La normalisation des fruits et legumes au point de vue nutritionnel et hygienique

Getting the highest possible yield is of questionable value considering the surplus in many products within the EEC. Of outmost importance, however, are the ‘Common Standards of Quality of the EEC’. They facilitate trade and marketing across the borders and are based on visual characteristics which are easily recognized and were chosen arbitrarily. Two measurable and hence objective criteria are weight and size. However, in most cases there is no relation whatsoever between these criteria and the content in constituents of nutritional value which would justify an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables because of their contribution to a balanced diet and good health. As a rule such desirable substances are noncaloric. Because of the lack of exercise in modern everyday life today's science of nutrition demands that our vegetable foods, which are part of a mixed diet, contain those substances that contribute to our good health. These desirable substances are primarily vitamin C, vitamins of the B-group, as well as provitamin A, the refreshing fruit acids, an balanced ratio between sugars and acids; also essential oils which account for taste, regulate the metabolism, and have certain antibiotic qualities; furthermore minerals, particularly potassium, iron and magnesium. Do the commercial grades fulfill these expectations, i.e. do they primarily provide varieties worthy of production containing desirables substances? Even if the ‘creators’ of these grades did not originally think of them it would be advisable to meet these demands made exclusively with the consumer in mind since they would serve to maintain and enhance the good health of the general public. Since nothing has been done so far to implement measures that would increase production of fruit and vegetables of higher nutritional value new suggestions have been made based on extensive analytical research. The Goal: To improve grading of fruit and vegetables taking nutritional value into consideration. Proposed Procedure: Preference of species for the top grades that would combine high nutritional value and yield, and marketability. Of equal importance should be the choice of species which are less susceptible to disease and pests. This in turn should result in a lower application of pesticides per unit-area and consequently reduce the possibility of pesticide residues on the product. In certain cases the same purpose is served by avoiding excessive use of nitrate fertilizers which increase susceptibility to diseases and pests and therefore necessitate larger quantities of pesticides per ha. and hence increase the possibility of pesticide residues. By means of a number of diagrams the value and marketability of various fruit and vegetable species are compared. They are placed into categories according to their content in nutritional constituents. It is the goal of these comparisons to point out the principle and the possibility of a reform of the existing EEC-standards by taking criteria based on nutritional value into consideration and to start a discussion on among experts.