Remarks:
As of 09.02.2004 the newly issued EC marketing standard applies to pears (regulation (EC) No. 86/2004), which was extracted from the earlier common standard for apples and pears and brought in line with the standard layout of the UN/ECE standards.
The current text of the standard can be downloaded in pdf format directly from the EC document server.
Texts of the standard in the other official languages of the European Community as well as the initial version of the standard can be accessed via our EC-standard search engine.
When marketing pears, the produce has to meet the specified minimum requirements and the specific class criteria.
The variety must be indicated in all classes. In addition, the revised version of the marketing standard now also includes the specification of a trademark.
For the classes "Extra" and "I" grading by sizes is mandatory; the size to be indicated is determined by the largest transverse diameter.
The following minimum diameters are to be observed:
| Class Extra | Class I | Class II | |
|
Minimum Diameter
Large Fruited Varieties (see List of Varieties): |
60 mm | 55 mm | 55 mm |
|
Minimum Diameter
for Other Varieties: |
55 mm | 50 mm | 45 mm |
|
Summer Pears
(see List of Varieties): |
--- | --- | --- |
In order to ensure uniformity in the package, the maximum difference in the transverse diameter may be a maximum 5 mm in the same package in Class Extra (packing in layers mandatory) as well as in classes I and II, if packed in layers. With pears in class I, which are packed loosely in the package or in sales packages, the maximum difference in the transverse diameter may be 10 mm.
The size is to be specified by minimum and maximum diameter.
In the case of fruit not subject to the uniformity rules (Class II, unpackaged goods), the size can be expressed by the minimum diameter and the sign "+" instead of this.
Pears may be surface-treated with wax for preservation. This is to be marked on the consumer package by the reference "gewachst" ("waxed"). A reference to waxing on the carton or in the accompanying documents is not mandatory.