We will also buy chutney according to standard, without pumpkins and preservatives

12.01.2012

Until now the pepper paste has been replaced by cheaper raw material

After the standards for the bread, the yoghurt and the sausages, since 11th of November 2011, another standard came into force – the one regarding the chutney. The manufacturers promised that the chutney produced according to the new standard will be available in the markets before Christmas. This will allow us to add to the holiday repast a flavor very similar to the one that our grandparents accomplished with the home-made chutney.

The new standard of the chutney will not only guarantee the well known and traditional taste of the product but will also set minimum threshold for its quality and nutritional value in the industrial production. It will contain only natural ingredients, without any preservatives, color additives, flavor enhancers, pumpkin and apple paste – all used until now. However the standard allows the addition of imported tomato paste due to its shortage in national production. It won’t exclude also the addition of starch which is part of the traditional recipe. The addition of citric acid or water with vinegar is also permitted according to the new standard. There are clear definitions for two types of chutney – finely ground, in which particles of the ingredients are visible and coarsely ground, in which parts of the vegetables are visible. Like all products produced according to standard, the chutney will have shorter expiry date – one week from the opening of the jar.

The standard is voluntary. Each producer who wants to produce chutney according to this standard has to register in the Food Safety Agency, which will be the controlling body of this production. According to the Food Law, violation of the standard will be penalized with sanction up to 10, 000 BGN. The approved canning combines will be allowed to use specialized logo on the labels of their products so they can be easily distinguished and recognizable. About 8 of the leading companies on the Bulgarian market have already expressed their desire to produce chutney according to the strict rules of the new standard.

Source: Agrokompas
Author: Rumiana Tsvetkova
12.12.2011