AIM Control (AIM Group®)’s expertise Quality inspection of strawberries and assurance standards applies to fruits strawberry of varieties (cultivars) grown from the genus Fragaria L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer and in international trading, shipping.
Noted: strawberries for industrial processing being excluded.
Inspection services & Provisions concerning quality strawberries
The expertise quality inspection of strawberries and assurance standards of AIM Control (AIM Group®) meet to the strawberry fruits at supplier’s storages and during packaging, also called: Quality expertise pre-shipment of strawberry products.
a slight lack of freshness and turgidity
for products graded in classes other than the “Extra” Class, a slight deterioration due to their development and their tendency to perish/damage.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF STRAWBERRIES IN QUALITY INSPECT
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the strawberries must be:
intact, undamaged
sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded
clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter
fresh in appearance, but not washed
practically free from pests
practically free from damage caused by pests
with the calyx (except in the case of wood strawberries); the calyx and the stalk (if present) must be fresh and green
free of abnormal external moisture
free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
The development and condition of the strawberries must be such as to enable them:
to withstand transportation and handling
to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
MATURITY REQUIREMENTS OF STRAWBERRIES VIA QUALITY IDENTIFYING
The strawberries must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory maturity and/or ripeness.
Classification of strawberries in quality verification
The strawberries are classified in three classes, as followings:
"Extra" Class
The strawberries in this class must be of superior quality. They must be characteristic of the variety.
bright in appearance, allowing for the characteristics of the variety
free from soil.
They must be free from defects, with the exception of very slight superficial defects, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package.
Class I
Strawberries in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety.
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed, provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:
a slight defect in shape
presence of a small white patch, not exceeding (1/10) one tenth of the total surface area of the fruit
slight superficial pressure marks.
free from soil.
Class II
This class includes strawberries that do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.
The following defects may be allowed, provided the strawberries retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:
defects in shape
a white patch, not exceeding one fifth of the total surface area of the fruit
slight dry bruising not likely to spread
slight traces of soil.
SURVEY OF SIZING OF QUALITY STRAWBERRIES
Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section. The minimum size shall be:
25 mm in “Extra” Class1
18 mm in Classes I and II.
TOLERANCES USING IN QUALITY CERTIFICATION OF STRAWBERRIES
At all marketing stages, tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each lot for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.
TOLERANCES OF QUALITY
"Extra" Class
A total tolerance of 5 per cent, by number or weight, of strawberries not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class I is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 0.5 per cent in total may consist of produce satisfying the requirements of Class II quality.
Class I
A total tolerance of 10 per cent, by number or weight, of strawberries not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 2 per cent in total may consist of produce satisfying neither the requirements of Class II quality nor the minimum requirements, or of produce affected by decay.
Class II
A total tolerance of 10 per cent, by number or weight, of strawberries satisfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 2 per cent in total may consist of produce affected by decay.
TOLERANCES OF SIZE
For all classes: a total tolerance of 10 per cent, by number or weight, of strawberries not satisfying the requirements as regards the minimum size is allowed.
UNIFORMITY
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only strawberries of the same origin, variety and quality.
Class “Extra”
Strawberries, with the exception of wood strawberries, must be particularly uniform and regular with respect to degree of ripeness, colour and size.
Class I
Strawberries may be less uniform in size. The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.
CHECKING OF PACKAGING / PACKING
The strawberries must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.
The materials used inside the package must be clean and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce.
The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications, is allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue.
Packages must be free of all foreign matter.
MARKING / MARKS IDENTIFICATION
Each package must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside:
Identification
Packer and/or dispatcher/exporter:
Name and physical address (e.g. street/city/region/postal code and, if different from the country of origin, the country) or a code mark officially recognized by the national authority if the country applying such a system of UNECE).
Nature of produce
“Strawberries” if the contents of the package are not visible from the outside
Name of the variety (optional).
Origin of Certification for Strawberries produce
Country of origin and district where grown, or national, regional or local place name.
FUNGAL DISEASES & DEFECTS
Alternaria fruit rot
Anther and pistil blight
Anthracnose and anthracnose fruit rot and black spot
Armillaria crown and root rot (shoestring crown and root rot)
Black leaf spot and root rot
Byssochlamys rot
Brown cap
Fruit blotch
Leather rot
Lilac soft rot
Postharvest rots
Powdery mildew
Strawberry crinkle
Strawberry mild yellow-edge
Scorch.
Bright Spot.
Blight.
Black spot.
Powdery mildew.
Grey mould.
Fusarium wilt.
Crown rot.
Gray Mold
Symptoms
Frost injury
Heat-stress Tolerance of Some Strawberry
The effect of the layer-by-layer (LBL) edible coating on strawberry quality and metabolites during storage.
The LBL electrostatic deposition maintained strawberry firmness and volatile aroma.
The LBL coating inhibited some primary metabolism in strawberry.
Special secondary metabolites in LBL coated strawberry were reduced after storage.