Tomatoes Ian Hewett Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate United Kingdom

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 3 cm 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 3 cm • 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)