Fresh fruit and vegetable marketing standards
Quality and labelling rules for growing, packing, distributing, importing and selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
Applies to England and Wales
Fresh fruit and vegetables at all stages of production and marketing must meet quality and labelling requirements. These are called marketing standards.
The marketing standards also apply to salad crops, nuts and cultivated mushrooms.
Individuals and businesses at all stages of production and marketing must follow rules to meet marketing standards, including:
- packers
- growers
- distributors
- wholesalers
- retailers
- importers
- exporters
The 2 sets of marketing standards are the:
- Specific Marketing Standard (SMS) for 10 types of fresh produce
- General Marketing Standard (GMS) for most other fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and herbs
If you’re exporting goods that are covered by Specific Marketing Standards (SMS) from Great Britain you will need a certificate of conformity. Importing countries may occasionally ask for a certificate of conformity for GMS goods as well.
Specific Marketing Standard (SMS)
The SMS includes quality and labelling rules that your products must comply with at each stage of production and marketing.
The SMS applies to:
You must not sell SMS products that do not meet these requirements.
You must make sure your SMS products are graded based on their quality:
- extra class – superior quality produce that’s regular in shape and appearance with only very slight defects
- class I – good quality produce that has minor defects to the skin or shape
- class II – reasonably good quality produce that may have one or more defects such as some bruising, damage or change in colour
You can grade SMS products (apart from lettuce) as ‘extra class’ if they meet the relevant requirements.
If you sell SMS products, you must check that the produce meets the class requirements.
If produce deteriorates, you should not sell it. If it meets the requirements for a lower quality class, change the labelling to display that class.
For more information on SMS quality requirements and defects allowed for different products:
- email phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk
- phone 0300 1000 313
Labelling requirements to meet the SMS
The label on all packages of SMS produce (including pre-packed produce) must include:
- quality class
- country of origin in full (do not use abbreviations or flags)
- variety or type (if required)
- size, weight range or number of items (see each standard for exact requirements)
- net weight or the number of items (unless the number can be clearly seen)
- the name and address of the grower or dispatcher, or an authorised code mark – you can use an official grower or packer code number, the name and full address of the packer or dispatcher, or a global gap number (GGN)
If you require an official grower or pack code number, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency Centre for International Trade (APHA CIT) on 0300 1000 313.
Loose SMS produce: labelling rules for retailers
You must display loose SMS produce with clear labelling showing the:
- country of origin in full (do not use abbreviations or flags)
- quality class
- variety or type (if required)
You can use terms such as ‘local produce’ or ‘home grown’ as well as the origin information (for example, ‘Class I, locally grown English Braeburn apples’). Do not use these terms on their own for country of origin information.
Examples of labelling you can use to show the variety of produce include:
- ‘Granny Smith’ or ‘Gala’ for apples
- ‘Navel’ or ‘Valencia’ for oranges
- ‘Conference’ or ‘Rocha’ for pears
- ‘Italia’ or ‘Crimson’ for table grapes
Examples of labelling you can use to show the type of produce include:
- ‘satsuma’ or ‘clementine’ for soft citrus fruit (easy peelers)
- ‘white’ or ‘yellow flesh’ for peaches and nectarines
- ‘hot’ for sweet peppers
- ‘cherry’ or ‘cocktail’ for tomatoes
You do not need to include variety or type information on the labelling for:
- kiwi fruit
- lettuces
- strawberries
- tomatoes (apart from cherry or cocktail varieties)
- sweet peppers (apart from hot sweet peppers)
You must include the quality class and country of origin on the labelling for these products.
It’s your legal responsibility to make sure labelling information is accurate and up to date.
You must check regularly that:
- your produce is labelled with the correct quality class
- produce of different origins and varieties is displayed separately
You should find all of this information on the labelling of the original container you received the products in. If it’s not included, you must ask your suppliers for all the information required so you can label the products correctly.
If produce is unpacked, you must display this information next to the product. This is so you do not mislead consumers.
If you display produce in the original containers, make sure the original label is clearly visible to customers.
SMS produce for home processing: labelling rules
You can sell SMS products that do not meet SMS requirements for home processing, for example, to make pies or jams.
If you sell SMS produce for home processing, you must label it as ‘produce for home processing’. You can also include additional information such as ‘strawberries for home jam making’ or ‘apples for home pie making’. You do not have to label the produce with a quality class.
Produce sold for home processing must meet the quality requirements for the General Marketing Standard (GMS).
If you’re packing or distributing products that are intended for home processing use, you should check that these products are labelled as ‘intended for home processing’.
General Marketing Standard (GMS)
GMS applies to most fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs and cultivated mushrooms, except those which must meet SMS.
GMS products do not need to be graded into quality classes, but they must be:
- intact
- sound (for example, not rotten, severely bruised or severely damaged)
- clean (as is practically possible)
- free from pests (as is practically possible)
- free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh (as is practically possible)
- free of abnormal external moisture
- free of foreign smell or taste
- sufficiently developed or ripe but not overdeveloped or overripe
Read the full marketing standard for GMS products.
For more information on GMS quality requirements and defects allowed for different products:
- email phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk
- phone 0300 1000 313
Labelling requirements to meet the GMS
GMS produce (including pre-packed produce) must include:
- country of origin in full (do not use abbreviations or flags)
- the name and address of the grower or dispatcher, or an authorised code mark – you can use an official grower or packer code number, the name and full address of the packer or dispatcher, or a GGN
- net weight or number of items
Loose GMS produce: labelling rules for retailers
You must display loose GMS produce clearly labelled with its country of origin.
This can be on the:
- shelf where the products are on display
- produce label for each product
You do not need to include variety or type information on the labelling of GMS products.
It’s your legal responsibility to make sure that the labelling information is accurate and up to date.
You must:
- regularly check the quality of the products you’re selling to make sure they meet quality standards
- check that products of different origins remain separate from one another in the same display
Exporting goods covered by SMS or GMS
You will need a certificate of conformity to export goods that are covered by Specific Marketing Standards. You may occasionally be asked for a certificate of conformity for GMS goods.
You can apply for a certificate of conformity using the Apply for plant export certificates and inspections service.
Produce not covered by SMS or GMS
These products do not have any specific quality or labelling requirements under the SMS or GMS:
- all prepared and processed products, dried products and products for industrial processing, wine making or animal feed
- arrowroot
- bay
- bitter almonds
- brazil nuts
- capers
- cashew nuts
- chilli peppers
- coconuts
- cocoyams
- dasheen
- dates
- early and ware potatoes
- edamame beans (a type of soybean)
- ginger
- Jerusalem artichokes
- macadamia nuts, pine nuts and all shelled nuts (nuts without their shells)
- manioc or cassava
- nutmeg
- olives
- peanuts
- pecans
- pistachios
- ripened bananas
- saffron
- sago
- salep
- sugar cane
- sweetcorn
- sweet potatoes
- taro
- turmeric
- wild mushrooms
- yam beans and similar roots (or tubers) with high starch or inulin content
- yams
This is not a complete list. If you’re unsure whether your product is covered by the SMS or GMS, contact APHA CIT on 0300 1000 313.
Green bananas
If you’re importing green (unripened) bananas to the UK, you’ll need to follow separate quality requirements from SMS and GMS. For guidance on the quality standards and the defects allowed for green bananas:
- email phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk
- phone 0300 1000 313
You must tell the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) about imports of unripened bananas arriving at UK points of entry.
The requirements for green bananas only apply to imports at UK points of entry and prior to ripening. They do not apply at later stages of marketing or at retail.
Mixed types of produce
You can sell packs of mixed produce up to 5kg if:
- all the produce is of the same quality
- each type of produce meets the marketing standard that applies to it
You can label packs containing produce from more than one country as:
- ‘mix of non-UK fruit’, ‘mix of non-UK vegetables’ or ‘mix of non-UK fruit and vegetables’
- ‘mix of UK and non-UK fruit’, ‘mix of UK and non-UK vegetables’ or ‘mix of UK and non-UK fruit and vegetables’
You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023. From 1 January 2024, you must use ‘non-UK’ or ‘UK and non-UK’ when the label does not list each country of origin.
Retail distance selling
Distance selling means selling goods by:
- online shopping
- mail order
- telephone
- fax
If you sell fresh produce this way, you must give the customer the same product information before they buy that they would get in a shop.
If you sell products on a shopping website, you can list several countries of origin for a specific product if the:
- product is regularly supplied from those countries
- country of origin is included when the goods are delivered to the customer (for example, on a delivery note) – at this point, the customer has the right to refuse the goods at no cost to themselves
Inspections
If you’re a packer, grower or retailer, an HMI inspector may visit you to check that you’re meeting the relevant quality and labelling standards.
The inspector will check that the fresh produce you’re packing, growing or selling is:
- fit for sale
- correctly labelled
- graded in the appropriate quality class (for SMS produce only)
You will not be told in advance that you’re going to be inspected. You must follow the advice that the inspector gives you.
If your produce passes inspection
If you’re following the required marketing standards correctly, you’ll get:
- fewer visits from HMI inspectors
- ‘green’ status from HMI
If your business consistently meets the required marketing standards, you can apply for approved trader status from HMI.
If your produce does not pass inspection
If you’re not following the quality and labelling rules correctly, the inspector will discuss your options with you.
You’ll probably need to do one or more of the following:
- make improvements so that the produce meets the rules (for example, by relabelling it or reclassifying it at a lower quality grading)
- remove the produce from the fresh market – this may involve disposing of it by an approved method
- send the produce back to the supplier (typically, the packer or importer)
Before the inspector leaves, you’ll need to decide what you’re going to do with the produce. You’ll need to sign an agreement stating what you’ll do. The agreement is legally binding and if you break it, you could face prosecution.
The inspector may need to carry out a follow-up inspection before you’re allowed to start selling the produce again.
Subsequent inspections
HMI is more likely to select you for an unannounced inspection if your fresh fruit and vegetables have not passed inspection in the past.
If you repeatedly fail to meet the relevant marketing standards, you may receive ‘amber’ status from HMI. This means that you’ll get more inspections and advice on how you can meet the required quality and labelling standards.
If you still do not meet the required marketing standards while you have ‘amber’ status, you may receive ‘red’ status from HMI. This means that HMI may consider taking legal action and can collect any evidence to support possible legal action. In most cases, you’ll have received written warnings previously and had every opportunity to improve. You can avoid legal action at this stage if you take immediate action to meet the required marketing standards.
Your business can move between green, amber and red status depending on:
- how well you follow quality and labelling rules
- how much you’ve improved
Contact APHA
If you have any questions about the quality and labelling requirements for fruit and vegetables:
- email phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk
- phone 0300 1000 313
Updates to this page
Published 31 March 2014Last updated 8 May 2024 + show all updates
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Updated contact details for questions about the quality and labelling requirements for fruit and vegetables.
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Updated the contact details section – contact the PEACH Enquiries team if you have any questions about the quality and labelling requirements for fruit and vegetables.
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Updated labelling guidance for mixed types of produce. You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
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Added information on 'Exporting goods covered by SMS or GMS'.
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Updated the specific marketing standards for apples, table grapes, kiwi fruit, citrus fruit, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, lettuces, sweet peppers and tomatoes and the general marketing standard.
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Added GMS and SMS notes to explain some of the requirements more clearly and give information about defects that are not in the standard.
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Added feedback survey.
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To bring page in line with the regulations.
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First published.