Here's to bent cucumbers

For a long time the permissible curvature of cucumbers was for many Europeans a symbol of Brussels' frenetic regulatory zeal. Now the EU has repealed the aesthetic regulations that apply to a number of different fruit and vegetables. The business newspaper Hospodářské noviny writes: "The EU's most preposterous rule has been scrapped: as of July 1, 2009, the angle of curvature of a cucumber will be allowed to exceed one centimetre. ... To tell the truth, it was always somewhat shabby to make fun of this regulation because it had practical advantages for commerce. Cucumbers that are straight can be packed more efficiently. ... However, given the global rise in food prices it no longer makes sense to reject fruit and vegetables that, apart from the way they look, are fine in terms of quality. Europe continues to regulate 75 percent of its trade in produce. ... Still, those of us who have a weakness for non-standard things and unusual people can be satisfied with this development."

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