This is Criminal....EU Regs for fruit and veg

[quark1]

The EU regs for size and 'beauty' of fruit and veg has struck again.

The man in this article cannot even GIVE his consignment away for fear of prosecution. When there are starving millions in certain parts of the world I believe this to be an unforgivable disgrace and the EU should hang its head in shame. What do the rest of you think?

Market trader forced to bin thousands of kiwi fruits - because the EU says they are ONE MILLIMETRE too small | Mail Online

[smallblueplanet]

Its not like they're baby fish or something? If you didn't want to eat small kiwi fruit then you could just not buy them - what the hell are the EU protecting there?

[zazen999]

Lunacy.......

[NOG]

Its not like they're baby fish or something? If you didn't want to eat small kiwi fruit then you could just not buy them - what the hell are the EU protecting there?

They are protecting the 17.5% that is added to everything you buy. Why do you think VAT was introduced.

[quark1]

I do not believe unprocessed food attracts VAT in UK.

Also catches of undersize fish are returned to waters as per instructions but this does nothing to preserve the species as most will be returned dead following the trauma of being out of the water too long if they have been brought onto the fishing boats. There is still quite a large quantity brought aboard this way. It is only those lucky enough to slip through the sized netting who live to fight another day.

[smallblueplanet]

They are protecting the 17.5% that is added to everything you buy.

As an ex-VAT Inspector let me tell you, you are wrong.

They are 'protecting' the consumer, so it is up to us as consumers to tell them to stop!

[smallblueplanet]

...Also catches of undersize fish are returned to waters as per instructions but this does nothing to preserve the species as most will be returned dead following the trauma of being out of the water too long if they have been brought onto the fishing boats...

Unfortunately you are right there too.

[zazen999]

As an ex-VAT Inspector let me tell you, you are wrong.

They are 'protecting' the consumer, so it is up to us as consumers to tell them to stop!

When did we ask them to start?

And how do we go about getting them to stop?

[smallblueplanet]

Your Euro-MP I presume.

[quark1]

You'll have to be able to separate him/her from the EU trough first!

[Alice]

Absolutely disgraceful. They should hang their heads in shame. And so should we for allowing it to happen.

[Headfry]

That particular case is Utter, Utter madness!
Stupid, stupid, stupid......is this what we have come to. I am ashamed to be 'human'

[Flummery]

Sadly, they say you get the government you deserve. We must all have been very naughty boys and girls. Acutally we have. We are letting it happen!

[di]

I can't remember the programme but last year i remember watching something where the presenter went to shops/market stalls in spain & the majority of the fruit&veg on sale was misshapen & "ugly" but very tasty,yet the produce they were allowed to import tu this country(&possibly others i cant remember)had to fit the EU bill!The spaniards interviewed thought we were nuts for turning down the tasty stuff in preference to the "perfect"stuff that was grown for appearance not taste!me thinks Brown seems to be playing the whole EU ball game a lot more seriously than some of the other EU countries!at least they appear to have relaxed the whole metric "guidelines",which i presume was down to pressure from the voters so maybe theres hope this one can go in same direction!?

[OverWyreGrower]

If there are that many regulations regarding fruit and veg...

How did these below quality/undersize fruit get into the country and to the wholesalers then? Surely it's their fault for supplying them to traders?

If I wanted some kiwi fruit, I'd buy some. I don't go round going "oh, these look nice, but look! They are too small for the UK...." I'd just go, "mmmm, kiwi fruit, please can I have 5"