QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON GOVERNMENT INSPECTION 3 



Does the law require all processed products to be inspected? 



No, the use of this service is optional — not compulsory. 

 Who may ask for inspections? 



Any person who is financially interested in a lot of processed fruits 

 and vegetables. Canners or other food processors, bankers, brokers, 

 wholesale distributors, retail grocers, warehousing concerns, railroad 

 agencies, and Federal, State, and city purchasing agencies are repre- 

 sentative of the applicants for the service. During periods of national 

 emergency requests for inspections from Federal agencies have 

 priority. 



Are official inspectors Government employees? 



Yes, they are employed under rules of the United States Civil 

 Service Commission which govern the qualifications, salary rates, and 

 other personnel considerations. 



What qualifications must an inspector have? 



Qualification requirements vary according to the duties and respon- 

 sibilities the inspector is to assume, A trainee inspector must have 

 had at least 4 years of responsible employment in commercial organ- 

 izations requiring an intimate knowledge of the processing, stand- 

 ardization, and inspection of processed fruits and vegetables. In lieu 

 of this type of experience, education may be substituted, year for year 

 up to 4 years, in certain agricultural and food subjects completed at a 

 school of recognized collegiate grade, A person with more than 4 

 years of experience in the processed food field may be qualified for a 

 more responsible position, depending on the nature of such experience. 

 Valuable training and experience are gained while working, and as 

 initiative and ability are shown inspectors can assume assignments of 

 greater responsibility. 



WHAT ARE UNITED STATES STANDARDS? 



Inspections for quality are made in accordance with the United 

 States standards for grades of the individual product. Specifications 

 of Federal, State, or city governments may be used as a basis for in- 

 spection if requested. The United States standards are incorporated 

 in the Federal specifications for processed foods and become the grade 

 specifications for all food bought by Federal agencies. 



The United States standards may be considered as a yardstick with 

 which the quality of a product is measured. The standards are so 

 established that each grade within the standard represents clearly dis- 

 tinguishable quality differences. The grade names in the standards 

 for each product may vary, but generally they are : 



Grade A or Fancy 



Grade B or Choice (for fruits) 



or Extra Standard (for vegetables) 

 Grade C or Standard 



Quality names for foods which are lower than Grade C or Standard 

 may vary, because of mandatory labeling laws and the terminologies 

 commonly used in the processing industry. 

 Who issues the United States standards? 



United States standards for grades of processed fruits and vegetables 

 are issued by the United States Department of Agriculture. 



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