The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) claimed the victory following months of "strenuous lobbying" over the General Marketing Standard.

This would save the fresh-produce industry time and costs estimated at £250,000 every year, said FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney.

His victory cry followed news from government inspectors that General Marketing Standard products would not have to be entered on to the PEACH system.

The IT notification system has come under fire for teething problems and a long-running revision, causing trouble with invoices for inspections and identity checks.

"The EU Marketing Standards were originally proposed with the aim of introducing simplification of regulation," said Nigel Jenney.

"Yet we were looking at the likelihood of having to enter around 400 new products into PEACH, which would have placed a considerable burden on the industry.

"Many small to medium-sized businesses would have faced a mass of additional bureaucracy as well having to deal with the current economic pressures."

PEACH applications will have to be made for the 10 products covered under Specific Marketing Standards and for products that require phyto-sanitary certificates.

The 10 products are apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, lettuce, peaches/nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes.

 

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