Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994 (WA)

Western Australia

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ACT 1929

Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994

This Code was repealed by the Repeal of Grading and Packing Codes Notice 2001 as at 24 Aug 2001 (see Gazette 24 Aug 2001 p. 4575).

Western Australia

Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994 Contents

Western Australia

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ACT 1929

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ACT 1929

Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994

Made by the Minister under section 3F.

Part 1 – Preliminary1.Citation

This code may be cited as the Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994.

2.Interpretation

In this code, unless the contrary intention appears — 

“abnormal external moisture” means sufficient moisture to make a citrus fruit distinctly wet (but does not include condensation following release from cold storage);

“blemish” means any superficial disfigurement of the skin that is not likely to affect the keeping quality of the citrus fruit, and includes slight chemical burns and healed injury such as is caused by insect damage, superficial hail damage, abrasions, scratches and rubs, but does not include sunburn;

“bulk bin” means a package with a volume greater than 0.5 cubic metres;

“button” means the calyx of a citrus fruit;

“class” means the quality class into which citrus fruits are graded;

“clean” means visibly free from any dirt, dust, chemical residue or other foreign matter;

“defect” means any abnormal development of shape, colour or condition that detracts from the quality or general appearance of the citrus fruit;

“degreened” means subjected to the fumigation process in which mature green citrus fruits are given an application of ethylene so that they acquire a uniform colour;

“disorder” means any abnormal physiological condition, including sunburn, that affects the skin or flesh of the citrus fruit;

“greening” means the process in which the chlorophyll in the rind or skin of a citrus fruit obliterates the fruit’s natural yellow, orange or red pigment;

“intact” means practically free from any mutilation or injury spoiling the citrus fruit;

“processing” means any operation that subjects citrus fruits to thermal processing (but does not include cold storage) or juicing or that renders citrus fruits a fruit product;

“regreened” means subjected to the process in which chlorophyll returns to the rind or skin of mature oranges late in their season;

“sound” means not over-ripe, soft or wilted; and free from rot, sunburn, excessive bruising and physical injury, internal or external, that is likely to affect the keeping quality of the citrus fruit;

“well-filled” means, in relation to a package of citrus fruits, that the package is filled to the extent that the citrus fruits, after settling, are unlikely to move within the package during normal handling.

3.Application

Subject to section 5 of the Act, this code applies to the sale, other than for the purpose of processing, of the following citrus fruits —

• (a)

  lemons of the species Citrus limon (Osbeck);

• (b)

  mandarins of the species Citrus unshiu (Marc.), Citrus deliciosa (Ten.), Citrus nobilis (Lour.) and Citrus reticulata (Blanco);

• (c)

  oranges of the species Citrus sinensis (Osbeck);

• (d)

  grapefruits of the species Citrus paradisi (McFarlane);

• (e)

  pummelos of the species Citrus grandis (Osbeck);

• (f)

  limes of the species Citrus aurantifolia (Swing), Citrus latifolia (Tanaka) and Citrus limettioides (Tanaka); and

• (g)

  the fruit of any hybrid citrus cultivar developed from the species referred to in this clause.

Part 2 – Grading4.Grading into classes

Citrus fruits may be graded as — 

• (a)

  Extra Class;

• (b)

  Class 1;

• (c)

  Class 2; or

• (d)

  Class 3,

if they comply with the requirements of the relevant class as prescribed by this Part.

5.Minimum requirements

Subject to clause 13 (c), citrus fruits in all classes other than Class 3 shall be — 

• (a)

  intact;

• (b)

  sound;

• (c)

  clean;

• (d)

  free from abnormal external moisture;

• (e)

  free from any foreign smell or taste; and

• (f)

  of a minimum size, as specified in the Table to this clause.

TABLE

Item	Citrus fruit (common name)	Minimum size
1.	Lemons	55 millimetres
2.	Mandarins	40 millimetres
3.	Oranges	60 millimetres
4.	Grapefruits and pummelos	70 millimetres
5.	Limes	25 millimetres
6.	Hybrids of any species referred to in clause 3	60 millimetres

6.Requirements as to colour

• (1)

  Subject to clause 13 (c), citrus fruits of the species listed in column 2 of the Table to this clause shall not vary from the normal colour for that species to a greater extent than described in column 3 of the Table.

• (2)

  Subject to clause 13 (c), citrus fruits shall not be degreened unless they meet the appropriate standard of maturity specified in clause 7.

TABLE

Item	Citrus fruit (common name)	Permitted variation, if any, from normal colour
1.	Lemons	A light green colour is permitted
2.	Mandarins and their hybrids	No variation from normal colour permitted
3.	Oranges and their hybrids	A light green colour is permitted if it does not exceed one-third of the surface area of the fruit
4.	Grapefruits and pummelos	No variation from normal colour permitted
5.	Limes	No variation from normal colour permitted

7.Requirements as to maturity

• (1)

  Subject to clause 13 (c), citrus fruits shall be mature.

• (2)

  To be mature, citrus fruits of a species — 

  • (a)

    listed in column 2 of Table 1 to this clause shall comply with the Total Soluble Solids to Acid Ratio described in column 3 of that Table;

  • (b)

    listed in column 2 of Table 2 to this clause shall comply with the Total Soluble Solids Determination described in column 3 of that Table; and

  • (c)

    listed in column 2 of Table 3 to this clause shall comply with the Minimum Juice Content described in column 3 of that Table.

TABLE 1

Item	Citrus fruit (common name)	Total Soluble Solids to Acid Ratio
1.	Mandarins	Not less than 8.0 to 1
2.	Oranges (Navel only)	Not less than 8.0 to 1
3.	Oranges (other than Navel)	Not less than 7.0 to 1
4.	Grapefruits and pummelos	Not less than 5.5 to 1
5.	Hybrids of any species referred to in clause 3	Not less than 8.0 to 1

TABLE 2

Item	Citrus fruit (common name)	Total Soluble Solids Determination
1.	Mandarins	8o Brix at 20o C
2.	Oranges	8o Brix at 20o C
3.	Grapefruits and pummelos	8o Brix at 20o C
4.	Hybrids of any species referred to in clause 3	8o Brix at 20o C

TABLE 3

Item	Citrus fruit (common name)	Minimum Juice Content
1.	Lemons	25%
2.	Mandarins	28%
3.	Oranges	33%
4.	Grapefruits and pummelos	33%
5.	Limes	33%
6.	Hybrids of any species referred to in clause 3	33%

8.Class requirements

• (1)

  Subject to clause 13 (a), citrus fruits graded as Extra Class shall be — 

  • (a)

    well-formed and typical of the variety;

  • (b)

    practically free from defects and blemishes;

  • (c)

    free from damage caused by pests and diseases;

  • (d)

    free from disorders;

  • (e)

    free from any detachment of the rind; and

  • (f)

    free from irregular greening.

• (2)

  Subject to clause 13 (b), citrus fruits graded as Class 1 shall be — 

  • (a)

    reasonably well‑formed and typical of the variety;

  • (b)

    reasonably free from defects and blemishes other than — 

    • (i)

      defects and blemishes that are inherent in the formation of the fruits, such as silver scurfs and russets; and

    • (ii)

      slight healed blemishes that result from mechanical causes, such as rubs, scratches and abrasions,

  that do not, in total, exceed 1.5 square centimetres of the surface area of any fruit;

  • (c)

    practically free from damage caused by pests and diseases;

  • (d)

    free from disorders; and

  • (e)

    free from any detachment of the rind.

• (3)

  Citrus fruits graded as Class 2 do not satisfy the requirements of Extra Class or Class 1 but, subject to clause 13(c), they shall be reasonably free from disorders although they may have — 

  • (a)

    moderate defects in shape, development and colouring, if the fruits retain their general characteristics;

  • (b)

    skin blemishes;

  • (c)

    rough skin;

  • (d)

    superficial healed skin injuries; and

  • (e)

    in the case of oranges, mandarins and Ellendale tangors, slight partial detachment of the rind.

• (4)

  Citrus fruits graded as Class 3 do not satisfy the requirements of any of the other classes.

9.Determination of size

For the purposes of this Part, the size of a citrus fruit shall be measured by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section of the fruit.

Part 3 – Packing10.Packages to be of same species, variety, strain, class, size and ripeness

Subject to this Part, each package of citrus fruits shall contain only fruits of the same species, variety, strain, class, size and degree of ripeness.

11.Packages marked “UNCLASSED” OR “UNSIZED”

• (1)

  If it is marked “UNCLASSED”, a package of citrus fruits may be packed with fruits of mixed classes, other than Class 3 fruits.

• (2)

  If it is marked “UNSIZED”, a package of citrus fruits may be packed with Class 2 fruits of different sizes.

• (3)

  If it is marked both “UNCLASSED” and “UNSIZED”, a package of citrus fruits may be packed with fruits of mixed classes (other than Class 3) and of different sizes.

12.Permissible size variations

• (1)

  Subject to subclause (2), citrus fruits that are packed in the same package are taken to be of the same size if they do not vary in size by more than — 

  • (a)

    15 millimetres, in the case of a package that is a bulk bin;

  • (b)

    7 millimetres, in the case of a package marked as packed with fruits of, or greater than, 80 millimetres in size; or

  • (c)

    5 millimetres, in the case of a package marked as packed with fruits less than 80 millimetres in size.

• (2)

  Irrespective of the class of the citrus fruits, a package of citrus fruits may contain a maximum of 10 per cent by number or net mass of fruits not within the limits of size variation permitted under subclause (1) (b) or (c), if the inclusion of those fruits in the package does not result in all the fruits in the package varying in size by more than — 

  • (a)

    11 millimetres, in the case of a package mentioned in subclause (1) (b); or

  • (b)

    7 millimetres, in the case of a package mentioned in subclause (1) (c).

  13.Class tolerances

A package of citrus fruits may contain — 

• (a)

  in the case of Extra Class citrus fruits — 

  • (i)

    a maximum of 5 per cent by number or net mass of fruits not satisfying the requirements of that class (other than the requirements in clause 8 (1) (b)) but satisfying the requirements of Class 1; and

  • (ii)

    a maximum of 5 per cent by number or net mass of fruits that have lost their button;

• (b)

  in the case of Class 1 citrus fruits — 

  • (i)

    a maximum of 10 per cent by number or net mass of fruits not satisfying the requirements of that class but satisfying the requirements of Class 2; and

  • (ii)

    if the package contains Valencia oranges, late season regreened Valencia oranges not more than half the surface area of each of which is light green;

or

• (c)

  in the case of Class 2 citrus fruits — 

  • (i)

    a maximum of 10 per cent by number or net mass of fruits not satisfying the requirements of that class or of clauses 5, 6 and 7;

  • (ii)

    a maximum of 5 per cent by number or net mass of fruits showing slight superficial unhealed cracks, if each such fruit has no moist cuts and is not soft or shrivelled; and

  • (iii)

    if the package contains Valencia oranges, late season regreened Valencia oranges not more than two-thirds of the surface area of each of which is light green;

  14.Uniformity of citrus fruits within packages

The contents of each package of — 

• (a)

  Extra Class citrus fruits shall be uniform in shape and colour;

• (b)

  Class 1 citrus fruits shall be practically uniform in shape and colour; and

• (c)

  Class 2 citrus fruits shall be reasonably uniform in shape and colour.

15.Presentation of citrus fruits

• (1)

  Each package of citrus fruits shall be — 

  • (a)

    well-filled and packed in a manner that allows the fruits to withstand normal handling and transport; and

  • (b)

    free from extraneous plant material, such as leaves and spurs.

• (2)

  Any citrus fruits that are visible when packed in a package shall be representative of the contents of the package.

16.Packaging materials

• (1)

  Packages into which citrus fruits are packed shall be — 

  • (a)

    clean;

  • (b)

    free from all foreign matter; and

  • (c)

    of a quality, design and construction suitable for protecting the fruits from damage.

• (2)

  Materials used inside packages shall be new.

Part 4 – Marking17.Complete trade description to be marked on packages intended for other than retail sale

• (1)

  The complete trade description, as specified in clause 19 (1), of the contents of a package of citrus fruits intended for sale otherwise than by way of retail sale — 

  • (a)

    shall be marked

    • (i)

      on new rigid type packages, on at least one end of the package; and

    • (ii)

      on packages intended for re-use (wooden cases, plastic crates, wooden or fibreboard bulk bins and wire sided bulk bins), on a label or tag at least 100 millimetres x 70 millimetres, securely affixed to one side of the package; and

  • (b)

    shall be in prominent, indelible and legible characters at least 5 millimetres high.

• (2)

  Before any marking is applied to a package that is being re‑used, all particulars relating to previous use of the package shall be removed or obliterated.

18.Marking inside a package to be non- toxic

Any marking inside a package shall be made with a non-toxic ink or glue.

19.Content of trade description

• (1)

  Subject to subclauses (2) and (3), the trade description marked on a package of citrus fruits referred to in clause 17 shall contain — 

  • (a)

    the name and address of the person who packed the citrus fruits;

  • (b)

    the common name of the citrus fruits;

  • (c)

    the variety of the citrus fruits;

  • (d)

    the class of the citrus fruits; and

  • (e)

    the size, size range or number of the citrus fruits.

• (2)

  Subclause (1) (d) does not apply to packages marked “UNCLASSED”.

• (3)

  Subclause (1) (e) does not apply to packages marked “UNSIZED”.

• (4)

  In subclause (1) (a), “person” means the company or other legal entity whose business it was to pack the citrus fruits.

20.Trade description for display of citrus fruits offered for retail sale

• (1)

  A label showing the class of the citrus fruits shall be attached to each display of citrus fruits offered for retail sale and, if the label specifies a variety of citrus fruit, the fruits displayed shall correspond to the variety so specified.

• (2)

  If a display of citrus fruits contains a mixture of varieties, the label shall show the full names of the individual varieties within the mixture.

• (3)

  The marking on the label shall be in prominent, legible characters at least 25 millimetres high.

21.Prohibited quality descriptions

Subject to this Part, citrus fruits shall not be labelled or otherwise marked with words such as “special”, “specially packed”, “selected” or “fancy”, or with any other words that indicate that the fruits have special quality characteristics.

Part 5 – Repeal22.Various codes repealed

• (1)

  The Grapefruit Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette of 23 September 1983 at pp.3864-5.]

• (2)

  The Lemon Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette of 23 September 1983 at pp.3865-6.]

• (3)

  The Mandarin Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette of 23 September 1983 at pp.3867-8.]

• (4)

  The Orange Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette of 23 September 1983 at pp.3871-2.]

Notes

1. This is a compilation of the Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994 and includes the amendments referred to in the following Table.

Compilation table

Citation	Gazettal	Commencement
Citrus Fruit Grading and Packing Code 1994	22 Jun 1994 p. 2685-99	22 Jun 1994
This Code was repealed by the Repeal of Grading and Packing Codes Notice 2001 as at 24 Aug 2001 (see Gazette 24 Aug 2001 p. 4575)