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United States Standards

for Grades of BermudaGranex-Grano Type 

Onions

Effective November 24, 2014
This is the eleventh issue, as amended, of the United States Standards for Grades of 

Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on

October 23, 2014 (79 FR 63293) to become effective November 24, 2014. This 

issue supersedes the tenth issue, which has been in effect since October 10, 1995.

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 fresh 

and processed fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops 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 U.S. grade standards and inspection instructions for all fresh and processed fruits,

vegetables, and specialty crops are available on the internet and upon request at the 

address below. These documents provide detailed interpretations of the grade standards 

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

Grade standards are issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after careful 

consideration of all data and views submitted during rulemaking. The Department 

welcomes suggestions for improving the standards in future revisions. Comments may be 

submitted to, and copies of standards and inspection instructions obtained from: 

Director, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

Fruit and Vegetable Program, 

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, STOP 0240 

Washington, D.C. 20250

__________________________________________________________________________

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627. 

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.

Non-Discrimination Policy: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and 

applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where 

applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived 

from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded 

by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment 

Complaint: If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the 

date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at 

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html. To File a Program Complaint: If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint 

of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at 

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also 

write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax 

(202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov. Persons with Disabilities: Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have 

speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 

(800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information 

above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., 

braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions)

Section Page No.

Grades............................................................................................................................ 2

§51.3195 U.S. No. 1.................................................................................................... 2

§51.3196 U.S. Combination. ....................................................................................... 3

§51.3197 U.S. No. 2.................................................................................................... 3

Size Classifications....................................................................................................... 4

§51.3198 Size classifications. ..................................................................................... 4

Tolerances ..................................................................................................................... 5

§51.3199 Tolerances................................................................................................... 5

Samples for Grade and Size Determination................................................................ 5

§ 51.3200 Samples for grade and size determination. ................................................. 5

Application of Tolerances ............................................................................................ 6

§51.3201 Application of tolerances.............................................................................. 6

Definitions...................................................................................................................... 6

§51.3202 Similar varietal characteristics. .................................................................... 6

§51.3203 Mature. ........................................................................................................ 6

§51.3204 Fairly firm..................................................................................................... 6

§51.3205 Fairly well shaped........................................................................................ 6

§51.3206 Wet sunscald............................................................................................... 6

§51.3207 Doubles. ...................................................................................................... 7

§51.3208 Bottlenecks.................................................................................................. 7

§51.3209 Damage....................................................................................................... 7

§51.3210 Serious damage. ......................................................................................... 8

§51.3211 Diameter...................................................................................................... 9

Metric Conversion Table............................................................................................... 9

§51.3212 Metric conversion table................................................................................ 9

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

1
Grades

§51.3195 U.S. No. 1.

“U.S. No. 1” consists of onions which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Similar varietal characteristics, except color when designated as a 

specialty or mixed pack;

(2) Mature;

(3) Fairly firm; and,

(4) Fairly well shaped.

(b) Free from:

(1) Decay;

(2) Wet sunscald;

(3) Doubles; and,

(4) Bottlenecks.

(c) Free from damage caused by:

(1) Seedstems;

(2) Splits;

(3) Dry sunken areas;

(4) Sunburn;

(5) Sprouting;

(6) Staining;

(7) Dirt or foreign material;

(8) Mechanical;

(9) Tops;

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

2
(10) Roots;

(11) Translucent scales;

(12) Watery scales;

(13) Moisture;

(14) Disease;

(15) Insects; and,

(16) Other means.

(d) For size and tolerances see §§51.3198 and 51.3199.

§51.3196 U.S. Combination.

“U.S. Combination” consists of a combination of U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 onions: 

Provided, that at least 50 percent, by weight, of the onions in each lot meet the 

requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade. (See §§51.3198 and 51.3199.)

§51.3197 U.S. No. 2.

“U.S. No. 2” consists of onions which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Similar varietal characteristics, except color when designated as a 

specialty or mixed pack; and,

(2) Not soft or spongy.

(b) Free from:

(1) Decay;

(2) Wet sunscald; and, 

(3) Bottlenecks.

(c) Free from serious damage caused by:

(1) Seedstems;

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

3
(2) Dry sunken areas;

(3) Sprouting;

(4) Staining;

(5) Dirt or other foreign material;

(6) Mechanical;

(7) Watery scales;

(8) Insects;

(9) Disease; and,

(10) Other means.

(d) For size and tolerances see §§51.3198 and 51.3199.

Size Classifications

§51.3198 Size classifications.

Size shall be specified in connection with the grade in terms of minimum diameter, 

range in diameter, minimum diameter with a percentage of a certain size or larger, or in 

accordance with one of the size classifications listed below: Provided, that unless 

otherwise specified, onions shall not be less than 1-1/2 inches in diameter, with 60 

percent or more 2 inches or larger in diameter.

Size Designation Minimum Diameter Maximum Diameter

Inches Millimeters Inches Millimeters

Small 1 25.4 2-1/4 57.2

Repacker/

Prepacker1 1-3/4 44.5 3 76.2

Medium 2 50.8 3-1/4 82.6

Large or Jumbo 3 76.2 (

2

) —

Colossal 3-3/4 95.3 (

2

) —

1 In addition to the sizes specified, a lot of onions designated as Repacker or Prepacker shall contain at least 60 percent or more 2 

inches or larger in diameter.

2 No requirement.

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

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Tolerances

§51.3199 Tolerances.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling in each of the 

foregoing grades the following tolerances, by weight, are provided as specified:

(a) For defects:

(1) U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 grades.

(i) Not more than 10 percent of the onions in a lot may fail to meet the 

requirements of these grades, but not more than one-fifth of this 

tolerance, or 2 percent, may be allowed for onions which are 

affected by decay or wet sunscald.

(2) U.S. Combination grade.

(i) When applying the foregoing tolerances to this grade no part of any 

tolerance shall be allowed to reduce, for the lot as a whole, the 50 

percent of onions of the U.S. No. 1 grade, but individual containers 

shall have not less than 40 percent of the U.S. No. 1 grade.

(b) For size:

(1) Not more than 5 percent of the onions in a lot may be smaller than the 

minimum diameter specified. In addition, not more than 10 percent of the 

onions in a lot may be larger than the maximum diameter specified.

(2) When a percentage of the onions is specified to be a certain size and 

larger, individual packages containing more than 10 pounds may have not 

less than one-half of the percentage specified: Provided, that the entire lot 

averages within the percentage specified.

Samples for Grade and Size Determination

§ 51.3200 Samples for grade and size determination.

Individual samples shall consist of at least 20 pounds for onions packed to meet larger 

than 2-1/4 inches maximum diameter. When individual packages contain 20 pounds or 

more and the onions are packed for Large or Jumbo size or larger the package shall be 

the sample. When individual packages contain less than 20 pounds, a sufficient 

number of adjoining packages are opened to provide at least a 20 pound sample, 

except that for onions packed to meet 2-1/4 inches maximum diameter or smaller, the 

sample may consist of either 20 pounds or the individual package.

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

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Application of Tolerances

§51.3201 Application of tolerances.

Individual samples are subject to the following limitations:

(a) Samples which contain more than 20 pounds shall have not more than one and 

one half times a specified tolerance of 10 percent or more, and not more than 

double a specified tolerance of less than 10 percent, except that at least one 

defective and one off-size onion may be permitted in any sample: Provided, that 

en-route or at destination when onions in containers of 50 pounds or more are 

packed to a minimum size of 3 inches or larger not more than three onions or 

more than 4 percent (whichever is the larger amount) may be affected by decay 

or wet sunscald: And provided further, that the averages for the entire lot are 

within the tolerances specified for the grade; and,

(b) Samples which contain 20 pounds or less shall have not more than double the 

tolerance specified, except that at least one defective and one off-size onion may 

be permitted in any sample: Provided, that the averages for the entire lot are 

within the tolerances specified for the grade.

Definitions

§51.3202 Similar varietal characteristics.

“Similar varietal characteristics” means that the onions in any container are similar in 

color, shape and character of growth.

§51.3203 Mature.

“Mature” means that the onion is fairly well cured, and at least fairly firm.

§51.3204 Fairly firm.

“Fairly firm” means that the onion may yield slightly to moderate pressure but is not 

appreciably soft or spongy.

§51.3205 Fairly well shaped.

“Fairly well shaped” means that the onion shows the characteristic shape, not 

appreciably three-, four- or five- sided, thick necked or badly pinched.

§51.3206 Wet sunscald.

“Wet sunscald” means any sunscald which is soft, mushy, sticky or wet.

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

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§51.3207 Doubles.

“Doubles” means onions which have developed more than one distinct bulb joined only 

at the base.

§51.3208 Bottlenecks.

“Bottlenecks” means onions which have abnormally thick necks with only fairly well 

developed bulbs.

§51.3209 Damage.

“Damage” unless otherwise specifically defined in this section, means any defect which 

materially affects the appearance, or the edible or shipping quality of the onions. Any 

one of the following defects, or combination of defects the seriousness of which 

exceeds the maximum allowed for any one defect, shall be considered as damage:

(a) Seedstems which are tough or woody, or which are more than 1/4 inch in 

diameter;

(b) Splits when well cured onions are not practically covered by an outer scale, or 

when fairly well cured onions are not completely covered by one outer scale;

(c) Dry sunken areas when the affected areas exceed the equivalent to that of a 

circle 1/2 inch in diameter on an onion 2-3/4 inches in diameter which does not 

have the outer papery scale covering the affected areas or when the affected 

areas exceed the equivalent to that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on an onion 2 

3/4 inches in diameter which has the outer papery scale covering the affected 

areas. Correspondingly lesser or greater areas are allowed on smaller or larger 

onions;

(d) Sunburn when dark green in color and affecting an area equivalent to that of a 

circle 1 inch in diameter on an onion 2-3/4 inches in diameter or correspondingly 

smaller or larger areas on smaller or larger onions, or when medium to light 

green in color and affecting more than 10 percent of the surface of the onion;

(e) Sprouting when any sprout is visible, or when concealed within the neck scales 

and are more than 3/4 inch in length on an onion 2 inches or larger in diameter, 

or proportionately shorter on smaller onions;

(f) Staining, dirt or other foreign material when more than 20 percent of the onions in 

a yellow, brown or red lot, or more than 15 percent of the onions in a white lot are 

appreciably stained. Onions with adhering dirt or other foreign matter shall be 

judged on the same basis as stained onions;

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

7
(g) Mechanical when any cut extends deeper than one fleshy scale, or when any 

bruise breaks a fleshy scale;

(h) Tops when more than 30 percent of the onions in a lot have tops 3 inches or 

more in length;

(i) New roots when most roots on an individual onion have grown to a length of 1 

inch or more;

(j) Dry roots when practically all roots are 2 inches or more in length;

(k) Translucent scales when more than the equivalent of two entire outer fleshy 

scales have a watersoaked condition; and,

(l) Watery scales when more than the equivalent of the entire outer fleshy scale is 

affected by an off-color, watersoaked condition. The off-color must be of some 

shade of brown or yellow.

§51.3210 Serious damage.

“Serious damage” unless otherwise specifically defined in this section, means any 

defect which seriously affects the appearance, or the edible or shipping quality of the 

onions. Any one of the following defects, or any combination of defects the seriousness 

of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one defect, shall be considered as 

serious damage:

(a) Seedstems when more than 1/2 inch in diameter;

(b) Dry sunken areas when extending deeper than one fleshy scale, or when 

affecting an area equivalent to that of a circle 1 inch in diameter on an onion 2 

3/4 inches in diameter, or correspondingly lesser or greater areas on smaller or 

larger onions;

(c) Sprouting when any visible sprout is more than 1/2 in length;

(d) Staining, dirt or foreign material when more than 25 percent of the onions in any 

lot are badly stained. Onions with adhering dirt or other foreign matter shall be 

judged on the same basis as stained onions;

(e) Mechanical when any cut extends deeper than two fleshy scales, or when cuts 

seriously damage the appearance of the onion; and,

(f) Watery scales when more than the equivalent of two entire outer fleshy scales 

are affected by an off-colored, watersoaked condition. The off-color must be of 

some shade of brown or yellow.

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

(November 24, 2014)

8
§51.3211 Diameter.

“Diameter” means the greatest dimension of the onion at right angles to a line running 

from the stem to the root.

Metric Conversion Table

§51.3212 Metric conversion table.

Inches Millimeters (mm)

1/8 3.2

1/4 6.4

3/8 9.5

1/2 12.7

5/8 15.9

3/4 19.1

7/8 22.2

1 25.4

1 1/4 31.8

1 1/2 38.1

1 3/4 44.5

2 50.8

2 1/2 63.5

2 3/4 69.9

3 76.2

3 1/2 88.9

4 101.6

United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions

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