CAULIFLOWER QUALITY STANDARDS

Introduction

Most people will probably recognize good-quality produce, but may have difficulty in defining it. "Quality" may mean different things to different people. Factors such as texture, flavour, colour, size, shape, scarring, bruising, presence of insects or insect marks, diseases, shelf-life or keeping quality, freshness and cleanliness are all components of quality. Vegetables, including cauliflower should be clean, fresh, well-sized, uniform in colour, shape and size, as well as being succulent and not obviously fibrous, and free of blemishes.

Buyers usually use freshness and general appearance of the produce as their main criteria of quality. Many growers do not fully appreciate the role that quality plays in the economics of a vegetable enterprise. However, a glance at market reports clearly shows that prices for any particular product, at any specific time, vary tremendously. This is largely due to differences in the quality of the produce being offered for sale. The discriminating buyer is willing to pay a premium for good quality, and rightly so. It has a longer shelf-life, which means there is more time available to resell the produce, and less wastage. The buyer also generally has a quicker turnover and obtains a better price, because the product has more eye-appeal. The consumer prefers blemish-free produce that will keep longer shelf life too.

This module is therefore compiled to meet the following objectives:

  1. To empower farmers to produce quality cauliflower that meets the market demands for increased income
  2. To ensure that farmers observe the stipulated quality and standards for safe and nutritious cauliflower

Figure 1 quality cauliflower packaged for sale. Source http://www.jacobsa.fr/cauliflowers.php

Common Standards

SCOPE OF THE STANDARD 

Rwanda standards Specifies the requirements for fresh cauliflowers of varieties grown from Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, cauliflower for industrial processing being excluded.

APPLICATION OF STANDARD

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for produce at the market control stage after preparation and packing. However, if applied at stages after point of sale produce may show in relation to the requirements of the standard: i) a slight lack of freshness and turgidity ii) a slight deterioration due to their development and their tendency to perish. The holder/seller of produce may not display such produce or offer them for sale, or deliver or market them in any manner other than in conformity with this stand.
 

Terms and Definitions

Under the terms and definitions,the following shall apply:

  1. Sound: Wholesome and free from rotting and physical damages, not affected by rotting or damages such as to make it unfit for human consumption.

  2. Firm/compact:Closely packed together, a condition found before the flower buds start opening.
  3. Curd/corymb:  Cluster of terminal buds of undeveloped flowers.
  4. Bracting: Disorder caused by disturbance in growth leading to formation of bracts on the curd instead of having a smooth surface.
  5. Buttoning: Having button-like growth on the curd caused by poor fertilization, especially low nitrogen.
  6. Close texture:  Smooth, without separations, brought about by bracting and buttoning.
  7. Woolliness:  Softness.
  8. Excrescence: An abnormal growth or defect on the curd.
  9. Slight: In class I, it shall mean that 5 % of the total surface area is affected and in class II, 10 % of the total surface area.

 

Quality Requirements

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for cauliflower after preparation and packaging.

I)MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Cauliflower shall be mature, well developed such as to enable them withstand transport and handling and arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the flower clusters shall be:

  • Intact
  • 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 and pests
  • fresh in appearance
  • free of excessive external moisture
  • free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

II)   CLASSIFICATION

Cauliflower can be classified into three main categories as defined below: 

a)‘EXTRA CLASS

Cauliflower in this class shall be of superior quality. They shall be characteristic of the shape, development and color of the variety. The flower clusters shall be:

  • Well formed, firm and compact
  • Of very close texture
  • Uniformly white or creamy in color
  • Free from any defect
  • Of uniform size and shape
  • In addition, if the cauliflowers are put on sale ‘with leaves’ or ‘trimmed’ the leaves shall have a fresh appearance.

b)CLASS I

Class I — Cauliflower in this class shall be of good quality. They shall be characteristic of the variety. The flower clusters shall be:

  • Firm
  • Of close texture
  • White to ivory or creamy in color; and
  • Free from defects, such as blemishes, protruding leaves in the head, damage by rodents, insects or disease, traces of frost and bruising.
  • Flower clusters may have the following slight defects, provided that 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
  • A slight defect in coloring
  • A slight woolliness
  • In addition, if the cauliflowers are put on sale ‘with leaves’ or ‘trimmed’, the leavesshall have a fresh appearance

c)CLASS II

The class includes cauliflowers, which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the minimum requirements.

The flower clusters may be or may have:

Ibirundo by’ indabo bishobora kuba cyangwa kugira:

  • slightly deformed
  • slightly loose in texture
  • yellowish in color
  • slight traces of sun scorching
  • an excrescence of not more than five pale green leaves in the corymbs; and
  • they may be slightly woolly (but not wet or greasy to the touch).

They may also have two of the following defects provided that the flower clusters retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:

  • Slight traces of damage by insects, rodents or disease
  • Slight superficial damage by frost
  • Slight bruising

III)PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES

Tolerance in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.

a)QUALITY TOLERANCES

‘Extra Class’ — 5 % by number of cauliflower not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of class I or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of the class.

Class I — 10 % by number of cauliflower not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of class II or exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of the class.

Class ll — 10 % by number of cauliflower satisfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for human consumption.

Size Tolerances — For all classes: 10 % by number of cauliflowers complying with the size immediately below or above that stated on the package.

b)SIZE TOLERANCES

Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section. The maximum diameter is fixed at 11 cm; the difference in size between the smallest and the largest head in each package shall not exceed 4 cm.

IV)  PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION

a) UNIFORMITY

The contents of each package (or lot for produce presented in bulk in the transport vehicle), must be uniform and contain only cauliflower of the same origin, variety or commercial type, quality, and size (if sized). Cauliflower in Class I must be uniform in shape and colour. However, a mixture of cauliflower of distinctly different commercial types and/or colours may be packed together in a package, provided they are uniform in quality and, for each commercial type and/or colour concerned; in origin.Miniature, cauliflower must be reasonably uniform in size. They may be mixed with other miniature products of different species and origin. The visible part of the contents of the package (or lot for produce presented in bulk in the transport vehicle) must be representative of the entire contents. Packages (or lots for produce presented in bulk in the transport vehicle) must be free of all foreign matter.

b)CONTAMINANTS

  • Pesticide residues :the produce covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum residue limits for pesticides established by the codex alimentarius commission for this commodity
  • Other contaminants: The produce covered by this standard shall comply with the maximum levels of the general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CODEX STAN 193-1995).

c)  PACKAGING

The package used shall ensure product safety and integrity. The packaging material that is in contact with the produce shall be of food grade, 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 shall be free from any foreign matter and the material shall be recyclable.

d)HYGIENE

It is recommended that the produce covered by the provisions of this Standard be prepared and handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene, Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, and other relevant texts such as codes of hygienic practice and codes of practice. The produce should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with the Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria related to Foods.

V) PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING FOR EXPORT

Each package must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the same side; legibly and indelibly marked and visible from the outside:

a)LABELING

  • The following information shall be legibly and indelibly marked on the packets containing theProduce:
  • Name of the produce i.e. “cauliflowers” and/or commercial type if the contents are not visible from the outside
  • Size code:
  • Name and physical address of the importer/packer/distributor;
  • Country of origin;
  • Net weight in kilograms;
  • Identification code and/or batch number
  • Name of the variety or commercial type;
  • Storage instructions.
  • GMO status

Conclusion

The expectation is that volumes of vegetables offered for sale are likely to increase dramatically over the next few years. The increasing demand, especially from the informal sector of the economy, is expected to increase competition. The importance of producing a good quality cauliflower will then be even greater than it is at present. This project is interested and is exploring, the export market for various horticulture value chains from Rwanda. Wherever the export market is located, only produce of excellent quality will be acceptable and profitable.

With the use of this module to train farmers and small enterprises dealing in cauliflower the above phenomena will play to the producers’ advantage thereby accruing more income from commercialization of cauliflower.