Bent banana and curved cucumber rules dropped
Just how many man hours are spent on ridiculous EU rules is anyone's guess, but now a ray of common sense is fermenting in the Euro countries....
A majority of EU member states, including Britain and Ireland, have voted to reform rules like EC Commission Regulation No 2257/94, which caused international ridicule by stating that all bananas must be "free of abnormal curvature" and at least 14 cm in length.
Imperfectly-shaped fruit and vegetables may now be back on supermarket shelves by 2009.
France, Italy, Spain and Greece opposed the reforms and were accused by officials of unfairly seeking to protect the interests of their farmers.
Mariann Fischer Boel, the European agriculture commissioner, has said that she also wants to scrap a swathe of regulations on produce such as onions, garlic, caulifower and spinach.
Reviewing the rules will give the bureaucrats an even larger workload and no doubt even more rules will come out of this. Isn't it time the EU looked at making redundancies?
News Tools
July 24, 2008 at 05:54 am by liamssoft, 1727 views, 42 comments
Crowd Power
-
malyousif
Jannusan, Bahrain -
inspector_81
Palmyra, New Jersey, United States -
seanth
Brooklyn, New York, United States -
flight0001
Denver, Colorado, United States -
Vinny
Area 51, -
amy-wong.com
Lima, Peru -
monocongo
Boulder, Colorado, United States -
HeatherMG
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States -
proxyindian2
Chicago, Illinois, United States -
don_elle
New Zealand -
h.neu
Germany (Deutschland) -
Daniel Light
Louisville, Kentucky, United States -
hangry
Beaverton, Oregon, United States -
sycamorepictures
Seattle, Washington, United States -
issuez
Johnstown, Colorado, United States -
Lab Cat
Newark, Delaware, United States -
el_hay
Brazil -
K. Mikey M.
Portland, Oregon, United States -
kawilson
Los Angeles, California, United States -
IrishNYC
Flushing, New York, United States -
Discoe
Kendallville, Indiana, United States -
jttraino
Atlanta, Georgia, United States -
ozten
Seattle, Washington, United States -
darlingdivastar
United States -
faeryboots
Seattle, Washington, United States -
kars2301
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States -
childplay
Erie, Colorado, United States -
Phantom Rouge
McKenzie, Tennessee, United States -
Dagona
Poland -
Im a role model
Yorkville, Illinois, United States -
richhagen1
Chicago, Illinois, United States -
@njee
Los Angeles, California, United States -
buildababe
Tucson, Arizona, United States -
YakimaFruitBlogger
Bothell, Washington, United States -
Mainephotonut
Belfast, Maine, United States -
luvmy.garden
Buffalo, Missouri, United States -
nmcgunnigle
Salem, Massachusetts, United States -
rx_kamakshi
Madison, Wisconsin, United States -
akfirefly76
Fishers, Indiana, United States -
izzysmama
Scarborough, Maine, United States -
AmethystD
Middleton, Wisconsin, United States -
Leah C
Roanoke, Virginia, United States -
DeDe99
Dallas, Texas, United States -
sarahjohnson79
Chicago, Illinois, United States -
aldarixdal
France -
daniela smara
Pitesti, Romania -
canvai
San Bruno, California, United States -
mommypants
United States -
rr_graphic_design
Bellingham, Washington, United States -
recipeal
Japan -
whim
Finland -
Balatro
Lansdale, Pennsylvania, United States -
slipacre
Bellvale, New York, United States -
nic221
Somerville, Massachusetts, United States -
voodooangel
Salem, Oregon, United States -
Paradise Seeker
Verona, Wisconsin, United States -
Brintam
Sweden -
pole_aroid
Stoughton, Massachusetts, United States -
Igor Kostov
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -
lovelymrsdavis
Kennesaw, Georgia, United States -
lornas_mommy
Huntsville, Alabama, United States -
gudbuytjane
Canada -
sewinggmarie
Bothell, Washington, United States -
mychem2152
Philippines -
DebbieAnnG
Port Townsend, Washington, United States -
bodofotoz
Barlow, Kentucky, United States -
Nikkka
Slovenia -
willow_photography
Trafford, Pennsylvania, United States -
retrosounds
Bloomington, Indiana, United States -
lucasgogden
Webster, New York, United States -
roisnoir
San Francisco, California, United States -
cherry pepper
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States -
candeggina
genova, Italy -
Bolt of Blue
Los Angeles, California, United States -
foto_poischiche
Denver, Colorado, United States -
dglaser5765
Seattle, Washington, United States -
albinonime
Miami Beach, Florida, United States -
cburas
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States -
fiberartchic
Israel -
kuettner.1998
Portage, Michigan, United States -
lewiselementary
Portland, Oregon, United States -
crazylazykcee
Hermiston, Oregon, United States -
hathyiahusni
Malaysia -
Sunil Elias
Cochin, Kerala, India -
communistdaughter1916
Reading, Pennsylvania, United States -
linda_kalb
Italy -
Mrs Rachel
Mariposa, California, United States -
anandalima
Los Angeles, California, United States -
raphaelazanza
Philippines -
Shubka
Highland Park, Illinois, United States -
prepop
San Francisco, California, United States -
Redheaded_Jenn_1978
Saint Matthews, South Carolina, United States -
mipsy6
Los Angeles, California, United States -
pani Marketa
Czech Republic -
bravo les filles
Russia -
nicoleyfun
Portland, Oregon, United States





Add a comment
Comments (42)
at 06:28 on July 24th, 2008
liamssoft, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 11:21 on July 24th, 2008
Many thanks Caoimhin1, what we really want the EU to do is look at the safety of using weedkiller and insecticide on our food, we are not concerned with the size or shape.
- reply
Bob Macdonald (not verified)at 07:06 on July 24th, 2008
The cheeky BBC radio host today told the female reporter announcing this story that she can now enjoy her curved cucumbers. In Eastern Europe, market stall sellers always have a cheeky grin on their faces when a woman buys a cucumber. Do they know something?
at 11:56 on July 24th, 2008
liamssoft, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 13:55 on July 24th, 2008
Many thanks Vinny for GS and great picture.
- reply
rr_graphic_designat 12:16 on July 24th, 2008
standardize fruit and produce is a tactic of agri-business to control and regulate the population. think crooked, eat local.
rr_graphic_design has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
AmethystDat 12:31 on July 24th, 2008
(Of my photo: Carrots at a farmers' market.) Many veggies aren't stereotypical, store photo-perfect. The beauty of these fruits and veggies are the way they're grown and handled (often free of herbicides and pesticides, picked fresh and delivered to local markets) and how they taste. Like Mr. Rogers said, "What's on the inside that counts. Not the outside."
AmethystD has contributed a photo to this story.
at 12:39 on July 24th, 2008
My photo is of "Paris Market" carrots, grown in my garden from seed. Really small, but tasty carrots that can be grown in containers.
Jane Dallaway has contributed a photo to this story.
at 13:10 on July 24th, 2008
liamssoft, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 14:06 on July 24th, 2008
Many thanks for the GS iTroyboy - I'm fed up with factory produced vegetables, all one size and straight as in the supermarket. There all a little unnatural and makes me wonder what do they do to them to make them grow straight.
at 13:54 on July 24th, 2008
Organic local carrots (my photo)
freshpickednews.com
- reply
Shubkaat 16:33 on July 24th, 2008
These vegtables were raised at Fairstream Farms Organics in Indiana and sold at the farmer's market at the School House in Beverly Shores, Indiana.
Shubka has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
retrosoundsat 18:27 on July 24th, 2008
This crazy carrot was grown in our organic garden. Real and it tasted great.
retrosounds has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Zanat 18:47 on July 24th, 2008
This is the biggest banana i've ever seen! It was in the normal shopping-basket, imagine its size.
Zan has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Trichelleeat 19:17 on July 24th, 2008
My friends and I went to Key West for Fourth of July vacation. In the Grand Vine (wine bar), we befriended "Clyde the duck" who we took with us every where. These bananas were outside of one of the homes and we thought Clyde would look good in them.
Trichellee has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
SantaRosa OLD SKOOLat 19:49 on July 24th, 2008
SantaRosa OLD SKOOL has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:22 on July 24th, 2008
I didn't realize that there were such stringent regulations about produce shape...I guess I shouldn't be surprised. My little round carrots are very tasty although a little tricky to peel.
DebbieAnnG has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Lieneat 20:48 on July 24th, 2008
My wacky little potato which came under my knife when I was living in France!
Liene has contributed a photo to this story.
at 21:57 on July 24th, 2008
The default picture is foookin crazy.
at 00:04 on July 25th, 2008
Nice market in the center of Paris. One of many others which makes your staying in this city so nice in hot summer day.
bravo les filles has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
viktorlantosat 03:56 on July 25th, 2008
I grew these bananas at home. Usually to have a fruit on these takes 3-4 years. But the taste of these beauties is far above any expectations. Imagine when a fruit is fresh and ready to eat.
viktorlantos has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
daniela smaraat 04:55 on July 25th, 2008
this is my genuine cucumber:)...green, fresh, all natural straight from the backyard. love his curving tendency and the little black "thorns"
daniela smara has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
daniela smaraat 05:11 on July 25th, 2008
liamssoft, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 05:18 on July 25th, 2008
Many thanks daniela for the GS and great pic.
- reply
ericamongeat 07:21 on July 25th, 2008
These bananas are picked from a tree in Costa Rica.
ericamonge has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
fiberartchicat 07:24 on July 25th, 2008
Strange; Two "pair of pants" carrots found in the same bag. The carrots were most likely Dutch grown. We get produce from abroad during the Sabbatical year for farming in Israel. For some reason these were mildly unappatizing.
fiberartchic has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Eddy1983at 10:20 on July 25th, 2008
big banana that bought from market...
Eddy1983 has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Nikkkaat 14:50 on July 25th, 2008
Nikkka has contributed a photo to this story.
at 06:47 on July 26th, 2008
Suyo Long Cucumber is long, ridged and often curled, even more than this one. The other two are Snow's fancy pickling cukes. Fresh from my kitchen garden, July, 2008.
luvmy.garden has contributed a photo to this story.
- reply
Villoeat 15:35 on July 26th, 2008
Carrots on the market. Miskolc /Hungary
Villoe has contributed a photo to this story.