This set of standards is published within the framework of the activities of the Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables set up by OECD in 1962. It comprises comments and illustrations to facilitate the common interpretation of standards in force and is therefore a valuable tool for both the Inspection Authorities and professional bodies responsible for the application of standards or interested in the international trade in these products
Quality has many meanings - for this exercise it is defined in terms of objective measures that relate to the consumers experience of eating quality. The drivers behind the consumers experience of eating quality (e.g. taste, texture, smell), and the major assessable parameters relating to this experience (e.g. sugar content, acid content, dry matter content, juiciness, texture, firmness and volatiles content) are briefly reviewed, and existing (research literature, government bodies and retailer) standards on these parameters summarised. Achieving these standards has traditionally involved destructive testing of a relatively small proportion of the fruit harvested, and, as such, these standards have generally been poorly implemented. The applicability of new non-invasive technologies, such as near infrared spectroscopy, for assessment of every item of fruit for certian attributes is discussed with reference to existing standards. The uptake of these technologies will be discussed with reference to drivers in the supply chain, with examples given of successes and failures.
Over the past 20 years the number of standards and certification programs for agricultural production has grown rapidly. Producers who want to export are confronted not only by a plethora of import regulations, but also within import countries by different niche markets for which specific requirements have to be fulfilled. While the adoption of voluntary standards may grant export opportunities to farmers, they can also be considered barriers to entry for those who cannot apply them either because they are too onerous or because of the lack of knowledge about their requirements. In fact, some producers and exporters increasingly regard private standards as non-tariff barriers to trade. New and more stringent standards are being developed year after year, and there is an urgent need to determine today, and in the future, the extent to which these govern world trade. This report gives an overview of standards and certification programs relevant for fruit and vegetable producers and exporters in developing countries with a focus on the markets of the United States and the European Union. In addition, it gives an overview of current analytical work on standards and trade, reviews major assistance programs related to standards and provides recommendations for further research.--Publisher's description
AbstractThe hypothesis that six EU Member States show a common behaviour on the implementation of food safety standards on fruit and vegetables imports is examined. To do so, we analyzed food border notifications recorded by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Path dependence and reputation effects of past border notifications were explored for the whole period 2001–13, and for sub‐periods 2001–07 and 2008–13. Negative binomial (NB) and zero‐inflated negative binomial (ZINB) distributions were used to deal with over‐dispersion and excess of zero counts. Our findings suggest that the EU cannot be considered as a single unit when non‐tariff measures are studied, although there are some signs that Member State behaviour is becoming more uniform in the most recent period.
This paper reviews changing income distributions in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands, treating the three countries as leading economic performers in ' the three worlds of welfare capitalism.' Previous analyses have shown that earnings dispersion is increasing. The potential impact of government through the tax and transfer system has been largely ignored. It is shown that in the United States and Germany changes in market incomes favored the upper quintiles and that the bottom quintile became worse off. Government did nothing to reverse these trends. In the Netherlands the trend in market incomes was similar but the government redistributed, so that the bottom quintile' s post-government income increased along with the other quintiles. Data come from the PSID-GSOEP Equivalent File and the Dutch Socio-Economic Panel.
Fresh fruit and vegetables have been identified as a significant source of pathogens and chemical contaminants. As a result, there has been a wealth of research on identifying and controlling hazards at all stages in the supply chain. Improving the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables reviews this research and its implications for food processors. Part one reviews the major hazards affecting fruit and vegetables such as pathogens and pesticide residues. Building on this foundation, Part two discusses ways of controlling these hazards through such techniques as HACCP and risk assessment. The final part of the book analyses the range of decontamination and preservation techniques available, from alternatives to hypochlorite washing systems and ozone decontamination to good practice in storage and transport. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Improving the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables is a standard reference for all those involved in fruit and vegetable production and processing. Reviews recent research on controlling hazards at all stages of the supply chainDiscusses the implications of this research on food processorsDiscusses the implications of this research on food processors
Based on the number of bearing trees and realized production in investigated period (2000-2009) in fruit production in Serbia, the most important fruits are plums, apples, and cherries. With an average production of 482,000 tones, plums contribute 44.90% of total fruit production followed by apples (19.20%), and sour cherries and raspberries with an average share of 7.55% each. Analysis of the investigated period reveals a tendency of the fruit production increase. Trend of increase was especially evident in plum production (rate of change 9.81%), followed by apple (7.42%), apricot (7.31%), peach (6.83%) and cherry 6.64%. From 2010 to 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republic of Serbia adopted measures through the National Program of Agriculture for the development of fruit and viticulture production. The measures primarily relate to the production and distribution of planting material, cultural technology with special emphasis on organic production, logistics, quality and standards for packaging. At this time, there is a great opportunity for the adoption of quality production from the choice of certified planting materials and modern variety selections to revolutionize this branch of agriculture. Serbia has many natural advantages for fruit production: the spatial and biological diversity, favorable climate conditions, and our tradition in the fruit production. A considerable interest among fruit farmers, steady government support through incentives and integration through cooperatives (associations) could translate into significant results.
Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Prologue: The Ethics of Secularism -- Acknowledgment -- Introduction: Living Outside Eden -- The Knowledge of Good and Evil -- Ethics Without God -- Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed Versus Socrates -- Part I -- 1. The Failure of Theistic Morality -- Transcendental Ethics -- Platonism -- Theistic Morality -- Absolute Morality Versus Situation Ethics -- God and Obligation -- 2. Ethical Inquiry -- Two Kinds of Morality -- Ethical Dilemmas -- What Constitutes an Ethical Dilemma? -- The Beginnings of Ethical Inquiry -- Part II -- 3. The Common Moral Decencies -- Principles, Moral and Ethical -- Objective Relativism -- The Justification of Ethical Principles -- A Catalogue of the Common Moral Decencies -- I. Integrity -- Truthfulness -- Promise-Keeping -- Sincerity -- Honesty -- II. Trustworthiness -- Fidelity -- Dependability -- III. Benevolence -- Good Will -- Nonmalfeasance as Applied to Persons -- Nonmalfeasance as Applied to Private and Public Property -- Sexual Consent -- Beneficence -- IV. Fairness -- Gratitude -- Accountability -- Justice -- Tolerance -- Cooperation -- 4. Excelsior: The Ethics of Excellence -- What Is Value? -- Standards of Excellence -- Ethical Excellence -- Excelsior -- I. Excellence Primarily in Regard to Oneself -- Autonomy -- Intelligence -- Self-Discipline -- Self-Respect -- Creativity -- Motivation -- Affirmation -- Health -- Joie de Vivre -- Aesthetic Appreciation -- II. Excellence as Related to Others -- Integrity -- Trustworthiness -- Benevolence -- Fairness -- 5. Responsibilities -- Responsibilities to Oneself -- Responsibilities to Others -- Parental Responsibilities -- Filial Obligations -- Marital Obligations -- The Extended Family -- Friends -- Small-Group Interactions -- Beyond Ethnicity -- The World Community -- Why Ought I to Be Moral?.