Do you like them bent or straight?
Printable View
Do you like them bent or straight?
It doesn't matter what we say or think, big brother decides these matters along with chocolate and Jaffa's
Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas, sometimes referred to in the media as the bendy banana law, is a European Union regulation specifying classification standards for bananas, which took effect on 1 January 1995.
Amended by: Commission Regulation (EC) No. ...
Came into force: 1995-01-01
Date made: 1994 16 September
Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94 - Wikipedia
And Jaffa's
The product's classification as a cake or biscuit was part of a VAT tribunal in 1991, with the court finding in McVitie's favour that the Jaffa cake should be considered a cake for tax purposes. In 2012 they were ranked the best selling cake or biscuit in the United Kingdom.
EU bureaucrats might not consider British chocolate the real thing – they want to rename it 'vegelate' or 'milk chocolate with a high milk content'
I'm trying not to post on anything except football at the moment because if I do I get trolled by wierdos who think I'm Wales Bales, but I must say that this is interesting because the QI programme, which is another example of the BBC using light entertainment as a propoganda weapon , did a whole feature about how the banana rule doesn't exist according to fat boy cheque fraud Fry and his smirking assistants .
The "rule" that everyone thinks is the regulation doesn't actually exist though... that's the myth!
life on mars has just stated that there's a regulation about the quality of bananas which has been referred to as the 'bendy banana law' (which it is referred to as, due to the fact that a lot of people think that it's a ban on bendy bananas - which it obviously isn't).
Well, given the contraversy, I've just looked it up ,and it most definitely does exist , including a clause that they must not be bent at an unacceptable angle .
I'm far more concerned myself with the EU deals to buy crappy South and central bananas which lost thousands of jobs in South Wales and Essex as well as shutting down the economy in Jamaica and other former colonies which supported us when we were at war with the countries leading the EU.
I'd love to see these industries and jobs restored by Brexit , but I'm straying into politics and that'll get me trolled.
In any case, as far as I can establish the said rule / regulation does exist , so I'm interested why you think it doesn't .
'Bananas have always been classified by quality and size for international trade. Because the standards, set by individual governments and the industry, were confusing, the European Commission was asked to draw up new rules.
Commission regulation 2257/94 decreed that bananas in general should be “free from malformation or abnormal curvature”. Those sold as “extra class” must be perfect, “class 1” can have “slight defects of shape” and “class 2” can have full-scale “defects of shape”.
Nothing is banned under the regulation, which sets grading rules requested by industry to make sure importers – including UK wholesalers and supermarkets – know exactly what they will be getting when they order a box of bananas.'
https://www.theguardian.com/politics...us-in-cornwall
Hope that helps.
Well, whilst that's most informative, you've explained why you think the regulation is necessary, which is fair enough, except that it wasn't quite what I asked, was it ?
You originally said that the regulation didn't exist, but it does so I asked you why you thought it didn't .
It's not a huge point. As I said earlier, I'm far more concerned by the EU regulations putting Britain and Jamaica at a disadvantage in terms of jobs and the economy , ( and quality too incidentally) , than I am by the quality control measures in force.
Actually though, such matters used to be settled between growers , shippers, retailers and customers rather than employing battalions of clerks to define and enforce the quality of products. As long as they're of sufficient quality to be safe for human consumption, the quality of the product will set the price and vice versa.
It's quite typical of that organisation to want to unnecessarily involve itself and its publicly funded employees in matters which they have no need to, nor business to interfere with .
By the way, you seemed a bit annoyed in your last reply, but I'm not trying to be nasty or anything - just stating an opinion which you're perfectly welcome to disagree with, and which I shall respect whether or not it coincides with my own.
"You originally said that the regulation didn't exist, but it does so I asked you why you thought it didn't ."
No, he originally said the regulation doesn't exist in the way that many people think it does.
https://youtu.be/XMl6HnhFFIA
Here's secret video of the EU Banana Committee working out the rules
Nanny state I remember the old Blair /Brown axis being labeled that by the evil Tories , but to be fair it was nowhere as mad as the federal bureau of Europe rulings , isn't the modern Labour party anti federalists ???? , I cant keep up with the revolving door ,or whcih fence there on ?
Well none of them have much to do with the ideas which their parties used to be committed to.
The two sides now are those who support globalism versus those who want to retain more traditional values of nationhood , individual freedoms and competitive economies.
Nutcase stalking troll making false allegation of dual identity - shock !
Of course I've always been concerned about Jamaica as well as other many countries with a long historical connection with ours, but whose economies don't get the boost from British trade which they deserve, and which also benefit us.
I'd have to say specifically that anyone connected with South Wales who wasn't both knowledgeable and concerned about trade with the West Indies isn't well informed , since it was a huge part of the local economy and employment for decades. Obviously though, I mention Jamaica here specifically because the subject is bananas, and the banana trade was a big part of the trade between South Wales and the Commonwealth. Had it been oil, I'd have spoken of Trinidad, which I've also always been concerned about.
Of course I'm primarily concerned with the interests of the U.K, but where it's possible to benefit other countries in the course of trade and exchange we should put that in the direction of people who have been loyal friends in the past rather than those who have historically tried to invade and enslave us .
If you've been to the West Indies, you'll be aware that society there is still very British "themed" and they are very hurt that we've turned to our common former enemies as preferential trading partners.
What part of East Anglia are you from? I only ask as you seem to have such a rudimentary grasp of agricultural trade and particularly the causes of the demise of Jamaican (and more generally ACP banana production and exports) that perhaps you come from a more urban part of that wonderful region?
No, I'm in a very rural location and although I'm retired now I did used to own a fairly big farm, so I must have been very lucky to get away with my poor knowledge of agriculture.
I must say that I've never grown bananas - very few people seem to round here actually, even in the rural parts.
Perhaps you could explain where I'm going wrong in my thinking
No problem. The EU had an agreement with its former colonial countries that allowed preferential trade into the EU. This was called the Lome Agreement. The US (under lobbying pressure from Chiquita who grow no bananas in the US but have extensive interests in Latin America) challenged Lome at the WTO and won. The EU responded by trying its best to defend the African Caribbean Pacific Countries most effected but the US challenged again and won. The EU had to significantly revise its banana regime as a consequence. The cheaper dollar banana from Latin America as a consequence of US pressure decimated the Caribbean industry in economies far more dependent than Jamaica such as the Windward Islands. The EU scrambled to install a regime that at least alleviated some of this damage that was WTO compatible whilst also brokering a compromise with the US. The Cotonou agreement that replaced Lome gives significant funding to the affected countries and their producers that tries to soften the impact of US commercial aggression. The key reason why (if you lived in South Wales) you won't see many Geest/Fyffes bananas landing in South Wales ports.
What do yo farm in East Anglia by the way? I have a reasonable understanding of the agricultural sector in that area and how it operates that we can chat about?
Yeah fair enough. I got so confused by this multiple id ying and yang and both Ronnie and WB offering to meet in Beddau with duelling laptops that when I decided to spend a bit more time here I thought the easiest way back in was to ignore some of the historical noise and just chat to Farmer Ronnie. Just have to see what crops (pun intended) up I suppose!
Anyway, Farmer Ronnie. Good to know that Defra's rural broadband initiative has given you the ability to seamlessly post even from a very rural location. Must admit I was pretty jealous when you said you used to own a fairly big farm in the most prosperous agricultural region of the UK. What were you growing? I have contacts with quite a few of the producer organisations in that neck of the woods so we might have more in common than a shared love for Cardiff City
In essence you agree then that leaving the EU would allow us to reinstate trade with Jamaica.
As I said I'm retired so I don't farm anything any more. Since you appear so interested though I farmed cattle and other livestock in Scotland when I did farm. I saw few banana boats in either place , although I did see a lot of lorries from the South Wales and Bristol when I lived in Dunmow in Essex.
I don't know why I'd want to chat about agriculture in East Anglia with you or vice Versa, but since you're trying to test me it's mainly corn and food crops with a high concentration of sugar beet and around the fens a lot of pumpkins recently. Most small farms here have been absorbed by firms like Pickavers so I don't know many small farmers and of course there's no reason why I should .
I've no idea why so many people here are so paranoid and think everyone is lying and involving themselves in strange intricate conspiracies to mislead people they've never met and never will.
It's getting very tiresome you know. Actually, the only reason I filled out the details on that profile was to discourage nutters from engaging in their peculiar counter intelligence games, but now it seems to have caused more trouble !
What's wrong with you ? Is it so remarkable that someone lives in East Anglia and used to own a farm ? I've actually done other stuff too during my life and lived in a lot of places since I watched the Geest Bay and Geest Port shunting in and out of the docks down there.
I might be wrong but I don't remember Fyfees coming in there at all.
That was a long time ago though and it doesn't matter any more than your half arsed Sherlock Holmes interrogation. Please grow up.
It's East Anglia not Peru ! We've got electricity in a lot of places here now too.
I know some people moan about their internet connections, which you've probably read somewhere about politicians promising broad band fibre connections ( whatever they are) to outlying areas , but most places here have most modern conveniences and certainly sufficient Internet connections for domestic purposes.
There are numerous RAF and USAF bases here housing all the latest and most sophisticated weapons and systems and they control the drones which perform missions in Afganistan and the Mid East, so don't you think we've got phone lines, Sky , BT etc ?
I don't know how you concluded that the Jamaican banana industry decimated by the US lobbying on behalf of the US company Chiquita would somehow rise from the ashes post hard Brexit but then again I guess there is quite a bit about agriculture you are still wrestling with.
Still, I have a little familiarity with cattle (and other livestock industry) and regularly liaised with our devolved colleagues. Those animal id regulations must have been a real bind. I say as one who had some oversight for the regulatory regime.
I fully understand your angst about people thinking you are a 6ft 4 inch white rabbit called Harvey who hangs around with Wales Bales. I just want to talk agriculture with you!
I only just noticed that I've never said anything about farming here, so mad Cyril must have been studying my profile to get hold of that. I think that says it all