Brussels sprouts sense as odd-shaped veg welcomed back to the market (25/7/08)
July 25, 2008 at 10:37 am Leave a comment
Eurosceptics lamenting the stranger quirks of Brussels bureaucracy have never needed to look further than the rules on bendy bananas. For the past 15 years or so, thousands of tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables have been discarded annually across Europe because they don’t comply with standards governing size, shape and colour. But curvy cucumbers, forked carrots, misshapen melons and bendy bananas could soon be back in the shops after a host of member states backed plans to reform the daft diktats. The European Commission wants to simplify marketing standards for 26 fruit and veg including apricots, onions, peas, carrots and melons, to avoid wasting food in times of worsening global food shortages. A spokesperson for EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said, ‘In these days of high food prices and growing demand, it’s silly to throw stuff away.’
The proposal is expected to meet opposition from as many as 15 countries including France, Italy and Spain, who claim that the standards play an important role in streamlining market operations and protecting consumers. However, thanks to the combined backing of Ireland, Brussels, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden, it seems probable that the plan will go ahead. All hail the heart-shaped spud, as Brussels sprouts sense at last.
Entry filed under: Food and the EU. Tags: .
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