Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
EU allows bent cucumbers
yahoo news: Bent cucumbers? With prices up, EU won't bin them
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Twisted carrots, warped leeks and bent cucumbers may soon appear -- officially -- on EU shop shelves as Europe's farm chief overrides opposition from leading producer countries to her marketing simplification plan.
(Advertisement)
One of the most popular jibes about EU over-regulation, where zealous Brussels bureaucrats are portrayed as wanting to set permitted sizes, lengths -- and "bendiness" -- for household fruit and vegetables, has come back to haunt the European Union.
But this time, Brussels wants to cut the red tape and get rid of what it calls "unnecessary marketing standards" -- in part because of the rising price of food.
Posted by malct @ 10:52 PM (420 views) Add Comment
6 Comments
- If you do not have an admin password leave the password field blank.
- If you would like to request a password allowing you to add comments and blog news articles without needing each one approved manually, send an e-mail to the webmaster.
- Your email address is required so we can verify that the comment is genuine. It will not be posted anywhere on the site, will be stored confidentially by us and never given out to any third party.
- Please note that any viewpoints published here as comments are user's views and not the views of HousePriceCrash.co.uk.
- Please adhere to the Guidelines
1. gardeniadotnet said...
When the New Depression kicks in and bartering becomes the norm, deformed veg. may carry a premium; a collector's item, if you will.
2. titaniccaptain said...
What about deformed Rabbit? shall I get shares in a chernobyl Rabbit farm? Glow in the dark bunny must be a collector's item along with the 6 headed goat (an animal that has a panoramic view yet stinks in all directions)..........infact both could be new housemates on big brother.......may even make the show worth watching far a nano second. Who ever came up with the big brother t.v. show should be given a knight hood...............................then shot
3. gardeniadotnet said...
Yo! TC! - turn that TV off - it twistin' yer melons man, innit?
4. Whostolemyendowment said...
EU directives not only affect food regulations, but regulations across a broad range of products and industries. The electronics and electrical manufacturing industries and suppliers have had to cope with new regulations such as on the use of hazardous substances (RoHS, and REACH) as well as old equipment disposal (WEEE)....these are European regulations only, which also affect those outside Europe that supply into 'our' market. This affects cost, and our competitiveness (is that a word?), - and oh yes - the USA does not have similar regulations so products for their home market are cheaper and easier to source than within Europe, keeping their inflation rate and interest rates lower.
As there is a worldwide downturn the bureaucratic ways of the EU are a cost 'we' can no longer bear, and the UK must stop following all directives to the letter when other EU member countries only pay lip service. Instead of producing endless and costly directives and regulations - they should spend their time and money helping and promoting EU based manufacturing and real jobs...!
5. Malct said...
no hope for green issues then?
6. Kruador said...
The bendy bananas/cucumbers thing has always been rubbish. The directives simply set EU-standard grades for these things. There were national standards before this. It's so supermarkets and grocers can order X amount of 'grade A' bananas or cucumbers without having a big argument between retailer and wholesaler, or other supplier, about exactly what 'grade A' means. All the EU states using the same measurements is helpful, not a hindrance.
At no point does the EU say 'you can't sell bent/straight bananas' - that's up to the retailer to decide what grade is acceptable to them. However, if there is a shortage of the top grades, retailers and their customers will have to accept the lower grades.