Issues of classification and examination of lemons in the course of forensic commodity expertise

Identification and examination of export-import goods, in particular lemons, plays a significant role in facilitating the detection of customs violations and crimes, as well as in ensuring preventive measures to eliminate them. The article analyses the peculiarities of examination of citrus fruits, in particular lemons, with a view to their classification under classifier of goods Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity. The methodological approaches to the classification of citrus fruits within the framework of commodity expertise are considered. The main diagnostic tasks to be solved by a forensic expert in the course of lemon examination are identified: determination of product quality, chemical analysis, phytopathological analysis, toxicological analysis, organoleptic analysis, microbiological analysis, identification of origin, assessment of storage and transportation conditions. Modern analytical methods allow to conduct a comprehensive study of lemons at various levels – molecular, chemical and morphological – to obtain objective data on their quality, safety and other important characteristics. This data can be useful in legal proceedings to determine the origin, compliance with quality standards and dispute resolution. The article summarises information on the typical defects of lemons, namely: mechanical damage, diseases and lesions, growth and development defects, skin defects, parasites and pests, physiological defects, chemical defects (these defects are of natural origin). Defects inherent in low-quality products with signs of deterioration include mechanical damage, rot and mould, discolouration, wrinkling, shape defects, pests, disease damage, additional chemical treatment, loss of aroma and taste, improper storage and transportation, black spots, and skin tears. The mechanism for conducting a forensic examination of lemons is described in detail.