directorate of marketing & inspection branch head office ... - Agmarknet

ii) Food Corporation of India Grade Standards:
Food Corporation of India (FCI) is the nodal agency of the Government of India for
procuring the foodgrains in different states and maize is also procured by them. The grade
specifications followed during marketing season 2006-2007 are given in ANNEXURE - II.
iii) CODEX STANDARDS:
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CAC) : Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CAC) implements joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The purpose of the CAC
programme is to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
The CAC is a collection of internationally adopted food standards presented in a uniform
manner. Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement and Technical Barriers to Trade
Agreement of World Trade Organization recognize standards framed by CAC with respect to
safety and quality aspects of food items. Thus, for international trade, standards framed by
CAC are recognized. Codex standard for maize (corn) are given in ANNEXURE - III.
6.0 PACKAGING
Good packaging is necessary for easy handling, transportation and storage. The
maize corn is transported from field (threshing floor) to the market and storage godown in
gunny bags. Good quality gunny bags either new or second hand with proper treatment are
necessary to avoid spoilage and to protect the corn from moisture and insect attack etc.
Qualities of good packaging material :
It should be convenient in operations.
The packaging material must preserve the quality of produce.
It should be convenient to stack.
It should be able to prevent spillage during transit and storage.
It should be cost-effective.
It should be clean and attractive.
It should be biodegradable.
It should be helpful in reducing the marketing cost by reducing the handling
and retailing cost.
Packing material should be reusable.
5