Anyone who has a financial interest in a 

 product may request the grading ser- 

 vice. Bankers, for example, can ask 

 USDA to certify the quality, quantity, and 

 condition of products posted as col- 

 lateral in support of loans. 



Grading service can be provided in the 

 processing plant, at warehouses, or 

 wherever you request it. 



Processors who use in-plant grading ser- 

 vices based on U.S. grade standards 

 may identify their products with the 

 USDA grade. 



U.S. Grade Standards 



Specialists in USDA have developed 

 U.S. grade standards for some 150 proc- 

 essed fruit and vegetable products. 



These U.S. grade standards are the 

 yardsticks used by USDA's graders 

 when you request official grading based 

 on the U.S. grades. The standards also 

 provide industry with a common trading 



language, a guide for in-plant quality 

 control, and a convenient basis for 

 sales. 



USDA grade standards for most proc- 

 essed fruits and vegetables describe 

 three quality levels: 



• U.S. Grade A means excellent color 

 and flavor, uniformity of size and shape, 

 tenderness, and few defects — for use 

 when appearance is most important. 



• U.S. Grade B means good quality — 

 suitable for most purposes. 



• U.S. Grade C means a thrifty buy 

 when optimum appearance and texture 

 are not too important. 



Only products that have been officially 

 graded and packed in plants approved 

 by USDA may be labeled with the U.S. 

 grade. 



USDA's voluntary grade standards com- 

 plement mandatory Federal standards 

 designed for consumer protection. For 

 example, the Food and Drug Administra- 

 tion has established minimum standards 



of quality for a number of fruit and 

 vegetable products. Products that do not 

 meet these minimum standards must 

 carry wording on the label stating that 

 fact. 



USDA adopts, as the minimum grade 

 level, specifications that are at least as 

 high as FDA's mandatory requirements. 

 This minimum grade is Grade C when 

 the U.S. grade standards for a product 

 provide three levels of quality and usually 

 Grade B in those standards where only 

 two levels of quality are provided. 



USDA also has developed standards for 

 condition of food containers. These stan- 

 dards are used primarily by State and 



