IQF Green Beans

Product: IQF green beans, whole or cut

Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris

Origin: Egypt

Variety: Fine and extra-fine varieties [confirm]

Harvest season: Two main seasons, autumn and spring [confirm months]; frozen stock available all year

Ingredients: 100% green beans

Process: Harvest, cooling, washing, topping and tailing, cutting (cut beans), blanching, cooling, IQF freezing, sorting, metal detection, packing

Whole beans: Extra fine: diameter ≤ 6.5 mm; fine: 6.5–8 mm; length 7–12 cm

Cut beans: Length 20–40 mm, or to specification

Colour: Bright, uniform green

Flavour and odour: Typical green bean; free from off-flavours and off-odours

Texture: Tender and crisp; not fibrous

Peroxidase: Negative (adequately blanched)

Defect tolerances (by weight): Blemished or discoloured ≤ 5%; broken or split (whole beans) ≤ 5%; untrimmed ends ≤ 3%; over-mature or fibrous ≤ 3%; off-size ≤ 10%; clusters ≤ 2%; extraneous vegetable matter ≤ 1 piece per kg; foreign matter: none

Microbiology: Total plate count ≤ 100,000 cfu/g; coliforms ≤ 100 cfu/g; E. coli < 10 cfu/g; yeasts and moulds ≤ 1,000 cfu/g; Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes not detected in 25 g

Packaging: 10 kg net carton with PE liner; 4 × 2.5 kg; 1 kg and 2.5 kg catering bags; retail and private label on request

Storage and shelf life: ≤ −18 °C; 24 months from production

HS code: 0710 22 (EU CN 0710 22 00)