UNECE STANDARD FFV-57

concerning the marketing and

commercial quality control of

BERRY FRUITS
2023 EDITION

UNITED NATIONS
New York and Geneva, 2023
FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

NOTE

Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards

The commercial quality standards developed by the Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards of
the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) help facilitate international trade,
encourage high-quality production, improve profitability and protect consumer interests. UNECE standards
are used by Governments, producers, traders, importers and exporters, and other international
organizations. They cover a wide range of agricultural products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, dry
and dried produce, seed potatoes, meat, cut flowers, eggs and egg products.
Any member of the United Nations can participate, on an equal footing, in the activities of the Working
Party. For more information on agricultural standards, please visit our website
http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/welcome.html.
The present Standard for Berry Fruits is based on document ECE//CTCS/WP.7/2019/9, reviewed and
adopted by the Working Party at its seventy-fifth session.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Secretariat concerning the legal
status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers
or boundaries. Mention of company names or commercial products does not imply endorsement by the
United Nations.
All material may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested.
Please contact us at the following address with any comments or enquiries:
Agricultural Standards Unit
Economic Cooperation and Trade Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Email: agristandards@un.org

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 FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

UNECE standard FFV-57 concerning the

marketing and commercial quality control
of berry fruits
I. Definition of produce
This standard applies to berry fruits of species and varieties (cultivars) grown from the
following species to be supplied fresh to the consumer, berry fruits for industrial processing
being excluded:
• raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.)
• blackberries (Rubus sect. Rubus)
• loganberries (Rubus loganobaccus L. H. Bailey)
• currants (Ribes rubrum L., Ribes nigrum L.)
• gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa L.)
• bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.)
• blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L., Vaccinium formosum Andrews, Vaccinium
angustifolium Aiton, Vaccinium virgatum Aiton)
• cowberries, lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.)
• cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton)
• wild cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos L.)
• cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus L.)
• hybrids of these species such as boysenberries (Rubus ursinus Cham. et Schltdl. x
Rubus idaeus L.), tayberries (Rubus sect. Rubus x Rubus idaeus L.), jostaberries
(Ribes nigrum L. x Ribes uva-crispa L.).

II. Provisions concerning quality

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for berry fruits after
preparation and packaging.
However, if applied at stages following export/dispatch, products may show in relation to the
requirements of the standard:
• a slight lack of freshness and turgidity
• for products graded in classes other than the “Extra” Class, a slight deterioration due
to their development and their tendency to perish.
The holder/seller of products may not display such products or offer them for sale, or deliver
or market them in any manner other than in conformity with this standard. The holder/seller
shall be responsible for observing such conformity.

A. Minimum requirements

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the
berry fruits must be:
• intact
• sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for
consumption is excluded
• clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter

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FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

• practically free from pests

• practically free from damage caused by pests
• fresh in appearance
• free of abnormal external moisture
• free of any foreign smell and/or taste, including bitter taste in case of bilberries.
The development and condition of the berry fruits must be such as to enable them:
• to withstand transportation and handling
• to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

B. Maturity requirements

Berry fruits must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory maturity and/or ripeness
according to the species but must not be overripe.
Gooseberries may be presented hard ripe.

C. Classification

Berry fruits are classified in three classes, as defined below:

(i) "Extra" Class

Berry fruits in this class must be of superior quality. They must be characteristic of the
variety or in the case of wild berries characteristic of the species concerned.
Bilberries and blueberries must be practically free of agglomerated berries and must be
practically covered with bloom, according to the varietal characteristics.
Red and white currant panicles must be completely filled. Black currant panicles may not be
completely filled and single berries are allowed.
Berry fruits must be free from defects, with the exception of very slight superficial defects,
provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping
quality and presentation in the package.

(ii) Class I
Berry fruits in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety
or in the case of wild berries characteristic of the species concerned.
Bilberries and blueberries must be practically free of agglomerated berries. Blueberries must
be practically covered with bloom, according to the varietal characteristics.
Red and white currant panicles must be nearly filled. Black currant panicles may not be
completely filled and single berries are allowed.
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed, provided these do not affect the
general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the
package:
• very slight leakage of juice
• very slight bruising.

(iii) Class II
This class includes berry fruits that do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but
satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.
Currant panicles may be less evenly spaced.

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 FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

The following defects may be allowed, provided the berry fruits retain their essential
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:
• slight leakage of juice
• slight early signs of mildew in the case of gooseberries
• slight bruising.

III. Provisions concerning sizing

There are no sizing requirements for berry fruits.

IV. Provisions concerning tolerances

At all marketing stages, tolerances in respect of quality shall be allowed in each lot for
produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.1

Quality tolerances

(i) "Extra" Class

A total tolerance of 5 per cent, by number or weight, of berry fruits not satisfying the
requirements of the class but meeting those of Class I is allowed. Within this tolerance not
more than 0.5 per cent in total may consist of produce satisfying the requirements of Class II
quality.

(ii) Class I
A total tolerance of 10 per cent, by number or weight, of berry fruits not satisfying the
requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II is allowed. Within this tolerance not
more than 2 per cent in total may consist of produce satisfying neither the requirements of
Class II quality nor the minimum requirements, or of produce affected by decay.

(iii) Class II
A total tolerance of 10 per cent, by number or weight, of berry fruits satisfying neither the
requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements is allowed. Within this tolerance not
more than 4 per cent in total may consist of produce affected by decay.

V. Provisions concerning presentation

A. Uniformity

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only berry fruits of the same
origin, variety or, in the case of wild berry fruits, species, and quality.
Berry fruits in Classes "Extra" and I must be practically uniform in ripeness.
However, a mixture of berry fruit of distinctly different species and/or different colours of
the same species may be packed together in a sales package, provided they are uniform in
quality and, for each species and/or colour concerned, in origin.
The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.

1
A conformity check shall be made by assessing primary or composite samples. It is based on the
principle of presumption that the quality of the randomly taken samples is representative of the
quality of the lot. The OECD Operating Rules for Conformity Checks are recommended for
application – also by operators – at the stages of dispatch as well as in wholesale and distribution
centres and storerooms of food retail.

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FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

B. Packaging

Berry fruits must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.
The materials used inside the package must be clean and of a quality such as to avoid causing
any external or internal damage to the produce. The use of materials, particularly of paper
or stamps bearing trade specifications, is allowed, provided the printing or labelling has been
done with non-toxic ink or glue.
Packages must be free of all foreign matter, except for incidental leaves and twigs for wild
berries.

VI. Provisions concerning marking

Each package2 must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the same side,
legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside:

A. Identification

Packer and/or dispatcher/exporter:

Name and physical address (e.g. street/city/region/postal code and, if different from the
country of origin, the country) or a code mark officially recognized by the national authority 3
if the country applying such a system is listed in the UNECE Code Mark Registry4. In the
case where there is no street address available, the physical address can be made up of the
name of the farm or facility, the nearest village, town, region, and postal code; or GPS
coordinates and a PO Box address together with nearest town, region and country shall be
accepted as a physical address.5

B. Nature of produce

• "Raspberries", "black berries", "loganberries", "currants", "gooseberries",

"bilberries", "blueberries", "cowberries", "cranberries", “cloudberries”,
"boysenberries", "tayberries", "jostaberries" or equivalent denomination if the
contents are not visible from the outside
• "Mixture of berry fruit ", or equivalent denomination, in the case of a mixture of
distinctly different species and/or colours of berry fruit of the same species. If the
produce is not visible from the outside, the species and/or colours and the quantity of
each in the package must be indicated
• Name of the variety (optional).

2
These marking provisions do not apply to sales packages presented in packages bearing these
particulars. However, they do apply to sales packages (pre-packages) presented individually.
3
The national legislation of a number of countries requires the explicit declaration of the name and
address. However, in the case where a code mark is used, the reference “packer and/or dispatcher (or
equivalent abbreviations)” has to be indicated in close connection with the code mark, and the code
mark should be preceded by the ISO 3166 (alpha-2) country/area code of the recognizing country, if
not the country of origin.
4
See http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/codemarkregistry.html.
5
Reservation by the United States of America on the use of a PO Box address, as it may not allow
facility inspections or rapid intervention in case of recalls, and is not part of its national labelling
requirement related to packer and/or dispatcher/exporter.

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 FFV-57: Berry fruits - 2023

C. Origin of produce

• Country of origin6 and, optionally, district where grown, or national, regional or local
place name.
• In the case of a mixture of distinctly different species and/or colours of berry fruit of
different origins, the indication of each country of origin shall appear next to the name
of the species and/or colour concerned.

D. Commercial specifications

• Class
• “Wild”, where appropriate.

E. Official control mark (optional)

Adopted 2010
Last revised 2019
Aligned with the Standard Layout 2023

6
The full or a commonly used name should be indicated.

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