Fresh fruit & vegetable grading services

Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Grading Services

Thanks to the highly efficient marketing
system in the United States, fruits and
vegetables can be grown where climate,
soil, and geography are most suitable
and delivered fresh and wholesome to
consumers thousands of miles away.

If you're part of this far-flung system—a
grower, shipper, processor, or receiver—
or if you're an institutional feeder, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official
grading services can play a vital role in
the smooth functioning of your business.

For sellers, there is assurance that prod-
ucts meet specific grade or contract
requirements; for buyers, assurance that
they are getting the quality they expect,
regardless of whether the shipper is
across town or across the country.

Grade Standards

As the basis for the grading services,
USDA has developed official grade stan-
dards for fresh fruits, vegetables, tree
nuts, peanuts, and related commodities.
The grade standards describe the quality
requirements for each grade of a com-
modity, giving the industry a common
language for selling and buying.

USDA has established a policy to gradu-
ally phase in four uniform grade names—
U.S. Fancy, U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, and
U.S. No. 3—to represent available levels
of quality. Although the number of
grades included in a standard may vary,
two or three are usually enough to meet
normal trading demands for most fruits
and vegetables.

If your request for official grading is
based on U.S. grade standards, the offi-
cial certificate covering your shipment
will show which USDA grade the product
meets. If there are no U.S. grade stan-
dards for your product, or if you request

a quality or condition inspection based
on a State grade or your own specifica-
tions, USDA graders can certify the
product’s quality or condition on that
basis. These certificates are accepted
as legal evidence in all Federal courts
and in nearly all State courts.

Grading Services

The grading services are divided into
two main categories—shipping point
grading and terminal market grading.
The bulk of grading is conducted at
shipping point as the produce is being
packed for shipment to market. A ship-
ment of produce also may be graded at
its destination to determine its current
grade, either for the receiver's use in
handling the lot or to settle questions
which may arise between shipper and
receiver.

To provide grading service nationwide,
USDA maintains cooperative grading
agreements with State Departments of
Agriculture and other State agencies.
Agreements are now in force in 48
States and Puerto Rico.

The grading service performed under
these agreements is operated jointly by
USDA's Food Safety and Quality Service
(FSQS) and cooperating State agencies,
and is known as the Federal-State Grad-
ing Service. FSQS establishes basic
grading policies and procedures and fur-
nishes overall direction.

Under these Federal-State agreements,
Federally-licensed graders perform their
work throughout the country at points of
origin. Often, these shipping point
graders work in the fields while a crop is
being harvested.

USDA grader inspects grapes at
shipping point.

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In addition, Federal grading service is
provided in 75 of the largest terminal
markets in the country, with assistance
from the cooperating State agencies in
certain of these markets.

All grading is voluntary except in those
areas where producers have adopted
Federal or State marketing orders which
establish minimum quality standards.

For Shippers

Shippers of fresh fruits and vegetables,
nuts, and related products can have their
produce graded for quality and condition
at shipping point. This establishes the
quality of the commodities at time of
shipment, for sales purposes or for veri-
fying compliance with contract terms.
The Federal-State Grading Service main-
tains seasonal or year-round offices in
all major shipping areas.

Far left: Terminal market grading
of cherries.

Left: Pressure testing determines
the stage of ripeness in apples. 5

The pulp temperature of lettuce is
taken as part of the grading
process.

For Receivers

Receivers in terminal markets through-
out the country can have shipments of
produce graded for both quality and con-
dition or for condition only. Many
receivers use the grading service to
determine whether or not a shipment
meets contract terms at time of arrival,
to help them decide the best use for a
particular shipment, or as an aid in sell-
ing. Grading service on any shipment is
available to anyone with a financial inter-
est in the commodity.

Receivers, aS a group, or as individuals,
may enter into a special contract with
USDA to have their entire volume of rail
car and trucklot receipts graded. This
special contract service will be granted
only when the anticipated volume is
large enough to cover grading costs and
when sufficient grading staff is available.

For Institutional Buyers and
Government Agencies

Federal, State, and local governments,
airlines, hospitals, schools, hotels, and
other large feeding establishments make
extensive use of the Federal and Federal-
State Grading Services.

The grading service will help institutional
buyers draw up specifications—using
U.S. grade standards wherever appropri-
ate—to describe the quality of produce
they need, and then inspect deliveries to
assure that they fit the specifications. In
the contract with suppliers, buyers can
specify that all purchases must be certi-
fied by USDA.

USDA grader checks the quality of
tomatoes before truck is unloaded.

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For Processors

Processors can contract with the
Federal-State Grading Service for
inspection of raw commodity deliveries.
Trained graders will then be stationed at
the processor's receiving stations to
evaluate the produce as it is delivered—
either on the basis of U.S. grade stan-
dards or on specifications designed to fit
the processor's particular needs. The
official grading certificate can be used
as an equitable basis for grower pay-
ments. Many processors also find the
grading reports useful in determining the
storage life of the produce, adjusting
their processing to varying qualities and
conditions, and deciding the best use for
particular lots of product.

Continuous Inspection

A special type of service, known as con-
tinuous inspection, is also available to
packers at shipping points and in termi-
nal markets.

Pear ripeness is checked by
manual pressure.

Continuous inspection means that one or
more graders are assigned to your pack-
ing plant during the full time packing is
conducted. The grader observes plant
conditions and preparation and packing
of the product. Graders make frequent
quality checks on the commodity from
the packing lines and examine samples
of the packed products to determine
whether they meet the U.S. grade or
specification for which the commodity is
being packed.

Under this service the grader also gives
the packinghouse management oral and
written reports on the quality and condi-
tion of the commodities being packed.
On the basis of these reports, manage-
ment can take immediate steps to cor-
rect problems before they become
serious and thus protect the quality of
the pack.

This service is offered only to packers
whose packing plants and facilities meet
rigid sanitary requirements and are
suitable for proper handling and packing
operation. To receive this service, the

plant and facilities must first be
inspected by specially qualified USDA or
Federal-State graders to determine com-
pliance.

Quality Control Aids

USDA has developed a number of visual
aids, color standards, and guides to
assure that the grade standards mean
the same thing in all parts of the country.

Among the aids used to guide graders in
rating quality factors are handpainted
plaster models depicting shape, color,
and types of defects; special plastic and
glass color comparators; color photo-
graphs, sketches, and booklets and
charts illustrating types of defects and
other factors.

Recently USDA initiated a program in
which some visual aid materials are
being made available for sale to the
public. You can get details on available
aids and the firms who manufacture
them from the grading office nearest you.

Grapes are sized as part of the
grading process. 9

How To Obtain Official Grading

For further information on grading
services, contact Fruit and Vegetable
Quality Division, Food Safety and Quality
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D.C. 20250, or the appropri-
ate Federal or Federal-State Grading
Service office nearest you. The principal
offices are listed below.

Federal Grading Offices at
Terminal Markets

Contact the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Fresh Fruit and Vege-
table Grading, at terminal market
where you want inspection

10

Albany, NY 12235
State Campus Bldg.
No. 8

Asheville, NC 28806
570 Brevard Road

Atlanta, GA 30050
Administration Bldg.
Room 205

State Farmers Market
Forest Park, GA

Augusta, ME 04330
State Office Bldg.

Baltimore, MD
Maryland Wholesale
Produce Market

Bldg. B. Unit 13
Jessup, MD 20794

Baton Rouge, LA 70804
12055 Airline Highway
Post Office Box 44184
Capitol Station

Belle Glade, FL 33430
U.S. Highway 441 North

Birmingham, AL 35203
726 Second Ave., North

Boston, MA 02149
Boston Market Terminal
Room 1

34 Market Street
Everett, MA 02149

Buffalo, NY 14206
176 Niagara Frontier
Food Terminal, Room 8

Caribou, ME 04736
251 Main St.

Charlotte, NC 28203
2201 Park Road

Charleston, W. VA 25334
Charleston Farmers Market

Chicago, IL 60607
610 S. Canal Street
Room 1160

Cincinnati, OH 45202
Federal Office Bldg.
Room 3034

550 Main Street

Cleveland, OH 44115
3800 Woodland Ave.

Columbia, SC 29201
Administration Bldg.
State Farmers Market

Columbus, OH 42315
710 State Office Bldg.

Dallas, TX 75201
910 S. Pearl Expressway
Room 214

Denver, CO 80203
1525 Sherman St.
Room 406

Detroit, MI 48209
Detroit Union Produce
Terminal, Room 82
7201 West Fort Street

Dover, DE 19901
State of Delaware
Dept. of Agriculture
South Dupont Highway

El Paso, TX 79901
724 E. Overland

Grand Rapids, MI 49426
5551 Marlin Avenue
Hudsonville, MI

Harrisburg, PA 17120
2301 N. Cameron St.
Room 312

Hartford, CT 06115
State Office Bldg.
Room G-3

Honolulu, HI 96814
1428 S. King Street

Houston, TX 77023
3100 Produce Row,
Room 14

Indianapolis, IN 46218
Terminal Office Bldg.
Rooms 4&5

4101 Massachusetts Ave.

Jacksonville, FL 32205
3333 Edgewood Ave., N.
Unit 46

Kansas City, MO 64106
U.S. Court House, Rm. 123
811 Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90021
784 S. Central Ave.,
Room 266

Louisville, KY 40218
No. 1 Produce Terminal

Memphis, TN 38103
Federal Office Bldg.,
Room 444

167 N. Main Street

Miami, FL 33136
1350 N.W., 12th Ave.
Room 530

Mobile, AL 36601
Grain Inspection Office
Alabama State Docks

Monett, MO 65708
8th and Broadway

Montgomery, AL 36109
Richard Beard Bldg.
Room 200

1445 Federal Drive

Nashville, TN 37204
Ellington Agri. Center
Hogan Road

Newark, NJ 07102
Room 839, Federal Bldg.
970 Broad Street

New Orleans, LA 70113
5027 U.S. Postal
Service Bldg.

701 Loyola Ave.

New York, NY 10474
28-A Hunts Point Market
Bronx, NY 10474

Norfolk, VA 23502
3661 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Room 115

Oklahoma City, OK 73105
122 State Capitol Bldg.

Philadelphia, PA 19148
293 Produce Bldg.
3301 S. Galloway St.

Phoenix, AZ 85061
2901 W. Fairmount Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222
832-A Federal Bldg.
1000 Liberty Ave.

Portland, OR 97214
606 S.E. 9th Street

Providence, RI 02903
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Room 204

83 Park Street

Raleigh, NC 27611
350 State Agriculture Bldg.

Richmond, VA 23219
203 N. Governor St.,
Room 328

Riverhead, NY 11901
127 East Main St.

Roanoke, VA 24012
5223 Williamston Road, N.E.

Rochester, NY 14623
Genesee Valley Regional Market
900 Jefferson Rd.

Sacramento, CA 95814
1220 “‘N”’ St.,
Room A-262

St. Louis, MO 63102
Unit 1 Produce Row,
Room 202

St. Paul, MN 55155
670 State Office Bldg.

Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Laboratory Bldg.
State Capitol

San Antonio, TX 78207
244 Administration Bldg.
1500 S. Zarzamora St.

San Francisco, CA 94111
739 Appraisers Bldg.
630 Sansome Street

San Juan, PR 00623
Army Terminal Pier
Cantano, PR

Savannah, GA 31408
State Farmers Markets

Seattle, WA 98108
5507 Sixth Ave., S.

Shreveport, LA 71101
State Office Bldg.
Room 313

1237 Murphy Street

Springfield, IL 62706
Emmerson Bldg.
State Fairgrounds

11

Syracuse, NY 13208
2100 Park Street
Room 206-207

Tampa, FL 33680

Tampa Wholesale Produce
Market

Room 58

28th St. &E

Hillsborough Ave.

Trenton, NJ 08625

New Jersey Dept. of Agriculture
Division of Regulatory Service
John Fitch Plaza

Washington, DC 20250

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Fruit and Vegetable Quality

Division—Food Safety and
Quality Service

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

Penn Place, Room 2203
20 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

Youngstown, OH 44503
9 West Front Street
Room 223

12

Headquarters For
Federal-State
Inspection Service*

Alabama

Richard Beard Bldg.
Room 200

1445 Federal Drive
Montgomery, AL 36109

Arizona
2901 W. Fairmount Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85061

Arkansas
122 State Capitol Bldg.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

California

1220 ‘‘N’”’ Street

Room A-262
Sacramento, CA 95814

Colorado

1525 Sherman Street
Room 406

Denver, CO 80203

*Local offices are maintained in
major shipping areas. Check your

local telephone directory under

Federal-State or State department

of agriculture.

Connecticut

State Office Bldg.
Room G-3
Hartford, CT 06115

Delaware

State of Delaware
Department of Agriculture
South Dupont Highway
Dover, DE 19901

Florida

Florida Citrus Bldg.

550 Third Street, NW
Winter Haven, FL 33880

Georgia

Florida Citrus Bldg.

550 Third Street, NW
Winter Haven, FL 33880

Hawaii
1428 South King Street
Honolulu, HA 96814

Idaho

4696 Overland Road
Suite 576

Boise, ID 83705

Illinois

610 South Canal Street
room 1160

Chicago, IL 60607

Indiana

Terminal Office Bldg.
rooms 4&5

4101 Massachusetts Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46218

lowa
670 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Kansas
122 State Capitol Bldg.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Kentucky
No. 1 Produce Terminal
Louisville, KY 40218

Louisiana

12055 Airline Highway
P.O. Box 44184

Capital Station

Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Maine
251 Main Street
Caribou, ME 04736

Maryland

State of Delaware
Department of Agriculture
South Dupont Highway
Dover, DE 19901

Massachusetts
Boston Market Terminal
Room 1

34 Market Street
Everett, MA 02149

Michigan

Lewis Cass Bldg.

300 South Walnut
Lansing, MI 48901

Minnesota

670 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Mississippi

12055 Airline Highway
P.O. Box 44184

Capital Station

Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Missouri
122 State Capitol Bldg.

Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Montana

4696 Overland Road
Suite 576

Boise, ID 83705

Nevada

Laboratory Bldg.

State Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT 84114

New Hampshire
Boston Market Terminal
Room 1

34 Market Street
Everett, MA 02149

New York

Div. of Farm Prod. Serv.
Depart. of Agri. & Mdts.
State Campus Bldg. No. 8
Albany, NY 12235

New Jersey

Room 293 Produce Bldg.
3301 S. Galloway Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148

New Mexico

1301 West Expressway Ave.

Alamo, TX 78516

North Carolina
901 East Boulevard
Williamston, NC 27892

North Dakota
670 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Ohio

710 State Office Bldg.
550 Main Street
Columbus, OH 42315

Oklahoma
122 State Capitol Bldg.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Oregon
Agriculture Bldg.
Room 109
Salem, OR 97310

Pennsylvania
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Puerto Rico
Army Terminal Pier
Catano, PR 00623

Rhode Island

Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Room 204

83 Park Street
Providence, RI 02903

South Carolina
Administration Bldg.
State Farmers Market
Columbia, SC 29201

South Dakota
670 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Tennessee

Ellington Agri. Center
Hogan Road
Nashville, TN 37204

Texas
1301 West Expressway Ave.
Alamo, TX 78516

Utah

Laboratory Bldg.

State Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT 84114

Vermont

Boston Market Terminal
Room 1

34 Market Street
Everett, MA 02149
Virginia

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
FSQS

Fruit & Veg. Quality Div.
Washington, DC 20250

Washington
General Admin. Bldg.
Room 418

Olympia, WA 98504

13

West Virginia
U.S. Dept. of Agri.
FSQS

Fruit & Veg. Quality Div.

Washington, DC 20250

Wisconsin

610 South Canal Street
Room 1160

Chicago, IL 60607
Wyoming

1525 Sherman Street
Room 406

Denver, CO 80203

14

The Food Safety and Quality Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, offers its pro-
grams to all eligible persons regardless of
race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin,
or handicap.

This publication supersedes AMS-520, ‘‘Official

Grade Standards and Inspection for Fresh Fruits
and Vegetables.”

July 1980