My MEP Robert Sturdy has welcomed the return of mis-shapen
fruit and veg to our stores. Rules which dictate the size and shape of fruit and veg sold in the shops have today been scrapped by the EU’s management committee.
It means that bendy cucumbers and nobbly carrots can be stocked again after they were banned following the introduction of EU-wide marketing standards which ensured only the finest-looking produce reaches supermarket shelves; they have been in force for 20 years.
The commission is proposing to keep ten standards in place on fruits such as apples, pears and kiwis and vegetables such as tomatoes and lettuces, but shops will still be able to sell mis-shapen produce as long as it is labelled appropriately, such as "product intended for processing", or something similar. They could be sold for as much as 40% less than their perfect formed class 1 goods.
Mr Sturdy, who sits on the agriculture committee, said:
“This is great news all round and consumers will benefit from the removal of this ridiculous red-tape which made us a laughing stock. There was no justification for the dumping of perfectly good produce just because it didn’t conform to EU standards, especially at a time when food security and rising food prices is a big issue.
“It is also great news for local producers and I hope it will encourage consumers to buy locally from farmers’ markets with extra confidence.”
Look out for the return of bendy cucumbers from next summer…
my experience of buying fruit and vegetables from markets has not been very good….very poor quality and do not keep very long.
Here i would also have to travel into kings lynn to find a market, almost a 20 mile round trip so not very green.
We have several good farmers markets within 7 miles of us. The quality of the produce is good and they regularly beat the big supermarkets on price.
My god, does this mean that the British public will be allowed to make their own choice about which fruit they buy instead of the EU deciding for us? What a revolutionary concept.
http://www.lettersfromatory.com
Are people really going to go for this? I think not. The British don’t like being dictated to by the EU, especially with things like this.
Great news
Democracy 1 EU 0
We could label the produce ‘normal’
It dertainly is good news. Real food isn’t perfect and sprayed in wax
Ahh! what good news… Tasty veg at last!
I couldn’t say if we have rules about bendy cucumbers and carrots and such but everything in North Americas seems to conform to the standard shape. I suppose it makes it easier to stack the regular ones.
Fruit and veg are sold in all sorts of shapes here, in the many stalls outside the supermarkets. Good old bendy cucumbers!
That is why I love the fruit and veg in Italy…where the tomatoes, taste like tomatoes..!
Does it really matter about the shape..it is the taste that matters most.