CODEX STAN 115-1981 Standard for Pickled Cucumbers
1. SCOPE
This standard applies to Pickled Cucumbers (in some countries Cucumber Pickles) intended for direct consumption which are:
(a) prepared with cucumbers as the predominant ingredient;
(b) prepared from desalted cured cucumbers, fermented naturally or by controlled fermentation, or from fresh cucumbers which are acidulated;
(c) preserved through natural or control fermentation or added acidulants and may be further preserved by pasteurization with heat, by other physical means or by chemical preservatives.
In some countries, the word "cucumbers" is associated with large size fruit whereas the word "gherkin" (in French "cornichons") refers to small fruit. Irrespective of customary national trade practice these products are included in this standard.
This standard does not cover finely chopped products called relish.
2. DESCRIPTION
2.1 Product Definition
Picked cucumbers is the product:
(a) prepared from clean, sound cucumbers of cultivars conforming to the characteristics of Cucumis sativus L.;
(b) such cucumbers may or may not be peeled and may or may not have seeds removed;
(c) packed with or without a suitable liquid packing medium and seasoning ingredients appropriate to the product;
(d) is preserved in an appropriate manner before or after the container is closed - such preservation to include acidulation to a pH of 4.6 or less either by natural or controlled fermentation or addition of a vinegar or an edible acid, and may also include heat pasteurization, refrigeration or a chemical preservative.
