Overview
ISO 4125:1991 - "Dry fruits and dried fruits - Definitions and nomenclature" is an international vocabulary standard that defines terms and sets common names for the most commonly traded dry fruits and dried fruits. Published by ISO/TC 34 (Agricultural food products), this second edition (1991) cancels and replaces the 1979 edition. The standard provides definitions in English, French and Russian, includes tables of commonly traded items, and an informative Annex A with botanists’ names and author abbreviations.
Key topics
- Clear definitions
- Dry fruits: Fruits with a naturally low moisture content in the edible part.
- Dried fruits: Fruits at appropriate maturity subjected to natural or artificial drying to remove a major part of water (to extend shelf life or prepare for specific uses).
- Multilingual nomenclature
- Common names provided in English, French and Russian to support international trade and regulatory consistency.
- Indexed commodity lists
- Table 1: List of commonly traded dry fruits (nuts, kernels, drupes, legumes, etc.).
- Table 2: List of commonly traded dried fruits (fig, date, raisin, prune, apricot, etc.).
- Botanical name guidance
- Botanical names shown; some are marked as not yet stabilized by ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). Annex A lists botanists’ full names and standard abbreviations.
- Edition note
- Second edition revises tables 1 and 2 from the 1979 version; Annex A is informative only.
Applications and practical value
ISO 4125 is practical for anyone needing consistent terminology across languages and markets:
- Food manufacturers and packers: consistent product naming on specification sheets and labels.
- Importers/exporters and traders: harmonized commodity names for contracts, invoices and market reports.
- Regulators and customs authorities: clear vocabulary for classification, inspection and labelling enforcement.
- Standards developers and industry associations: reference vocabulary when drafting product standards, specifications or labelling guidelines.
- Translators and technical writers: authoritative tri-lingual names for communications and documentation.
Who should use it
- Agrifood businesses dealing with nuts and dried fruit commodities
- Quality managers, regulatory affairs professionals, and labeling specialists
- Trade associations, certification bodies and standardization committees
Related standards (if applicable)
This standard complements other ISO work on agricultural and food product terminology produced by ISO/TC 34, and topics such as food labelling, commodity classification and product specifications. For cross-references, consult other ISO food vocabulary and labelling standards relevant to your jurisdiction.
Keywords: ISO 4125, dry fruits, dried fruits, definitions and nomenclature, food standards, multilingual vocabulary, agricultural products, fruit trade, labelling.
