The regulations for celery of the varieties (cultivars) of Apium graveolens L., are as follows:
Quality standards
| (1) |
Subject to the regulations for Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Lowest Class celery and the permissible deviations in subregulation 5, each celery shall ; |
| (a) |
be intact: Provided that the upper leaf part may be removed; |
| (c) |
be clean and free from foreign matter, including soil; |
| (d) |
be free from Arthropoda infestation; |
| (e) |
be free from insect damage or damage caused by other organisms; |
| (f) |
be free from blemishes; |
| (g) |
be free from injuries; |
| (h) |
be free from abnormal external moisture; |
| (i) |
be free from foreign odours; |
| (j) |
be free from cold damage; |
| (k) |
be free from sun-scorch; |
| (I) |
be free from cavities, suckers and flower stems; |
| (m) |
be free from any other factors that detrimentally affect or may affect the quality of the celery; |
| (n) |
be fresh and show no sign of withering; |
| (o) |
be sound and attractive in appearance and have normal characteristics of the cultivar; and |
| (p) |
be of such development and condition as to enable it to withstand transport and handling. |
| (2) |
Blanched celery shall be white to yellowish-white or greenish-white in colour for at least half of its length. |
| (3) |
The main root shall be well cleaned and not exceed 50 mm in length. |
Packing and sorting requirements
| (a) |
Celery shall be packed and sorted as small, medium and large according to mass. |
| (b) |
The minimum and maximum mass groups for Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 celery are ; |
| (ii) |
medium 501 g to 800 g; and |
| (iii) |
large 801 g and more. |
| (c) |
The maximum difference in mass between the lightest and heaviest Class 2 and Class 3 celery in the same packing shall, in the case of; |
| (i) |
small, not exceed 100 g; |
| (ii) |
medium, not exceed 150 g; and |
| (iii) |
large, not exceed 200 g; and |
| (d) |
The minimum mass in the case of Class 2 and Class 3 celery is 150 g. |
| (e) |
In the case of Lowest Class celery - unspecified. |
Permissible deviations with regard to quality standards
| (a) |
Class 1 celery may deviate from the quality standards for Class 1 by not more than 5% by mass: Provided that the deviating celery— |
| (i) |
at least complies with quality standards for Class 2; and |
| (ii) |
does not exceed the following individual limits: |
| - |
Arthropoda infestation: Limit as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1. |
| (b) |
Class 2 and Class 3 celery may deviate from the quality standards for Class 2 by not more than 15% and 25% respectively by mass: Provided that the deviating celery ; |
| (i) |
does not have any defect rendering it unfit for human consumption; and |
| (ii) |
does not exceed the following individual limits: |
| - |
Decay: 4% and 6% respectively; |
| - |
Injuries: 8% and 10% respectively; |
| - |
Arthropoda infestation: Limit as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1. |
Permissible deviations with regard to packing and sorting requirements
| (6) |
Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 celery may deviate from the packing and sorting requirements as set out in subregulation 4, with not more than 10%, 15% and 25% respectively by mass. |
Marking requirements
| (7) |
Subject to the provisions of regulation 10(1): Part I, each container in which Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Lowest Class celery are packed shall be marked with the expression "small", "medium" or "large", as the case may be. |
South African Council for Educators Act, 2000
