The regulations for sweet potatoes of the tuber of the varieties (cultivar) Ipomoea batatas L., are as follows:
Quality standards
| (1) |
Subject to the regulations for Class 1, Class 2,and Class 3 sweet potatoes in subregulation 2 and the permissible deviations, in subregulation 4 sweet potatoes shall; |
| (c) |
be clean and free from foreign matter, including soil; |
| (d) |
be free from Arthropoda infestation; |
| (e) |
be free from insect damage and mechanical damage; |
| (f) |
be free from blemishes; |
| (h) |
be free from injuries; |
| (i) |
be free from bruises; |
| (j) |
be free from abnormal external moisture; |
| (k) |
be free from foreign odours; |
| (I) |
be free from frost damage; |
| (m) |
be free from sun-scorch; |
| (n) |
be free from any other factors that affect or may affect the quality of the sweet potatoes detrimentally; |
| (p) |
be sound and attractive in appearance and have normal characteristics of the cultivar; |
| (q) |
be developed and of such conditions as to enable them to withstand transport and handling; and |
| (r) |
not show any malformation: Provided that up to 10% (m/m) is permissible in the case of Class 1 and up to 15% (m/m) is permissible in the case of Class 2. |
Classification
| (a) |
Sweet potatoes classified as Class 1 may; |
| (i) |
be abraded on not more than 20% of the tuber area: Provided that no sign of progressive development of abrasion is visible; |
| (ii) |
have one dry growth crack with a maximum depth of 3 mm, a maximum length of 25 mm and a maximum width of 3 mm; |
| (iii) |
have one insect damage mark with a maximum depth and diameter of 2 mm; |
| (iv) |
have latex stains with a maximum length of 25 mm and a maximum width of 5 mm; |
| (v) |
have broken sealed tips with a maximum diameter of 17 mm; and |
| (b) |
Sweet potatoes classified as Class 2 and Class 3 may ; |
| (i) |
be abraded on not more than 50% of tuber area: Provided that no sign of progressive development of abrasion is visible; |
| (ii) |
have two dry growth cracks with a maximum depth of 6 mm, a maximum length of 30 mm and a maximum width of 6 mm; |
| (iii) |
have two insect damage marks with a maximum depth and diameter of 4 mm; |
| (iv) |
have latex stains with a maximum length of 25 mm and a maximum width of 5 mm; |
| (v) |
have sealed broken tips with a maximum diameter of 25 mm; and |
| (vi) |
have two sprouts per tuber with a maximum length of 3 mm or three sprouts with a maximum length of 2 mm. |
| (c) |
In the case of Lowest Class sweet potatoes - unspecified. |
Packing and sorting requirements
| (3) |
Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 sweet potatoes are sorted and packed according to mass. |
| (a) |
The minimum mass for Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 is 100g. |
| (b) |
The difference between the lightest and heaviest sweet potatoes in the same packaging shall not exceed 350 g. |
Permissible deviations with regard to quality standards
| (a) |
Class 1 sweet potatoes may deviate from the quality standards for Class 1 with 10% by mass: Provided that the deviating sweet potatoes— |
| (i) |
at least comply with quality standards for Class 2; and |
| (ii) |
do not exceed the following individual limit: |
| - |
Arthropoda infestation: Degree as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1. |
| (b) |
Class 2 sweet potatoes may deviate from the quality standards for Class 2, excluding malformation with 15% by mass: Provided that the deviating sweet potatoes: |
| (i) |
do not exceed the following individual limits: |
| - |
Arthropoda infestation: Degree as set out in regulation 4(4)(c): Part 1. |
| (c) |
Class 3 sweet potatoes may deviate from the quality standards for Class 3, excluding malformation with 25% by mass: Provided that the deviating sweet potatoes: |
| (i) |
do not exceed the following individual limits: |
| - |
Arthropoda infestation: Degree as set out in subregulation 4(4)(c): Part 1. |
Permissible deviations with regard to packing and sorting requirements
| (5) |
Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 sweet potatoes may deviate from the mass groups as follows: |
| (a) |
too light 10%, 15% and 25% respectively; |
| (b) |
too heavy 10%, 15% and 25% respectively; |
| (c) |
too light and too heavy collectively 10%, 15% and 25% respectively. |
Marking requirements
| (6) |
Subject to the provisions of regulation 10(1): Part I a container in which Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Lowest Class sweet potatoes are packed shall also be marked with the mass group. |
Statistics Act, 1999
