Supermarket's 'ugly' veg campaign

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 04 Nov 2008, 12:08

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.

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

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 04 Nov 2008, 12:31

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

No no no... I dont think Britain has quite got the idea of this EU business yet.. You don't want to go stirring things up by writing letters to EU commissioners. In Spain any EU regulations that people dont like are *quietly* ignored.

What Sainsburys should have done is just carried on with selling their misshapen fruit & veg, and instructed (by phone of course) each branch manager to give a decent donation to the local trading standards office ...um... 'Christmas party fund', out of the black book, to ensure that they 'understand' the situation.

... everybody happy, including the silly wonks in Brussels who know no better!

Well, that's how they handle things in Spain. Seems to work ok. misshapen tomatoes as big as a grapefruit. Yummy.

chubbygristle · Post by **chubbygristle** » 08 Nov 2008, 01:17

good to know it's all hand on deck for this global economic meltdown eh!

can't sainsburys just keep selling what it likes, get fined to buggery and then declair itself insolvent and have a multitude of tax payers bail it out so it's bosses can go on some massive jolly then start critising the government one week later for not proposing massive tax cuts???? or are have we move on to newer, even more exciting party games these days!?

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 08 Nov 2008, 08:48

I certainly cannot see what is wrong with Sainsburys proposal.

Sell the mishapen stuff seperate to the over regulated stuff and give the consumer the choice.

Lets face it, all you are going to do is chop the veg up when you cook at home anyway! So what does it matter that its a little mishapen! Mad!

rightee · Post by **rightee** » 08 Nov 2008, 18:07

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

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 08 Nov 2008, 22:46

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

Nope. But I remember the BBC doing a slightly sarcastic news piece a few years ago abut an EU directive on the permitted size and shape of bananas.

There seemed to be some politics involved regarding bananas from a Caribbean source and those from somewhere in South America. I dont remember the exact details. The regs effectively, and it was suggested, deliberately locked bananas from one of the sources out of the EU market.

No idea if this reg was ever enforced. No doubt the Spanish just ignored it.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » 09 Nov 2008, 16:58

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

The straight banana thing is just one of a whole bunch of Euro myths. Actually, a few years ago the EU had it's own website dedicated to debunking such stories - I can't find it anymore though.

Anyway, here's a parliamentary question and reply from the Commission (2007) which might shed some light on the banana issue, and the Regulation you're looking for is quoted:

Question to the Commission:

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?

Reply from the Commission:

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 · Post by **JohnB** » 09 Nov 2008, 17:11

Sir Humphrey would have been proud of that statement

energy-village · Post by **energy-village** » 09 Nov 2008, 17:39

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

What about a name change to get round the problem? That’s usually good enough for the EU. In 'Yes Minister' the UK’s sausage wasn’t banned it just had to change its name to the “emulsified high-fat offal tube”.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeDZtx3wUw

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

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 · Post by **JohnB** » 09 Nov 2008, 17:51

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"?

I wonder who'd sponsor this

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

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 09 Nov 2008, 23:52

JohnB wrote: I wonder who'd sponsor this

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

Obviously the Ann Summers Carrot.

johnathome · Post by **johnathome** » 10 Nov 2008, 18:02

Good job i was eating this and not selling it then

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 12 Nov 2008, 13:15

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.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7724347.stm[/quote]

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 12 Nov 2008, 13:22

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

Why, what's wrong with it? We've eaten it and it's absolutely delicious! Can't remember its name but we used to buy them from a local grower when we were in England.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 12 Nov 2008, 13:49

A better picture of the Pink Fir Apple.

We always grow them. A very tasty potato, indeed.

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Supermarket's 'ugly' veg campaign

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