DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF COMMODITIES

• FRUITS AND DERIVED PRODUCTS (Note)
• BANANAS
• PLANTAINS
• ORANGES
• TANGERINES AND MANDARINS AND CLEMENTINES AND SATSUMAS
• LEMONS AND LIMES
• GRAPEFRUIT AND POMELO
• CITRUS FRUIT NES
• APPLES
• PEARS
• QUINCES
• SPOME FRUIT NES
• APRICOTS
• SOUR CHERRIES
• CHERRIES
• PEACHES AND NECTARINES
• PLUMS
• STONE FRUIT
• STRAWBERRIES
• RASPBERRIES
• GOOSEBERRIES
• CURRANTS
• BLUEBERRIES
• CRANBERRIES
• BERRIES NES
• GRAPES
• FIGS
• PERSIMMONS
• KIWI FRUIT
• MANGOES
• AVOCADOS
• PINEAPPLES
• DATES
• CASHEWAPPLE
• PAPAYAS
• TROPICAL FRUIT (FRESH) NES
• FRESH FRUIT NES

FRUIT CROPS consist of fruits and berries that, with few exceptions, are characterized by their sweet taste. Nearly all are permanent crops, mainly from trees, bushes and shrubs, as well as vines and palms. Fruits and berries grow on branches, stalks or the trunks of plants, usually singly, but sometimes grouped in bunches or clusters (e.g. bananas and grapes). Commercial crops are cultivated in plantations, but significant quantities of fruits are also collected from scattered plants that may or may not be cultivated. Although melons and watermelons are generally considered to be fruits, FAO groups them with vegetables because they are temporary crops.

Fruit crops are highly perishable. Their shelf life may be extended through the application of chemical substances that inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and through careful control of the surrounding temperature, pressure and humidity once the fruit has been picked. Fruits and berries have a very high water content accounting for some 70- 90 percent of their weight. They contain, in various degrees, minerals, vitamins and organic acids, some of which reside in the peel or skin. Some fruits have a high fibre content and other inedible components, so that wastage is high, e.g. 60 percent for passion fruit and 35-45 percent for pineapples. The waste in temperate zone fruit is lower, generally of the order of 10-15 percent, while berries contain very little waste.

The carbohydrate content of fruits varies widely. Protein content is very low, averaging less than 1 percent, or below that in vegetables. Fat content in fruit is negligible, with the notable exception of avocados.

Fruit crops are consumed directly as food and are processed into dried fruit, fruit juice, canned fruit, frozen fruit, jam, alcoholic beverages, etc. Fruit crops are not normally grown for animal feed, although significant quantities of diseased and substandard fruits, as well as certain by-products of the fruit processing industry, are fed to animals.

Production data for fruit crops should relate to fruits actually harvested. Data on bananas and plantains should relate to the weight of single bananas or banana hands, excluding the weight of the central stalk.

FAO lists 36 primary fruit crops. The code and name of each is listed below along with its botanical name, or names, and a short description where necessary.

FRUIT CROPS PRODUCTS. Apart from a few main products, international trade classifications do not permit a sufficiently detailed classification of processed products according to the primary commodity used in the preparation. Fruit crops are processed for preservation and conservation, or for transformation from one substance into another, e.g. sugar into alcohol. Drying and wine making are two of the oldest methods of preservation. The manufacture of fruit syrups and juices, jams, jellies, marmalade, chutney and sauces are also traditional methods of preservation. Modern processes include canning, freezing, quick-freezing and dehydration.

Other fruit products include fruit squashes, i.e. juice with some fruit tissues included, fruit nectars containing at least 30 percent fruit solids, and some soft drinks that contain a very small amount of fruit juice. Essential oils are extracted from some fruits and fruit peels, while the peel of some fruit is also used in confectionery.