Frozen Florets Broccoli Specification
Product Description
Quick frozen broccoli is the product prepared from the fresh, clean, sound stalks or shoots of the
broccoli plant conforming to the characteristics which have been sorted, trimmed, washed and
sufficiently blanched to ensure adequate stability of color and flavor during normal marketing
cycles.
Pesticide residues
Pesticide shall be not exceeding the MRL's of Codex &EC and ES.
Process Definition
Quick frozen broccoli is the product subjected to a freezing process in appropriate equipment and
complying with the conditions laid down hereafter. This freezing operation shall be carried out in
such a way that the range of temperature of maximum crystallization is passed quickly. The quick
freezing process shall not be regarded as complete unless and until the product temperature has
reached -18°C (0°F) at the thermal center after thermal stabilization. The product shall be
maintained at a low temperature such as will maintain the quality during transportation, storage
and distribution up to and including the time of final sale.
Handling Practice
The product shall be handled under conditions such as will maintain the quality during transportation,
storage and distribution up to and including the time of final sale. It is recommended that during storage.
Style
Florets - the head and adjoining portion of the stem with or without small tender attached leaves
ranging in length from 3 cm to 7 cm with sufficient attached stem to maintain a compact head. The
florets may be split longitudinally. Within each sample unit not more than 20 percent by count fall
outside the designated length.
Standard Sample Size
Moga Food
The standard sample size shall be 300 g for detached fragments, loose leaves, and E.V.M.; for other
defects 25 units.
Definition of Visual Defects
(1) Extraneous vegetable material (E.V.M.), means leaf, stem, or similar harmless vegetable
material other than from the broccoli plant.
(2) Detached leaves (for spears and florets), means broccoli leaves and pieces thereof not
attached to a unit.
(3) Fragment (for spears and florets), means pieces less than 20 mm in length for spears and
weighing less than 5 grams for florets.
(4) Blemished - A unit or product affected by discoloration or disease or insect injury.
Minor - Slightly affecting the appearance or eating quality.
Major - Materially affecting the appearance or eating quality.
Serious - Seriously affecting the appearance or objectionably affecting the eating quality to
such an extent that customarily it would be discarded under normal culinary preparation.
(5) Mechanical Damage, means a unit bearing the general configuration of a spear or floret,
but from which more than 50 percent of the buds have become detached, or otherwise
mechanically damaged so as to materially affect the appearance of the product.
(6) Poorly trimmed (for spears and florets), means units in which the appearance is
seriously affected by attached coarse leaves or pieces thereof, or ragged removal of leaves,
or small side shoots, or poor cutting of the stem.
(7) Over mature or Poorly developed, means individual buds are in the flowered stage and
with respect to spears and florets branching bud clusters which comprise the head are
spread so as to seriously affect the appearance of the unit, or the bud clusters are of such
advanced maturity that individual buds and supporting stems from loosely structured
clusters.
(8) Fibrous, means tough fiber that is normally developed near the outside portion of the
broccoli stem; such units are tough but still edible.
Moga Food
3
Tolerance of Defects: Sample Size 300 g.
Defects
Unit of
Measure
Minor Major Serious
Sample
size
300 gm
E.V.M Each piece
2
Detached leaves Each 5 g 1
Fragments
- spears Each 20 mm 1
- florets Each 5 g 1
Sample
size
25 unit
Blemished
- minor Each unit 1
- major
2
- serious
4
Mechanical damage Each unit
1
Poorly trimmed Each unit 1
Over-mature/Poorly
developed
Each unit
2
Fibrous Each unit
2
Woody Each unit
4
Total allowable points 25 12 4
Grand total 25
Style Florets the Head According to Size the Stem Not More Than 5 Cm
Foreign Matter (Paper, soft plastic, Glass fragment, Wood, Worms and larvae. Hard plastic,
Stone / Stone fragments)
Microbiological information
Total Plate count (cfu/gr) <100 000 cfu/g
Coliforms (cfu/gr) < 100 cfu/g
E. Coli (cfu/gr) < 10 cfu/g
Molds (cfu/gr) <10 000 cfu/g
Yeasts (cfu/gr) <10 000 cfu/g
Staph. Aureus (cfu/gr) < 10 cfu/g
Packaging
Weigh: Bulks 5.7kg
Both polybags and outer cartons have to be free from tears and other damages.
Packaging used must protect the product against contamination.