An international standard for tomatoes has been adopted, ending about seven years of intense debates between countries on what qualifies as a proper tomato.

According to the new standard, tomatoes may come in one of four varieties: round, ribbed, oblong or elongated¹, or cherry tomatoes and cocktail² tomatoes.

They must be whole, clean, free from foreign smell, free of pests and fresh in appearance.

"In the case of trusses of tomatoes, the stalks must be fresh, healthy, clean and free of all leaves and other visible foreign matter," according to the so-called Codex standard.

A commission called Codex Alimentarius was (R)created in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation³ (FAO) and the World Health Organisation to come up with food standards and guidelines on food products.

There are international standards for all kinds of food produce ranging from edam cheese to bananas to fish fillets.

They facilitate trade, as they provide a common interpretation⁴ of what constitutes a sound product to importing and exporting countries.

Tom Heilandt, who is a senior food standards adviser⁵ at the FAO explained that one such international standard was needed for tomatoes, in order to protect importing countries.

"Many developing countries in particular said that they needed this standard so that they ensure that they would get the right quality of products that they ordered," he said.

什么样的西红柿才算合格呢？在长达七年的激烈争论后，有关西红柿的一套国际标准终于得以确立。

根据新标准，合格西红柿包括四大品种，即圆形、伞拱形、椭圆形或泪滴形西红柿（即“圣女果”），以及鸡尾酒西红柿。

所有种类的西红柿外观必须完好、干净、新鲜，且无异味和虫眼。

所谓的法典标准规定：“如果是一串西红柿，其茎干必须新鲜、干净、健康、不带叶及其它可见异物。”

食品法典委员会由联合国粮农组织和世界卫生组织于1963年共同创立，其主要职责是研究和制定食品标准及指南。

目前，包括红波奶酪、香蕉和鱼排在内的各类食品都已有国际标准。

这些国际标准为食品进出口国家提供了一套合格产品的统一标准，方便了食品贸易。

粮农组织食品标准高级顾问汤姆•黑兰德说，西红柿也需要这样一套国际标准，这样可以保护那些西红柿进口国。

他说：“尤其是很多发展中国家表示，他们需要这样一套标准来确保他们所订购产品的质量。”