United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Processed

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Canned Peas

Effective date November 17, 1994
This is the seventh issue of the United States Standards for Grades of Canned Peas

published in the FEDERAL REGISTER of October 18, 1994 (59 FR 52630) to become

effective November 17, 1994. This issue supersedes the sixth issue, as amended, which

has been in effect since May 22, 1957.

Voluntary U.S. grade standards are issued under the authority of the Agricultural

Marketing Act of 1946, which provides for the development of official U.S. grades to

designate different levels of quality. These grade standards are available for use by

producers, suppliers, buyers, and consumers. As in the case of other standards for grades

of processed fruits and vegetables, these standards are designed to facilitate orderly

marketing by providing a convenient basis for buying and selling, for establishing quality

control programs, and for determining loan values.

The standards also serve as a basis for the inspection and grading of commodities by the

Federal inspection service, the only activity authorized to approve the designation of U.S.

grades as referenced in the standards, as provided under the Agricultural Marketing Act

of 1946. This service, available as on-line (in-plant) or lot inspection and grading of all

processed fruit and vegetable products, is offered to interested parties, upon application,

on a fee-for-service basis. The verification of some specific recommendations,

requirements, or tolerances contained in the standards can be accomplished only by the

use of on-line inspection procedures. In all instances, a grade can be assigned based on

final product factors or characteristics.

In addition to the U.S. grade standards, grading manuals or instructions for inspection of

several processed fruits and vegetables are available upon request for a nominal

fee. These manuals or instructions contain detailed interpretations of the grade standards

and provide step-by-step procedures for grading the product.

Grade standards are issued by the Department after careful consideration of all data and

views submitted, and the Department welcomes suggestions which might aid in improving

the standards in future revisions. Comments may be submitted to, and copies of standards

and grading manuals obtained from:

Chief, Processed Products Branch

Fruit and Vegetable Division, AMS

U.S. Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 96456, Rm. 0709, So. Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20090-6456
United States Standards for Grades of Canned Peas

Section Page No.

§52.2281 Product description. ........................................ 2

§52.2282 Types of canned peas. ...................................... 2

§52.2283 Definitions of terms. ........................................ 2

§52.2284 Fill of container. ........................................... 4

§52.2285 Sizes of peas. ............................................. 4

§52.2286 Grades. .................................................. 5

§52.2287 Factors of quality. .......................................... 7

§52.2288 Prerequisite requirements and allowances for defects. ............. 7

§52.2289 Sample size. ............................................. 11

§52.2290 Quality requirements. ...................................... 11

§52.2291 Single sample unit. ........................................ 11

Authority: Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, Secs. 203, 205, 60 Stat. 1087, as

amended, 1090, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1622, 1624).

Note: Compliance with the provisions of these standards shall not excuse failure to

comply with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or with

applicable State laws and regulations.
2

§52.2281 Product description.

Canned peas means the canned product prepared from clean, sound, shelled, succulent

peas as such product is defined in the Standards of Identity for Canned Peas (21 CFR

155.170) issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

§52.2282 Types of canned peas.

(a) Early peas means canned succulent peas of Alaska or other smooth skin

varieties.

(b) Sweet peas means canned succulent peas of sweet, wrinkled varieties.

§52.2283 Definitions of terms.

(a) Acceptable quality level (AQL) means the maximum percent of defective

units or the maximum number of defects per hundred units of product that,

for the purpose of acceptance sampling, can be considered satisfactory as

a process average.

(b) Appearance.

(1) Good appearance means that the peas are practically uniform in

color and are reasonably free of insignificant blemishes.

(2) Reasonably good appearance means that the peas are fairly

uniform in color and fairly free of insignificant blemishes.

(c) Blemishes.

(1) Blemished means a unit that is spotted or otherwise discolored (other

than blond), such as vivid-green or brown, to the extent that its

appearance or eating quality is materially affected. 

(2) Seriously blemished means a unit that is seriously discolored or

spotted, such as a dark discolored pea, to the extent that the

appearance or eating quality is seriously affected.

 (d) Blond means a unit that is cream-colored or yellow in color and essentially

devoid of green.

(e) Defect means any nonconformance of a unit(s) of product from a specified

requirement of a single quality characteristic.
3

(f) Extraneous vegetable material (EVM) means any harmless vegetable

material, to include:

(1) Flat material common to the pea plant such as leaves and pods, and

flat vegetable material from other plants; 

(2) Cylindrical material common to the pea plant such as stems or

pieces of vines, and cylindrical vegetable material from other plants;

and

(3) Spherical material not common to the pea plant such as thistle buds,

berries and pieces of berries.

(g) Flavor and odor.

(1) Good flavor and odor means the product has a characteristic flavor

and odor and is free from objectionable flavors and odors.

(2) Reasonably good flavor and odor means that the product may be

lacking in characteristic flavor and odor but is free from objectionable

flavors and odors.

(h) Liquor.

(1) Good liquor means the color of liquor is typical, may have a slight

cloudiness or a tint of green, only a slight to moderate amount of

suspended material or sediment may be present, and the liquor is not

viscous.

(2) Reasonably good liquor means the liquor may be cloudy or slightly

green, may have a pronounced accumulation of sediment, may be dull

but not off color, and may be viscous but not so viscous that the liquor

will not separate from the peas. 

(i) Piece of pea (broken pea) means:

(1) A pea from which a cotyledon or a large portion thereof has become

separated;

(2) Two detached whole cotyledons;

(3) Pieces of detached cotyledons aggregating the equivalent of an

average size cotyledon; and
4

(4) A whole detached skin or portions of detached skin aggregating the

equivalent of an average size whole skin.

(j) Sample unit means the amount of product specified to be used for grading.

For appearance, flavor and odor, liquor, and varietal characteristics, a

sample unit is the entire contents of the container. For grading EVM, a

sample unit is each 1700 g (60.0 oz) drained product; for blemished

(spotted), seriously blemished, and broken peas (pieces), a sample unit is

each 400 peas. For grading maturity, a sample unit is each 50 peas or more

in accordance with Table III in §52.2288.

(k) Tolerance means the percentage of defective units allowed for each quality

factor.

(l) Unit means each whole pea.

§52.2284 Fill of container.

The standard for fill of container for canned peas is not incorporated in the grade of the

finished product since fill is not a factor of quality for the purposes of these grades. Except

in the case of vacuum pack, canned peas shall be considered standard in fill if they meet

the standard of fill promulgated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 CFR

155.170). Canned peas that do not meet this requirement are "Below Standard in Fill."

§52.2285 Sizes of peas.

Except for the factor of defects in determining pieces of peas, the sizes of peas are not

considered in ascertaining the quality of the product for the purposes of these grades. The

size of a pea is determined on the basis of the diameter of the circular opening(s) through

which the pea will pass or will not pass without force or pressure. The size designations

and diameters applicable to canned peas are shown in Table I of this section.
5

TABLE I

SIZES OF CANNED PEAS

Size designation Diameter of circular openings in inches (millimeters)

Will not pass through Will pass through

Size 1 ..................... 9/32 (7.1)

Size 2 9/32 (7.1) 10/32 (7.9)

Size 3 10/32 (7.9) 11/32 (8.7)

Size 4 11/32 (8.7) 12/32 (9.5)

Size 5 12/32 (9.5) 13/32 (10.3)

Size 6 13/32 (10.3) 14/32 (11.1)

Size 7 14/32 (11.1) ...................

§52.2286 Grades.

(a) U.S. Grade A is the quality of canned peas that:

(1) Meets the following prerequisites in Table II of Section 52.2288 in

which the canned peas:

(i) Have similar varietal characteristics;

(ii) Have a good appearance;

(iii) Have not more than one (1) percent, by count, blond peas;

(iv) Have a good liquor; and

(v) Have a good flavor and odor.

(2) Is within the limits for defects as specified in Tables III, IV, and V of

Section 52.2288, as applicable.
6

(b) U.S. Grade B is the quality of canned peas that:

(1) Meets the following prerequisites in Table II of Section 52.2288 in

which the canned peas:

(i) Have similar varietal characteristics;

(ii) Have a good appearance;

(iii) Have not more than one and one-half (1.5) percent, by count,

blond peas;

(iv) Have a good liquor; and

(v) Have a good flavor and odor.

(2) Is within the limits for defects as specified in Tables III, IV, and V of

Section 52.2288, as applicable.

(c) U.S. Grade C is the quality of canned peas that:

(1) Meets the following prerequisites in Table II of Section 52.2288 in

which the canned peas:

(i) Have similar varietal characteristics;

(ii) Have a reasonably good appearance;

(iii) Have not more than two (2) percent, by count, blond peas;

(iv) Have a reasonably good liquor; and

(v) Have reasonably good flavor and odor.

(2) Is within the limits for defects as specified in Tables III, IV, and V of

Section 52.2288, as applicable.

(d) Substandard is the quality of canned peas that fail to meet the requirements

of U.S. Grade C.
7

§52.2287 Factors of quality.

The grade of canned peas is based on requirements for the following quality factors:

(a) Prerequisite quality factors:

(1) Varietal characteristics;

(2) Appearance;

(3) Blond peas;

(4) Liquor; and

(5) Flavor and odor.

(b) Classified quality factors:

(1) Maturity;

(2) Extraneous vegetable material (EVM);

(3) Blemished, spotted or discolored peas;

(4) Seriously blemished or seriously discolored peas; and

(5) Pieces of peas (broken).

§52.2288 Prerequisite requirements and allowances for defects.

TABLE II

PREREQUISITES REQUIREMENTS

FACTORS GRADE A GRADE B GRADE C

Varietal characteristics Similar Similar Similar

Appearance Good Good Reasonably good

Blond peas Not more than 1% by Not more than 1.5% by Not more than 2% by

count count count

Liquor Good Good Reasonably good

Flavor and odor Good Good Reasonably good
8

8

TABLE III

CANNED PEAS

LOT ACCEPTANCE NUMBERS (SINKERS) FOR BRINE FLOATATION

Sample Units x Sample Unit Size 1x50 3x5 6x5 13x5 21x5 29x5

_1/ 0 0 0 0 0

Units of Product 50 150 300 650 1050 1450

TO AQL Type of % Salt

L _2/ Peas Sol.

Grade A Acceptance Numbers

12. 10.1 11.0 8 21 39 78 122 165

0 Sweet

2.0 1.3 13.0 2 4 7 13 20 26

20. 17.6 11.0 13 34 63 130 205 279

0 Early

2.0 1.3 13.5 2 4 7 13 20 26

Grade B

15. 13.0 13.0 10 26 48 98 154 209

0 Sweet

4.0 2.9 15.0 3 8 13 26 39 53

30. 27.2 13.5 18 50 94 195 309 422

0 Early

8.0 6.4 15.0 6 15 26 52 80 108

Grade C

10. 8.2 Sweet 15.0 7 18 33 65 101 137

0

10. 8.2 Early 16.0 7 18 33 65 101 137

0

_1/ For unofficial samples.

_2/ AQL calculated from tolerance (TOL) at 650.
9

TABLE IV

CANNED PEAS

ACCEPTANCE NUMBERS FOR EXTRANEOUS VEGETABLE MATERIAL (EVM) _1/

Description of EVM Unit Designation

Material

PER 1700 g (60 oz)

Grade A Grade B Grade C

Flat; or Each 1.5 cm (0.25 in ); or

Cylindrical; or Each 13 mm (each 0.50 1 2 --

Spherical Each piece

2 2

in); or

Flat, cylindrical,

and spherical EVM Total weight in grams -- -- 9

_1/ For the lot average of each 1700 g (60 oz) of drained product. For example, a lot

containing 10,200 g (360 oz) of drained product may include no more than: 6 EVM

units for Grade A; 12 EVM units for Grade B; or 54 g (1.9 oz) total EVM for Grade C.
10

TABLE V

CANNED PEAS

LOT ACCEPTANCE NUMBERS FOR DEFECTS, OTHER THAN EVM

Sample Units x Sample Unit Size 1x400 _1/ 3x400 6x400 13x400 21x400 29x400

Units of Product 400 1200 2400 5200 8400 11600

TOL AQL _2/ Quality Factors Acceptance Numbers

Grade A

1.0 0.80 Blemished peas 6 15 26 52 80 108

0.50 0.37 Seriously blemished peas 3 8 14 26 40 53

5.0 4.5 Pieces of peas (broken) larger than 25 66 125 259 410 560

No. 2 sieve size

7.0 6.4 Pieces of peas (broken) No. 1 and 34 91 174 363 576 787

No. 2

Grade B

3.0 2.6 Blemished peas 16 40 75 154 242 330

0.75 0.58 Seriously blemished peas 5 11 20 39 60 81

10.0 9.3 Pieces of peas (broken), all sieve 47 129 248 520 827 1133

sizes

Grade C

5.0 4.5 Blemished peas 25 66 125 259 410 560

1.0 0.80 Seriously blemished peas 6 15 26 52 80 108

12.5 11.8 Pieces of peas (broken) larger than 58 160 309 652 1040 1426

No. 2 sieve size

12.0 11.3 Pieces of peas (broken) No. 1 and 53 153 296 625 997 1367

No. 2 sieve sizes

_1/ For unofficial samples.

_2/ AQL calculated from tolerance (TOL) at 5200.
11

§52.2289 Sample size.

The sample size used to determine whether the requirements of these standards are met

shall be as specified in the sampling plans and procedures in the "Regulations Governing

Inspection and Certification of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Processed Products

Thereof, and Certain Other Processed Food Products" (7 CFR 52.1 through 52.83).

§52.2290 Quality requirements.

A lot of canned peas is considered as meeting the requirements for quality if:

(a) The prerequisite requirements specified in §52.2286 are met; and

(b) None of the allowances for the individual quality factors specified in Tables

III, IV, and V, of Section 52.2288 as applicable are exceeded.

§52.2291 Single sample unit.

Each unofficial sample unit submitted for quality evaluation will be treated individually and

is considered as meeting the requirements for quality if:

(a) The prerequisite requirements specified in §52.2286 are met;

(b) The acceptable quality levels and acceptance numbers in Tables III, IV, and

V, of Section 52.2288 as applicable for the sieve size, are not exceeded.

Dated: October 11, 1994

/s/ Lon Hatamiya, 

 Administrator