Tomatoes
Ian Hewett
Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate
United Kingdom
Tomatoes
• This Standard applies
to aubergines grown
from Solanum
lycopesicum to be
supplied fresh to the
consumer.
• Tomatoes for
industrial being
excluded.
2
Tomatoes
• Tomatoes may be classified into four commercial
types:
• "round",
• "ribbed",
• "oblong"
or "elongated",
• "cherry" tomatoes
(including "cocktail" tomatoes).
3
Tomatoes
• And be
presented
on the vine
or loose:
4
Minimum Requirements
• Intact,
• Sound, produce affected by rotting or deterioration
such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded,
5
Alternaria and Phytophthera
Minimum Requirements
• clean, practically free of any visible foreign
matter
6
Minimum Requirements
• practically free from pests,
• free from damage caused by pests affecting the
flesh,
7
Tuta absoluta
Minimum Requirements
• fresh in appearance,
• free of abnormal external moisture,
• free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
8
Extra Class
• Superior quality
• Firm and characteristic of the variety
• Have only very slight superficial defects
9
Skin Defects
• Class I - Slight skin
defects
10
Class II - Skin defects
allowed, provided the
fruit is not seriously
affected
Skin Defects
• Skin defects seriously
affecting the fruit
• (the same fruit rotated)
• Not acceptable
11
Skin Defects
Botrytis Ghost spotting
Class I – up to
two small spots
12
Class II – overall
appearance not
affected
Out of grade –
overall
appearance
affected
Skin Defects
Stalk puncture
• Class I
13
Class II
Out of grade
Healed Cracks
Class I – None allowed
Class II - Healed cracks not more than 3cm in length
for round, ribbed or oblong tomatoes
14
•
Class II
Out of grade
Healed Cracks
• Fine cracking
• Class II
15
Healed Cracks
• Beef tomato
• Healed crack limit 3cm
• Class II
16
Cracks
• Beef tomato
• Out of grade - not healed
17
Defects in colouring
Colour defects
caused by
virus:
Class II
Out of Grade
Pepino mosaic virus
18
Sizing
• Size can be determined by the maximum
diameter (or size code), by weight or by count.
• Sizing does not apply to trusses of tomatoes or
to cherry tomatoes nor to Class II tomatoes.
• Uniformity requirements apply to tomatoes
packed in the same package and a size code
can be applied to if desired.
19
Presentation
• Uniformity - The ripeness and colouring in Extra Class
and Class I must be practically uniform
20
Quality Tolerances
• Extra Class:
• 5% by number or weight not satisfying the
requirements of the class but meeting those for
Class I is allowed. Within this tolerance not more
than 0.5% in total may consist of produce satisfying
the requirements of Class II quality.
21
Quality Tolerances
• Class I:
• 10% by number or weight not satisfying the
requirements of the class but meeting those for
Class II is allowed. Within this tolerance not more
than 1% in total may consist of produce satisfying
neither the requirements of Class II quality nor the
minimum requirements or of produce affected by
decay.
• For trusses of tomatoes 5% may be detached from
the stalk.
22
Quality Tolerances
• Class II:
• 10% by number or weight satisfying neither the
requirements for the class nor the minimum
requirements is allowed. Within this tolerance not more
than 2% in total may consist of produce affected by
decay.
• For trusses of tomatoes 10% may be detached from the
stalk.
23
Labelling
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
24
Name/address of packer/dispatcher
‘Tomatoes’, ‘Tomatoes on trusses’
‘Cherry’ or ‘Cocktail’
Mixture of tomatoes
Country of origin
Class
Size min./max. diameter (if sized)