactory quality, in particular in the case of bananas harvested in the Community, and that an adequate income is guaranteed by the disposal of products at profitable prices. The Codex standard for bananas was voted in 1997.

As for all European marketing standards, these requirements are established collectively by the Member States. The aim is to facilitate trade by promoting the harmonisation of standards. At EU level, these standards have been considered the appropriate ones to replace the numerous national standards and so facilitate intra-EU trade.

The minimum requirements set out in the EC and Codex standard provide that bananas must be free from malformation or abnormal curvature of the fingers. Slight shape defects are accepted in class I. In class II shape defects are accepted, plus a tolerance of 10 % for bananas presenting a malformation or abnormal curvature. This is specified to facilitate the trade of banana that are normally packed in standard size boxes. The presence of bananas with malformations and abnormal curvature would lead to different filling rates and bananas packed together will damage each other. No objections from banana growers, buyers, traders or consumers have been received regarding this requirement.

At present, there is no intention to revise the quality standards for bananas.

JohnB wrote:Sir Humphrey would have been proud of that statement

Among the items the supermarket chain said cannot be sold are:

• Cauliflowers less than 11cm (4.3in) in diameter
  "Forked" carrots (with more than one root)
  Onions not at least two thirds covered with skin

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7707518.stm

energycity wrote:It just takes a little creativity. Maybe we could get sponsorship for each mis-shapen vegetable and call them: "Lloyds TSB carrots", "Sky onions" and "Centrica cauliflowers"?

JohnB wrote: I wonder who'd sponsor this

[img]http:///bp3.blogger.com/_TxN1zjfEtQs/Rq3C3suSF_I/AAAAAAAAAsg/j1n5HPyOq0Y/s200/carrot_farmers_market.jpg[/img]

Regulations that stop strange-shaped fruit and vegetables being sold are about to be changed by the European Union. But are we willing to eat wonky veg?

When you see a carrot with two prongs, a knobbly potato or a blemished strawberry, does your stomach turn? Are you transported back to the That's Life episodes of your youth by the slightest morphological oddity in anything you eat?

If so, you are not going to like what the European Commission (EU) is about to do. Barring a surprise result in a vote, "marketing standards" for 26 vegetables are about to be repealed.

some misguided hack at the beeb wrote:This potato is said to be one of the tastiest, but would you eat it?