The regulations for asparagus of the varieties grown form Asparagus officinalis L. are as follows:
Quality standards
| (1) | Subject to regulations for Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Lowest Class asparagus as set out in subregulation 3 and the permissible deviations set out in subregulation 11, each asparagus shall ; |
| (c) | be clean and free from visible foreign matter, including soil; |
| (d) | be free from damage caused by unsuitable washing of the asparagus: Provided that asparagus may be washed but not soaked. |
| (e) | be free from Athropoda infestation; |
| (f) | be free from insect damage or damage caused by other organisms; |
| (g) | be free from blemishes; |
| (h) | be free from injuries; |
| (j) | be free from abnormal external moisture: Provided that asparagus if washed or cooled by water the asparagus shall be properly dried; |
| (k) | be free from cold damage; |
| (I) | be free from foreign odours; |
| (m) | be free from any other factors that affect or may affect the quality of the asparagus detrimentally; |
| (o) | have a sound and attractive appearance and have normal characteristics of the cultivar; |
| (p) | be of such development and condition as to enable them to withstand transport and handling; |
| (q) | be cut off clean and square at the base of the shoot: Provided that to improve the presentation in the case of asparagus packed in bundles, the shoots packed on the outside of the bundle may be slightly bevelled to the extent that the bevelling does not exceed 1 cm; and |
| (r) | not be hollow, scraped, peeled or broken. |
| (2) | Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus are divided into the following three groups according to colour: |
| (b) | violet asparagus if the tip of the asparagus is of a pink to violet colour whilst the rest of the shoot is white; |
| (c) | violet/green asparagus if part of the asparagus is of violet and green colour, and |
| (d) | green asparagus if the tip and all or the largest part of the shoot is a greenish colour. |
Classifications
| (i) | shall be of good quality, well formed, compact and practically straight thus not deviated by more than 10 mm from a straight line; |
| (ii) | shall be closed at the tips; |
| (iii) | shall not show any woodiness: Provided that in the case of asparagus other than white asparagus woodiness on the lower part of the shoot which can be removed through normal scrapping/pealing by the consumer, is permissible; |
| (iv) | may, in the case of white asparagus, show a faint pink colour on the tip and shoot; |
| (v) | shall in the case of green asparagus, be of a greenish colour for at least 80% of the length of the shoot; |
| (vi) | may show no discolouration due to oxidation or age; |
| (vii) | may have slight traces of rust which can be removed through normal scraping by the consumer; and |
| (viii) | may show one or more cracks which in length, individually or collectively, not exceed 25 mm and not be deeper than 3 mm; |
| (b) | Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus; |
| (i) | shall be well formed, compact and practically straight; |
| (ii) | shall be closed at the tips; |
| (iii) | shall be practically free from woodiness; |
| (iv) | may in the case of white asparagus show a faint pink or green colour on the tip; |
| (v) | shall in the case of green asparagus be of a greenish colour for at least 60% of the length of the shoot; |
| (vi) | may in the case of violet asparagus have a slight green tint at the tip; |
| (vii) | may show slight discolouration due to oxidation or age: Provided that it is restricted to two lengths of 50 mm each; |
| (viii) | may have slight traces of rust which can be removed through normal scraping by the consumer; and |
| (ix) | may show one or more cracks which in length, individually or collectively, not exceed 25 mm and not be deeper than 3 mm. |
| (c) | In the case of Lowest Class asparagus - unspecified. |
Packing and sorting requirements
| (4) | Asparagus known as "sprue" or "slender asparagus" shall have a maximum diameter of 10 mm. |
| (5) | Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus shall— |
| (a) | be uniform in length, diameter and colour in the same bundle, punnets or, if packed loose, in the same container; and |
| (b) | if packed in bundles or punnets, consist of bundles or punnets of the 500 g, 1 kg or 2 kg in the same container. |
| (6) | Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus shall be sorted and packed according to the following minimum and maximum lengths: |
| (a) | 170 mm to 220 mm for long shoots: Provided that 270 mm is the maximum length for green asparagus and violet green asparagus; |
| (b) | 120 mm to 170 mm for short shoots; or |
| (c) | 120 mm and less for tips. |
| (7) | The minimum diameter as well as the size groups for Class 1 asparagus shoots (bundles or punnets), measured at the mid-point of their length, shall be: |
|
|
Minimum diameter
|
Group
|
(a)
|
(i)
|
15 mm
|
15 mm - 20 mm
|
|
(ii)
|
18 mm
|
18 mm - 24 mm
|
|
(iii)
|
24 mm
|
24 mm and more
|
| (b) | The diameter of the shoots of a particular size group packed in the same bundle, punnet of, if packed loose, in the same container shall deviate by not more than 10 mm. |
| (c) | In the case of individually packed shoots 10 mm and more. |
| (a) | white asparagus shall contain 100% white asparagus and no violet/green asparagus or green asparagus; and |
| (b) | violet asparagus, shall at least contain 90% violet asparagus and may contain not more than 10% by number asparagus of another colour group. |
| (c) | Green asparagus shall contain 100% green asparagus: Provided that up to 10 mm in the case of short and up to 20 mm in the case of long shoot measured from the cut at the shoot may be white. |
| (9) | A container Class 2 and Class 3— |
| (a) | white asparagus shall contain 90% white and no violet/green asparagus or green asparagus; |
| (b) | violet asparagus, shall contain 80% violet and not more than 10% by number asparagus of another colour group; and |
| (c) | green asparagus shall contain 90% green asparagus and may contain a mixture of white and violet asparagus if the container is marked accordingly. |
| (10) | In the case of Lowest Class asparagus - unspecified. |
Permissible deviations with regard to quality standards
| (a) | Class 1 asparagus may deviate from the quality standards for Class 1 with not more than 10% by number: Provided that ; |
| (i) | the deviating asparagus shall at least comply with the quality standards for Class 2; and |
| (ii) | the following individual limits are not exceeded: |
| - | Athropoda infestation: Limit as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1 |
| (b) | Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus may deviate from the quality standards for Class 2 and Class 3 with 15% and 25% respectiviely by number: Provided that the following individual limits are not exceeded: |
| - | decay: 4% and 6% respectively |
| - | injuries: 8% and 10% respectively |
| - | Athropoda infestation: Limit as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1 |
| (c) | In the case of Lowest Class - decay shall not exceed 20% by mass or number. |
Permissible deviations with regard to packing and sorting requirements
| (12) | Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 asparagus may deviate from the packing and sorting requirements as set out in subregulation 4 to 10, with 10%, 15% and 25% respectively by number: Provided that shoots do not deviate by more than 2 mm in the case of diameter and more than 10 mm in the case of length from the declared and specified diameter or length. |
Marking requirements
| (13) | Subject to the provisions of regulation 10(1): Part 1 each container in which Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Lowest Class asparagus are packed shall be marked with— |
| (a) | the number of bundles or pre-packs in the case where asparagus is packed in bundles or pre-packs; |
| (b) | an indication of the colour of the asparagus if the contents of the container is not visible from the outside; and |
| (c) | an indication that it contains asparagus tips, short shoots or a mixture of white and violet asparagus, where applicable.Permissible deviations with regard to packing and sorting requirements |
