United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Sweet Peppers for

Processing

Effective March 22, 1948

(Reprinted - January 1997)
 Packing of the product in conformity with the requirements of these standards shall not excuse failure to comply with 1

the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or with applicable State laws and regulations.

1

United States Standards for Grades of Sweet Peppers for Processing 1

Grades

51.1465 U.S. No. 1. 

51.1466 U.S. No. 2. 

Culls

51.1467 Culls. 

Size

51.1468 Size. 

Definitions

51.1469 Fairly firm. 

51.1470 Fairly well shaped. 

51.1471 Well colored. 

51.1472 Damage. 

51.1473 Diameter. 

51.1474 Fairly well colored. 

51.1475 Serious damage.

Grades 

§51.1465 U.S. No. 1. 

U.S. No. 1 shall consist of sweet peppers of one variety or similar varietal characteristics, which

are fairly firm, fairly well shaped, well colored, free from mold, soft rot, worm holes, or other

holes which penetrate through the wall of the pepper, except small, fresh holes or splits incident to

proper handling. The peppers shall also be free from damage by any other cause. 

§51.1466 U.S. No. 2. 

U.S. No. 2 shall consist of sweet peppers of one variety or similar varietal characteristics which

are fairly well colored and free from serious damage by any cause. 

Culls 

§51.1467 Culls. 

Sweet peppers which fail to meet the requirements of either of the foregoing grades shall be

designated as culls. 

Size 

§51.1468 Size. 

There are no size requirements specified for the various grades. However, the minimum size may

be fixed by agreement between buyer and seller and may be expressed in terms of diameter in

whole inches, or in whole inches and fractions thereof. 
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Definitions 

§51.1469 Fairly firm.

"Fairly firm" means that the pepper is not soft, limp or excessively shriveled. 

§51.1470 Fairly well shaped. 

"Fairly well shaped" means that the pepper is not of the type commonly known as "button" or is

not decidedly crooked, constricted, or otherwise seriously deformed. 

§51.1471 Well colored. 

"Well colored" means that at least 90 percent of the surface of the pepper has a characteristic

medium or dark red color, and that green color does not predominate on the remainder of the

surface of the pepper. 

§51.1472 Damage. 

"Damage" means any injury or defect which materially affects the processing or edible quality of

the pepper, or which cannot be removed in the ordinary process of trimming without a loss of

more than 5 percent, by weight, of the pepper in excess of that which would occur if the pepper

were perfect. 

§51.1473 Diameter. 

"Diameter" means the greatest dimension of the pepper measured at right angles to a line running

from the stem to the apex. 

§51.1474 Fairly well colored. 

"Fairly well colored" means that at least three-fourths of the surface of the pepper has a

characteristic medium or dark red color. 

§51.1475 Serious damage.

"Serious damage" means any injury or defect which seriously affects the processing or edible

quality of the pepper, or which cannot be removed in the ordinary process of trimming without a

loss of more than 20 percent, by weight, of the pepper in excess of that which would occur if the

pepper were perfect.