Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)RegulationsGrading, Packing and Marking of Dried Fruit intended for sale in the Republic of South AfricaPart II : General Quality Standards for Dried Fruit5. General quality standards for dried fruit |
| (1) | All grades of dried fruit— |
| (a) | shall be prepared from sound, fresh, clean and ripe fruit from any suitable variety; |
| (b) | shall have an attractive appearance: Provided that the appearance is determined by factors such as the drying method used and the grade thereof; |
| (c) | shall have a flavour characteristic of the type of fruit from which it was prepared and be free of any foreign smell and taste: Provided that the following shall not be considered as abnormal: |
| (i) | A slight salty taste of sodium chloride; |
| (ii) | A slight smell of preservatives and/or additives, including sulphur dioxide; and |
| (iii) | A slight smell and taste of oil; and |
| (d) | may contain other added foodstuffs and/or food additives. |
| (2) | Subject to the provisions of sub-regulation (1), dried fruit shall— |
| (a) | comply with the specific quality standards for each type and grade as set out in Parts VII to XI: Provided that high moisture dried fruit shall— |
| (i) | conform to the general quality standards in sub-regulation (1) and paragraph (b), and shall be graded according to the quality standards set out in Parts VII to XI; |
| (ii) | be excluded from having to comply with the moisture content limits as set out in Parts VII to X (excluding high moisture dried tomatoes): Provided further that the products are marked as specified in regulation 12(1)(b); and |
| (iii) | be treated with a preservative or preserved by any other means (e.g. pasteurisation); and |
| (b) | display the following characteristics: |
| (i) | Intact (only for wholes and halves): Provided that the following shall not be considered as a defect: |
| (aa) | Edges that are slightly torn. |
| (bb) | Slight superficial damage. |
| (cc) | Slight scratches. |
| (dd) | Coreless in the case of dried apples and pears. |
| (ee) | Stems and eye (ostiole) ends that have been removed in the case of dried figs. |
| (ff) | Dates effected by mashing tearing, breaking of the skin, leaving the pit visible so that the appearance of the fruit is noticeably affected. |
| (ii) | Sound: Provided that produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for human consumption is excluded. |
| (iii) | Clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter. |
| (iv) | Sufficiently developed. |
| (v) | Free from living pests whatever their stage of development. |
| (vi) | Free from damage caused by pests (including the presence of dead insects and/or mites, their debris or excreta). |
| (vii) | Free from blemishes. |
| (viii) | Free from mould filaments visible to the naked eye. |
| (ix) | Free of fermentation. |
| (x) | Free of abnormal external moisture. |
| (xi) | Free from hazardous foreign objects. |
| (xii) | The condition of the dried fruit shall be such that the product is able to withstand transportation and handling. |
| (3) | Vacuum dried and freeze dried fruit shall— |
| (a) | comply with the general quality standards set out in sub-regulations (1) and (2); |
| (b) | be excluded from the grading standards specified in Parts VII to XI; |
| (c) | comply with the marking requirements as set out in regulation 12(3); and |
| (d) | not be graded. |
| (4) | Dried fruit not treated with preservatives shall— |
| (a) | comply with the general quality standards set out in sub-regulations (1) and (2): Provided that it shall not be treated with any food additives in the form of preservatives at any stage during or after the drying process; |
| (b) | be graded according to the standards set out in Parts VII to XI: Provided that— |
| (i) | the colour of dried fruit which is markedly darker shall be evaluated according to the colour characteristics of the particular fruit when it is preserved; and |
| (ii) | Choice Grade dried fruit in a single container shall have a uniform colour and Standard Grade dried fruit in a single container shall have a reasonably uniform colour, where applicable; and |
| (c) | not consist of bleached and lyed fruit. |
| (5) | Unless specified otherwise in Parts VII to XI, sizing of all grades of dried fruit shall be optional: Provided that— |
| (a) | if sized, the dried fruit shall be marked as specified in regulation 13(2); and |
| (b) | a maximum tolerance of 10% size provisions (i.e. size diameter, count) shall be permitted. |
| (6) | Imported dried fruit which have been registered as a Geographical Indication (GI), and which originate from— |
| (a) | a member country within the European Union shall comply with the standards registered for the GI named dried fruit in the member country concerned; and |
| (b) | a member country of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), excluding those countries that are members of the European Union, shall comply with the standards registered for the GI named dried fruit in the country of origin concerned. |