The INC represented by Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, attended the Workshop “Sampling Plan for Brazil Nuts” held in Belem, Brazil, from the 10th to the 12th of November 2008.

Within the frame of the Conforcast project and organized by the Secretary of Animal and Plant Health (SDA), of the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), the workshop was dedicated to the EU and Codex Alimentarius prospects on sampling plans for tree nuts, and Brazil nuts in particular. The workshop included an evaluation on the efficacy of practices to control the occurrence of aflatoxin in the Brazil nut production chain.

The INC is working actively with the EU DG SANCO, the Ministry of Agriculture and LACQSA laboratories, offering support to the multinational Brazil-Bolivia-Peru group, to bring back inshell Brazil nuts to the global market.

The INC is looking for candidate cities to host future INC World Nut and Dried Fruit Congresses.

If you're interested in hosting the Congress, please contact us at inc@nutfruit.org and we'll inform you of the selection process.

The INC, represented by Irene Gironès, Statistics and Database Coordinator, attended the 64th Session of the Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards, held in Geneva, 3-6 November June 2008. Representatives of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, USA, the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) attended the meeting.

The Working Party adopted:

• Revised standard layout for dry and dried produce as new standard layout;
• New standard on dried peaches;
• Revised text on pistachios kernels and peeled pistachio kernels, blanched almond kernels, hazelnut kernels, and the 2002 version of the Standard on Inshell Walnuts as recommendations on trial through 2009;
• New texts on inshell macadamia nuts and macadamia kernels as recommendations on trial use through 2010.

The Working Party also approved the color gauge for walnuts kernels, presented by the delegation of the USA. This color gauge supplements the UNECE Standard for Walnut Kernels (DDP-02) and is recommended for use throughout the food industry.

During the meetings, the Working Party revised the brochure on hazelnuts presented by the Turkish delegation. Delegations were invited to submit their comments by November 15, 2008. The draft brochure is available at the following web site: www.unece.org.

Draft Brochure for Inshell Hazelnuts

• Revised Standard Layout for UNECE Standards on Dry and Dried Produce
  The Working Party adopted the revised text of the Standard Layout as a new Standard Layout. The delegation of France indicated that they would submit a request for revision, according to their consultation with the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA).
  
  Revised Standard Layout for UNECE Standards on Dry and Dried Produce

• New Standard for Dried Peaches
  The Working Party adopted the amended text of the UNECE Standard for Dried Peaches.
  
  Proposed New Standard for Dried Peaches

• Revised Standard for Pistachio Kernels and Peeled Pistachio Kernels
  The text for a new standard for pistachio kernels and peeled pistachio kernels was returned to the Specialized Section on Standardization of Dry and Dried Produce to consider the comments by France on the table of tolerances. The trial period of the recommendation was extended until the end of 2009.

• Extension of Recommendations for Blanched Almonds Kernels
  The Working Party adopted the revised text of recommendations for blanched almonds kernels for trial use until the end of 2009.
  
  Revised Text of the UNECE Standard for Blanched Almond Kernels

• Extension of Recommendations for Hazelnut Kernels
  The Working Party adopted the revised text of recommendations for hazelnut kernels for trial use until the end of 2009.
  
  Revised Text of the UNECE Standard for Hazelnut Kernels

• Revised Standard of Inshell Walnuts
  The Working Party recommended extending the trial period of the 2002 version of the Standard on Inshell Walnuts through 2009, since there was no agreement to approve it.

• New Standards for Inshell Macadamia Nuts and Macadamia Kernels
  The Working Party adopted the new texts on inshell macadamia nuts and macadamia kernels for trial use until the end of 2010.
  
  New Standard for Inshell Macadamia Nuts
  New Standard for Macadamia Kernels

The proposed revised texts can be downloaded at the following web site: www.unece.org

Report of the Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards on its Sixty-Fourth Session

The Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V. celebrated the 23th European Dried Fruit Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on November 21st, 2008. The INC was kindly invited to attend and it was represented by Ms. Goretti Guasch, Executive Director. Some INC Board members and INC members were also present representing other companies like the Treasurer Mr. Jordi Martí, and Board members Mr. Pino Calcagni and Mr. Helmut Dankert.

The meeting gathered representatives from national and international associations of producers, importers and exportes of nuts and dried fruits such as the Aegean Exporters’ Association, the Almond Board of California (ABC), ALMENDRAVE, the Black Sea Exporters Union, the Combined Edible Nuts Trade Association (CENTA), the European Snack Association (ESA), FRUCOM, FRUITIMPRESE, the Istanbul Exporters Union, NZV, PROCHILE, the Syndicat National de Fruits Secs (France) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Mr. Martin Rome, Chairman of FRUCOM, gave a lecture on FRUCOM developments and future challenges, Ms. Sylvie Mamias, FRUCOM’s Secretary General, reviewed FRUCOM activities in 2008 and announced its priorities for 2009, and Mr. Pino Calcagni presented the Scientific Committee report of activities, highlighting the adoption of Codex MLs for aflatoxins, the alignment of the EU legislation with the Codex decisions, future EU legislation on “high risk products” of plant origin, Frucom’s assessment on cadmium and lead occurrence in nuts and dried fruits and follow-up of EU legislation on pesticides MRLs.

Mr. Sezmen Alper, Secretary General of the Aegean Exporters’ Association, presented the report of the 2008 International Dried Grapes Conference, as well as a review on crop, trade and price development in the dried fruit sector. Mr. Alper revised the estimates of annual production of Turkish dried figs, dried apricots and sultanas.

Ms. Julie Adams, Vice President of the Almond Board of California Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs gave a speech on EU special measures on almonds. Ms. Adams reported on the Voluntary Aflatoxin Sampling Plan (VASP) developments and results.

Dr. Klaus Henabuth, Waren-Verein’s adviser for the arbitration court and the conditions of business, reported on procedures and conditions of the Waren-Verein arbitration. And Ms. Margret Schütt, responsible for food law, customs law and trade questions at Waren-Verein, gave a lecture on current EU legislation on pesticides. Ms. Schütt emphasized the impacts of the cut-off criteria agreed by the EU Council.

Finally, Mr. Ilhaim Sahin, Head of Department of the DG Protection and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Turkey, reported on pesticide controls in hazelnuts and dried figs in Turkey, its legal framework, the results of hazelnuts official controls performed in 2008, and latest developments. The meeting finished with the traditional annual dinner, which took place at the Kempinski Hotel Atlantic.