CODEX STAN 260-2007 Standard for Pickled Fruits and Vegetables
1 SCOPE
This Standard applies to products, as defined in Section 2 below, and offered for direct consumption, including for catering purposes or for repacking if required. The products covered by this Standard include, but are not limited to onions, garlic, mango, radish, ginger, beetroot, royal plum, peppers, hearts of palm, cabbage, lettuce, lemons, baby corn (young corn) and green mustard (Brassica juncea ssp). It does not apply to the product when indicated as being intended for further processing. This Standard does not cover pickled cucumbers, kimchi, table olives, sauerkraut, chutneys and relishes.
2 DESCRIPTION
2.1 PRODUCT DEFINITION
Pickled fruits and vegetables is the product:
(a) prepared from sound, clean and edible fruits and/or vegetables, with or without seeds, spices, aromatic herbs and/or condiments;
(b) processed or treated to produce an acid or acidified product preserved through natural fermentation or acidulants. Depending on the type, appropriate ingredients are added in order to ensure preservation and quality of the product;
(c) processed in an appropriate manner, before or after being hermetically sealed in a container, so as to ensure the quality and safety as well as to prevent spoilage; and/or
(d) packed with or without a suitable liquid packing medium (e.g., oil, brine or acidic media such as vinegar) as specified in Section 3.1.2, with ingredients appropriate to the type and variety of pickled product, to ensure an equilibrium pH of less than 4.6.
