The
Pineapples manufactured by Pineapple India comply
with the levels of International Food Standards
acceptable globally.
1. Description
1.1 Product Definition
Canned pineapple is the product (a) prepared
from fresh, frozen, or previously canned, mature
pineapple, conforming to the characteristics of Ananas
comosus (L) Merr. (Ananas sativus (L) Lindl.) and
from which peel and core have been removed, (b) packed
with water or other suitable liquid medium; it may
be packed with nutritive sweeteners as specified
in sub-section 2, seasonings, or other ingredients
appropriate to the product and (c) processed by
heat in an appropriate manner before of after being
sealed in a container so as to prevent spoilage.
1.2 Varietal Type
For the purpose of' canning, the types of pineapples used
shall be of following varieties:
i) Queen,
ii) Kew
Grades: The material shall be of two grades, namely, Grade 1 and Grade 2.
1.3 Styles
Canned pineapple is packed in the following styles:
1.3.1 Slices or Spiral Slices or Whole Slice or Rings: Whole Slice are Uniformly cut
circular
slices or rings cut across the axis of the peeled, cored pineapple cylinders.
1.3.2 Broken Slices: Broken Slices are arc-shaped portions which may not be uniform
in size and/or
shape.
1.3.3 Tidbits: Tidbits are rasonably uniform, wedge-shaped sectors cut
from slices or portions
thereof,
predominantly from 8 mm to 13 mm thick.
1.3.4 Chunks: Chunks are short, thick pieces cut from thick slices and/or
from peeled cored
pineapple and
predominantly more than 12 mm in both thickness and width, and less than 38 mm
in length.
2. Essential Composition And Quality Factors
2.1 Basic Ingredients
Pineapple with or without liquid packing media or with dry nutritive sweeteners
appropriate to the product and other optional ingredients as follows:
2.1.1 Packing media
2.1.1.1 Packing medium used, consist of:
2.1.1.1.1 Juice: In Juice natural pineapple juice or clarified pineapple juice
is the sole liquid packing medium;
2.1.1.1.2 Syrup: In Syrup water or juice is combined with one or more of the
following nutritive sweeteners - sucrose, invert sugar, dextrose, dried glucose
syrup, glucose syrup - and classified on the basis of cut-out strength as:
Light Syrup
Medium Syrup
Heavy Syrup
2.1.1.2 The cut-out strength of syrup shall be determined on sample average,
but no container may have a
Brix value lower than that of the minimum of the next category below.
2.2 Quality Criteria
2.2.1 Definition of Defects
2.2.1.1 Blemish - Surface areas and spots which contrast strongly
or colour or texture with the normal
pineapple tissue or which may penetrate into the flesh. Such blemishes are normally
removed in preparation of
pineapple for culinary use and include deep fruit eyes, pieces of shell, brown
spots, bruised portions and other
abnormalities.
2.2.1.2 Broken - (Considered a defect only in Sliced and Spear styles). A unit
severed into definite parts;
all of such portions that equal the size of a full-size unit are considered one
defect in applying the allowances
herein.
2.2.1.3 Excessive Trim - (Considered a defect only in the styles
of Whole, Slices
including Spiral Slices,
Half Slices, Quarter Slices and Spears). A unit trimmed to the extent that its
normal shape and conformation is destroyed and detracts from the appearance of
such unit. Trim will be considered "excessive" if the portion trimmed
away exceeds five percent of the apparent physical bulk of the perfectly formed
unit and if such trimming destroys the normal circular shape of the outer or
inner edge of the unit.
2.2.2 Flavour
Canned pineapple has a normal flavour and odour free from flavours or odours
foreign to the product, and canned pineapple with special ingredients shall have
a flavour characteristic of that imparted by the pineapple and the other substances
used.
2.2.3 Colour
The colour of the product shall be normal for the varietal type. White radiating
streaks may be present. Canned pineapple containing special ingredients shall
be considered to be of characteristic colour when there is no abnormal discolouration
for the respective ingredient used.
2.2.4 Texture
The canned pineapple shall have a reasonably good texture, the fruitlets shall
be reasonably compact in structure, and the product shall be fairly free from
porosity. The drained pineapple - of all styles may contain no more than 7% by
weight of "core material". In determining, the percentage of core material,
the areas which consist of core material are trimmed from the pineapple unit
and weighed against the drained fruit ingredient in the container.
2.2.5 Uniformity of Size and Shape
These requirements do not apply to canned pineapple in the styles of: Whole,
Broken Slices,
Pieces, Chips or Crushed.
2.2.5.1 Slices or Spiral Slices or Whole Slices or Rings - The weight of the
largest slice in a container
shall not be more than 1.4 times the weight of the smallest.
2.2.5.2 Tidbits - Not more than 15% of the drained weight of pineapple in the
container may consist of
tidbits, each of which shall weigh less than three-fourths of the average weight
of the untrimmed tidbits.
2.2.5.3 Chunks - Not more than 15% of the drained weight of pineapple in the
container may consist of
pieces which weigh less than 5 grammes each.
2.2.6 Allowances for Defects
Canned pineapple shall not contain excessive defects (whether or not specifically
defined or as
allowed in this standard). Certain common defects shall not be present in amounts
greater than the following
limitations:
Styles
Units with Excessive Trim
Blemishes or Blemished Units
Slices or Spiral Slices or Whole Slices;
1 unit if 10 or less per can
1 unit if 5 or less per can
Broken Slices; Tidbits
Not applicable
12.5% by count of all units
3. Hygiene
3.1 It is recommended that the product
covered by the provisions of this standard be prepared and
handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the
Recommended International Code of Practice -
General Principles of Food Hygiene .
3.2 To the extent possible in Good Manufacturing
Practice, the product shall be free from
objectionable matter. 3.3 When tested by appropriate methods of
sampling and examination, the product:
- shall be free from microorganisms in amounts which may
represent a hazard to health;
- shall be free from parasites which may represent a hazard
to health; and
- shall not contain any substance originating from microorganisms
in amounts which may
represent a hazard to health.
4. Weights And Measures
4.1 Fill of Container
4.1.1 Minimum Fill
The container shall be well filled with fruit and the product
(including packing medium) shall occupy not less than 90%
of the water capacity of the container. The water capacity
of the container is the volume of distilled water at 20?C
which the sealed container will hold when completely filled.
4.1.2 Minimum Drained Weight
4.1.2.1 The drained weight of the product shall be not less
than the following percentages, calculated on
the basis of the weight of distilled water at 20?C which
the sealed container will hold when completely filled:
(a)
Whole Slices or Ring Styles
-55 %
(b)
Tidbits styles
-55 %
(c)
Chunks Style
- 55 %
4.1.2.2 The requirements for minimum drained weight shall
be deemed to be complied with when the average drained weight
of all containers examined is not less than the minimum required,
provided that there is
no unreasonable shortage in individual containers.
