EU to Lighten Up, Allow Crooked Veggies
In a regulatory move that is likely help to reduce the price of vegetables at supermarkets, the European Union is expected to relax rules that ban blemished and unusual-appearing fruits and vegetables from being sold to consumers.
EU agriculture officials are expected to act today to eliminate regulations concerning the size and shape of 26 different fruits and veggies, reports the London Times. However, strict rules will continue to apply to 10 categories—including apples, citrus fruit, pears, strawberries and tomatoes—which account for the majority of the produce sold in the coalition’s 27 member states.
“The EU’s criteria, which have long provided fodder for critics of ‘barmy Brussels,’ go into astounding detail,” the newspaper writes. “They dictate that a Class 1 green asparagus must be green for 80 percent of its length, Class 1 cucumbers should not be bent by a curve of more than 10 mm per 10 cm, and a string of onions must have 16 onions to qualify.”
