STANDARDIZATION AND INSPECTION FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES is 
defects of the commodity are noted for each growing region. Receivers in the 
markets are also consulted as to their ideas of grade requirements. Often it is 
necessary to consult fruit and vegetable specialists and pathologists at universities 
and colleges of agriculture to obtain details concerning certain diseases and insect 
injuries that affect a particular crop. 
Information is gladly received from all sources that may be able to offer some- 
thing of value in setting up workable grade requirements. Naturally, there 
are many differences of opinion to iron out, and this is where the field investi- 
gator plays his part as the referee. When he feels that he has obtained the 
necessary information to formulate a set of standards, he draws up the original 
draft, incorporating the suggestions which he has obtained from his investiga- 
tions in the field. The proposed standards are then reviewed by members of 
the technical staff in Washington. Often a tentative draft is sent back to trade 
representatives and inspection supervisors for criticism before processing the 
proposed standards for publication in the Federal Register under notice of rule 
making. During the period between publication for rule making and final 
promulgation comments from interested parties are considered. Under the 
Administrative Procedures Act, all Federal agencies are required to give public 
notice and to comply with the fale making procedure prior to issuing any regu- 
lation. ‘This system provides the maximum assurance that all interested parties 
are given an opportunity to present their views and comments before final pub- 
lication of new or revised standards. 
The period of time necessary to formulate a set of standards varies with the 
commodity. Sometimes investigational work for certain products may be com- 
pleted and standards recommended within a few weeks. Again it may take 
months, and for some products the investigations have taken parts of several 
years. It has always been the policy of the Department not to issue standards 
for official use until they are considered practicable and workable. 
UNIFORMITY OF LANGUAGE IN REQUIREMENTS FOR 
STANDARDS 
Anyone who has occasion to use U. S. standards for fruits and vegetables will 
note a considerable degree of similarity and uniformity in the wording of the 
grade requirements. Such uniformity of language is maintained for the pur- 
pose of making them more easily understood by inspectors and members of the 
industry who use the standards. Similar terms and expressions in one set of 
standards usually have similar interpretations in others, even though they apply 
to different commodities. 
In formulating the standards, it has been the policy to follow a certain order 
in listing the grade factors. Such factors as color, shape, freshness, and firm- 
ness, and other factors which have to be defined in more or less general 
descriptive terms, are usually given first. Then usually follows freedom from 
certain defects, sue) as decay, and freezing 1 injury or other defects of a serious 
nature. For the grade factors covering the less serious defects, in which it 1s 
desirable to allow a certain degree of injury, the expressions “free from injury,” 
“free from damage,” “free from serious damage,” and “free from very serious 
damage” are generally used. 
Each expression in the order named signifies a greater degree of injury. 
Ehussana-U: S. Fancy grade, where it is intended that only a slight seve 
of injury for certain defects be permitted, the expression “free from injury” 
is used. “Free from damage” is usually used for certain grade factors of U. S. 
No. 1 grade, which would be interpreted as an injury not materially affecting 
