Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Regulations

Regulations relating to the Grading, Packing and Marking of Bananas intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa

1. Definitions
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In these regulations any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall have that meaning and, unless the context otherwise indicates—

 

"Arthropod"

means any stage in the life cycle of an invertebrate member of the Animal Kingdom that is bilaterally symmetrical with a segmented body, with jointed limbs that are paired and a chitinous  skeleton;

 

"bananas"

means the fruit of the cultivars which are grown from the species musa spp. (AAA Cavendish sub-group) of the Musaceae family. Plantains (bananas intended for cooking only) and bananas for processing purposes are excluded;

 

"blemish"

means any mark on the surface of the bananas that detrimentally affects the appearance thereof;

 

"cigar-end rot"

means

(a)in relation to light, means a type of of dry fungus rot, limited to the blossom-end of the banana, which does not result in any discolouration of the flesh and does not extend further than 5 mm from the blossom-end;
(b) in relation to major, means a type of dry fungus rot which causes a dark discolouration of the flesh of the banana, and which extend further than 5 mm from the blossom-end; and
(c)in relation to minor, means a type of dry fungus rot limited to the blossom -end of the banana, and does not affect the quality of the banana detrimentally.

 

"cold damage"

means a state whereby the peel of the banana appears glassy, water or discoloured as result of exposure to faulty storage;

 

"consignment"

means:

(a) a quantity of bananas of the same cultivar, belonging to the same owner and delivered at the same time under cover of the same delivery note, consignment note or receipt note,  or delivered by the same vehicle; and
(b)in the case of a quantity of bananas that is divided into different cultivars, classes, pallet loads, trademarks or packaging, quantity the different cultivars, classes, sizes, pallet loads, trademarks types of packaging;

 

"container"

means the immediate package in which bananas are packed directly and outer package in which prepacked units are packed;

 

"decay"

means a state of decomposition, fungus development or internal insect infestation, which detrimentally affects the quality of the bananas;

 

"foreign matter"

means any material or substance that is not normally present in, on or between the bananas;

 

"injury"

any wound which has pierced the skin of the banana and exposes the flesh; with the exception of such wounds which have become completely callused;

 

"inspector"

means an officer under the control of the Executive Officer or an Assignee or a qualified employee of an Assignee;

 

"length"

means the distance between the stem end where it is attached to the stem collar and the blossom end of the banana, measured along the outer (convex) curve of the banana;

 

"prepacked unit"

means any single packing unit for presentation as such to the consumer consisting of bananas and the packaging into which the bananas were put before being offered for sale;

 

"the Act"

means the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990); and

 

"well formed"

means the shape of a banana which is typical of the cultivar concerned.