Season of melons and watermelons are open now. In connection with this we addressed to interstate standards on fresh melons and food watermelons which came into force since the beginning of this year. These documents are situated in the Federal Information Collection of standards and they will assist you to choose the most delicious and fresh, sweet gourds.
According to GOST 7178-2015 melons are divided into two sorts-first and second. Melons are divided into early, intermediate and autumn-winter depending upon their ripening period.
Melons of first and second sorts are fresh, mature, completely, healthy, clean and without external moisture.
Length of the peduncle should not exceed 2 sm for the first sort of a melon. GOST allows to have some defects of its form and color and also cracks around the peduncle. Insignificant damages of the bark is allowed according to standard due to frictions and stevedoring but under the condition that it does not influence the appearance and quality of melons.
Second sort of a melon should be the following – it may have defects of its form and color of the bark. It is also allowed to have pale color of the skin in that part of melon which touched the ground during its cultivation. Small bruising and small scratches are also permissible but only if they do not influence quality of the melon.
Rotten, spoiled, squashed, cracked, dinged up, influenced by anthracnose and overripe melons do not correspond to GOST.
GOST 7177-2015 is applied to fresh food watermelons. As melons watermelons can be both of first and second sort.
Watermelons which are fresh, whole, healthy, clean and with glitter on its bark meet the requirements of GOST.
Length of the stem of a watermelon should not exceed 5 sm. GOST allows to have some defects of its form and color and insignificant damages of the bark under the condition that total area of these damages is not more than 1/16 of the whole watermelon.
For the second sort of watermelons GOST allows to have insignificant bruising, defects of the form and color of the bark. Total surface of such damages should not exceed 1/8 of the whole watermelon.
Melons and watermelons of the first and second sort have to be firm and they also should be ready for loading, shipment, and delivery to the final destination.
They are transported in clean, dry vehicles which should not have foreign smell and pests.
Both standards are developed by the Scientific Research Institute «Kubanagrostandart».
You can buy these new documents in the International Cooperation Department.