Paul Anghel, director general within the General Directorate of Market Control and Supervision of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC), draws attention to incorrect practices, claiming that undersized lemons and oranges, considered animal feed in civilized countries, are sold in Romania as products of “quality I”.
Lemons with a diameter below 45 millimeters and oranges below 60 millimeters do not comply with European standards for human consumption and should have other destinations, such as animal feed, industrial processing or composting, according to the general director of the General Directorate of Market Control and Supervision in ANPC.
“We are the mockery of citrus importers but also of buyers from markets!! Lemons (below 45 mm diameter) and oranges (below 60 mm diameter), considered animal feed when they are under-calibrated or non-compliant for human consumption in any civilized country according to European standards”, Paul Anghel said in a post on Facebook.
He also states that, despite these rules, in many hypermarkets and supermarkets in Romania these products reach the shelves and are presented to consumers as being of the best quality. “How do I get to the shelf? It’s a long but interesting road!”, he also commented.
Anghel points out that the legal destination of non-compliant citrus fruits is strictly regulated and includes only the use as direct feed, especially for cattle and pigs, processing in the form of juice, puree or alcohol, or composting, if they are not suitable for human consumption.
