AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ACT 1929

Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992

This Code was repealed by the Repeal of Grading and Packing Codes Notice 2001 as at 24 Aug 2001 (see Gazette 24 Aug 2001 p. 4575)

 

 

Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992

Contents

Part 1 — Preliminary

1.Citation2

2.Commencement2

3.Interpretation2

4.Application3

Part 2 — Grading

5.Grading into classes4

6.Minimum requirements4

7.Maturity4

8.Classes4

9.Determination of size for grading6

Part 3 — Packing

10.Single variety7

11.Mixture of peaches or nectarines by class7

12.Size variations7

13.Tolerances8

14.Uniformity of peaches or nectarines within packages8

15.Presentation of peaches or nectarines8

16.Packaging materials9

Part 4 — Marking

17.Packages marked “Unclassed”10

18.Complete trade description to be applied10

19.Information to be included in trade description10

20.Trade description for retail sale12

21.Prohibited quality descriptions13

Part 5 — Repeal

22.Repeal of former codes14

Notes

Compilation table15

 

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ACT 1929

Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992

Made by the Minister for Agriculture.

Part 1 — Preliminary

1.Citation

This Code may be cited as the Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992.

2.Commencement

This Code shall come into operation on the day of its publication in the Government Gazette.

3.Interpretation

In this Code, unless the contrary intention appears — 

“abnormal external moisture” means 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 peach or nectarine, and includes slight chemical burns and healed injury caused by insect damage, superficial hail damage, abrasions, scratches and rubs, but does not include sunburn;

“class” means the quality class into which peaches or nectarines 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, general appearance or presentation of the peach or nectarine;

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

“intact” means practically free from any mutilation or injury spoiling the peach or nectarine;

“mature” means having reached the stage of development that will ensure a proper completion of the ripening process;

“processing” means any operation that subjects the peaches or nectarines to thermal processing (not including cold storage) or juicing or that renders the peaches or nectarines a fruit product;

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

“well-filled” means that the package is filled to the extent that the peaches or nectarines, after settling, cannot move within the package during normal handling.

4.Application

(1)Subject to section 5 of the Act, this Code applies to the sale of peaches or nectarines (Prunus persica L.) other than for the purpose of processing.

(2)Clauses 18 and 19 do not apply to a retail sale.

Part 2 — Grading

5.Grading into classes

Peaches or nectarines may be graded as — 

(a)Extra Class;

(b)Class 1;

(c)Class 2; or

(d)Class 3,

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

6.Minimum requirements

Peaches or nectarines in all classes other than Class 3 shall be — 

(a)intact;

(b)sound;

(c)clean;

(d)practically free from sunburn and free from other disorders;

(e)free from abnormal external moisture;

(f)free from any foreign smell or taste;

(g)of a minimum size, as specified in the Table to clause 12; and

(h)free from unhealed cracks.

7.Maturity

Peaches or nectarines shall be mature.

8.Classes

(1)Subject to Part 3, peaches or nectarines graded as Extra Class shall be — 

(a)well-formed and typical of the variety;

(b)practically free from defects and blemishes, other than very slight blemishes;

(c)free from damage caused by pests and diseases;

(d)free from splitting at the stem end.

(2)Subject to Part 3, peaches or nectarines graded as Class 1 shall be — 

(a)reasonably well-formed and typical of the variety;

(b)reasonably free from defects and blemishes, subject to any blemish not exceeding 1 square centimetre in total area or 1 centimetre in length;

(c)practically free from damage caused by pests and diseases; and

(d)free from splitting at the stem end.

(3)Subject to Part 3, Class 2 shall comprise peaches and nectarines that are not suitable for Extra Class or Class 1, but satisfy the minimum requirements as specified in clause 6 and — 

(a)shall be free from any serious defects;

(b)may have reasonable defects in shape, development and colouring, subject to the fruit retaining its general characteristics;

(c)may have reasonable splitting of the stem end if this does not affect the keeping quality of, or unduly impair the general appearance and presentation of, the fruit; and

(d)may have skin blemishes, subject to any blemish not exceeding 2 square centimetres in total area or 2 centimetres in length.

(4)Class 3 shall comprise peaches and nectarines that do not satisfy the requirements of any of the other classes.

9.Determination of size for grading

The size of a peach or nectarine for grading purposes shall be measured by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section of the peach or nectarine.

Part 3 — Packing

10.Single variety

A package of peaches or nectarines shall not contain peaches or nectarines of any variety other than the variety marked on the package.

11.Mixture of peaches or nectarines by class

A package of peaches or nectarines may contain fruit of mixed classes, other than Class 3.

12.Size variations

(1)Extra Class peaches and nectarines shall be graded according to size.

(2)Peaches or nectarines in packages marked “UNCLASSED” are not required to be sized.

(3)The size of Class 1 or Class 2 peaches or nectarines packed in packages marked “UNSIZED” may vary without limit.

(4)A package of peaches or nectarines may contain up to 5 per cent by number or net mass of fruit 2 millimetres below the minimum size applicable to the class concerned.

(5)Peaches or nectarines classified as “low chill” or “other” varieties in the Table to clause 19 shall not vary in size within a package by more than the variation specified in relation to that variety in the last column of the Table to this clause.

TABLE

Item

Class of peach

Minimum size

Variation

 

 

Low chill

variety

Other

variety

 

1.

Extra Class

50

55

5 millimetres

2.

Class 1

50

55

5 millimetres

3.

Class 2

50

55

10 millimetres

 

Item

Class of nectarine

Minimum size

Variation

 

 

Low chill

variety

Other

variety

 

1.

Extra Class

45

50

5 millimetres

2.

Class 1

45

50

5 millimetres

3.

Class 2

45

50

10 millimetres

13.Tolerances

A package of peaches or nectarines may contain — 

(a)in the case of Extra Class fruit, a maximum of 5 per cent by number or net mass of fruit not satisfying the requirements of that class but satisfying the requirements of Class 1;

(b)in the case of Class 1 fruit, a maximum of 10 per cent by number or net mass of fruit not satisfying the requirements of that class but satisfying the requirements of Class 2.

14.Uniformity of peaches or nectarines within packages

The contents of each package of — 

(a)Extra Class peaches or nectarines shall be uniform in shape and colour;

(b)Class 1 peaches or nectarines shall be practically uniform in shape and colour; and

(c)Class 2 peaches or nectarines shall be reasonably uniform in shape and colour.

15.Presentation of peaches or nectarines

(1)Each package shall be well-filled and packed in a manner that allows the peaches or nectarines to withstand handling and transport.

(2)Subject to this Part and Part 2, each package shall contain only peaches or nectarines of the same variety, strain, quality and degree of ripeness.

(3)Any peaches or nectarines packed in a package that are visible shall be representative of the contents of the package.

(4)Packages containing peaches or nectarines shall be free from extraneous plant material such as leaves and spurs.

16.Packaging materials

(1)Packages into which any peaches or nectarines are packed shall be — 

(a)clean;

(b)free from all foreign matter; and

(c)of a quality, design and construction suitable for protecting the peaches or nectarines from damage.

(2)Materials used inside packages shall be new.

Part 4 — Marking

17.Packages marked “Unclassed”

A package containing peaches or nectarines of mixed classes as permitted by clause 11 shall be marked “UNCLASSED”.

18.Complete trade description to be applied

(1)The complete trade description shall — 

(a)be applied — 

(i)on new rigid type packages, to at least one end of each package;

(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 ticket at least 100 mm x 70 mm, securely affixed to one side of the package;

and

(b)be in prominent, indelible and legible characters at least 5 millimetres high.

(2)Before a marking is applied to a package intended for re-use, all particulars relating to previous use of the package shall be removed or obliterated.

(3)A marking inside a package shall be made with a non-toxic ink or glue.

19.Information to be included in trade description

Subject to Part 3, the trade description shall contain — 

(a)the name and address of the person who packed the peaches or nectarines;

(b)the word “peach” or “peaches” or “nectarine” or “nectarines”;

(c)the full name of the variety of the peaches or nectarines contained in the package or the approved abbreviation of that name as shown in the Table to this clause;

(d)the class of the peaches or nectarines;

(e)the size, size range or count of the peaches or nectarines; and

(f)in the case of — 

(i)a package of Class 2 peaches or nectarines that have not been sized; or

(ii)a package marked “UNCLASSED” containing peaches or nectarines that have not been sized,

the word “UNSIZED”.

Peach varieties

Nectarine varieties

Low chill

Other

Low chill

Other

Desert Red

Earligrande

Flordabelle

Flordagem

Flordaglo

Flordagold

Flordaking

Flordaprince

Flordasun

Maravilha

New Belle

Shermans Red

Tropic Sno

Tropic Sweet

7-11

April Gold

Baby Gold

Candor

Cardinal

Coronet

Elberta

Fairtime

Faye Elberta

Fayette

Flamecrest

Flavourcrest

Fragar

Glenalton

Glohaven

Golden Queen

Brandhavilha

May Fire

May glo

Sunblaze

Sundollar

Sundowner

Sungem

Sunlite

Sunred

81-17

81-6

8-2

9-11

Armking

August Red

Early Diamond

Flamekist

Fantasia

Flavourtop

Fairlane

Firebrite

Goldmine

Independance

Late Le Grande

Le Grande

Maygrande

Nectared

Red Diamond

 

Highland

Halehaven

JH Hale

June Hale

June Lady

Jerseyqueen

Loring

Maygold

O’Henry

Late O’Henry

 

Red Gold

Spring Red

 

Ovale

Professor Black

Pullers Cling

Red Haven

Red Lady

Southland

Starking

Delicious

Summerset

Suncrest

Sunray

 

 

 

Springcrest

Springold

Starks Honey Dew

Tatura Dawn

Tatura Noon

 

 

20.Trade description for retail sale

(1)A label showing the class of the peaches or nectarines shall be attached to each display of each variety of peaches or nectarines offered for retail sale and, if the label specifies a variety of peach or nectarine, the peaches or nectarines displayed shall correspond to the variety so specified.

(2)If a display includes 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

Peaches or nectarines shall not be designated as “special”, “specially packed”, “selected”, “fancy” or by any other word or form of words that indicates that the peaches or nectarines have special quality characteristics.

Part 5 — Repeal

22.Repeal of former codes

(1)The Peach Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette on 23 September 1983 at pp.3872‑73.]

(2)The Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1983* is repealed.

[* Published in the Gazette on 23 September 1983 at pp.3868‑69.]

 

Notes

1.This is a compilation of the Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992 and includes the amendments referred to in the following Table.

Compilation table

Citation

Gazettal

Commencement

Peach and Nectarine Grading and Packing Code 1992

11 Sep 1992 p. 4575-81

11 Sep 1992

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)