European growers with local and direct retail sales could be exempted from EU marketing standards on the appearance of fruit and vegetables, under proposals put forward at the end of April by the European Commission.
The Commission says it’s aiming to reduce food waste, help growers who work with short supply chains, and give consumers more opportunities to buy fresh produce. Its proposal means fruit or vegetables with ‘external defects’ – so-called wonky fruit and veg – would be exempted from meeting EU standards when retailed locally by the grower. Certain produce ‘affected by natural disasters or other exceptional circumstances’ would also be exempt if food safety wasn’t put at risk.
At the same time the Commission is proposing a change to packaging regulations for ‘cut or processed’ fruit and veg – including bagged salad leaves – so that the country or countries of origin would have to appear on the label. The Commission says this will help promote EU production.
The proposals have been published for consultation and scrutiny by the European Parliament over the next two months.
