Should Greek cucumbers be identical twins to Irish ones or strawberries from Brittany be the same as those from Catalonia?
The European Union decided to take the corset off its regulations as to what shape of form 36 categories of fruits and vegetables should be size and look wize.
Here's what changed on July 1, 2009 according to Knobbles and curves are back for fruit and veg by Geoff Meade (Independent, June 30):
"26 items (restrictions on shape and size repealed without qualification) –
apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocados, beans, Brussels
sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated
mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons,
onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons,
and witloof/chicory.
10 items (restrictions lifted subject to labelling to distinguish them from
"class 1" produce) – apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces,
peaches/nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and
tomatoes."
God knows what happened to the unevenly shaped produce before the Brussels crowd as voiced by agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel (pictured above) got wisdom.
What a waste as Ian Dury would have sung?