United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Cauliflower for Processing

Effective September 4, 1959

(Reprinted - January 1997)
 Compliance with the provisions of these standards shall not excuse failure to comply with the provisions of the 1

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

1

United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower for Processing 1

Grades 

51.3220 U.S. No. 1. 

Culls 

51.3221 Culls. 

Basis of Grading Cauliflower 

51.3222 Basis of grading cauliflower. 

Application of Standards

51.3223 Application of standards. 

Definitions 

51.3224 Fresh. 

51.3225 Compact. 

51.3226 Characteristic color. 

51.3227 Cull material. 

51.3228 Damage. 

51.3229 Diameter. 

51.3230 Segment. 

Grade 

§51.3220 U.S. No. 1. 

"U.S. No. 1" consists of cauliflower which is fresh, compact, which has good characteristic color

and is free from jacket leaves, stalks and other cull material, soft or wet decay, and free from

damage caused by discoloration, bruising, riciness, fuzziness, enlarged bracts, dirt or other foreign

material, mildew or other disease, insects, freezing, hail or mechanical or other means. 

(a) Unless otherwise specified, each head shall be not less than 4 inches in diameter. 

Culls 

§51.3221 Culls. 

"Culls" consist of cauliflower which fails to meet the requirements of the foregoing grade, other

than for size. 

Basis of Grading Cauliflower 

§51.3222 Basis of grading cauliflower. 

In grading cauliflower the head is cored and quartered. The defective segments are then removed

from the head and classed as culls. (See §51.3230.) 

Application of Standards 

§51.3223 Application of standards. 

In the application of this grade to determine the percentage of the lot which meets the

requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade, tolerances shall not apply. When a lot is required to meet U.S.
2

No. 1 grade, the following tolerances, by weight, shall apply: 

(a) Tolerances for defects. 10 percent for cauliflower which fails to meet the requirements of the

grade, other than for size: Provided, That not more than one-fifth of this amount, or 2 percent,

shall be allowed for cauliflower affected by soft or wet decay; and, 

(b) Tolerance for size. Not more than 5 percent of any lot shall be allowed for heads failing to

meet the specified minimum size. 

Definitions 

§51.3224 Fresh. 

"Fresh" means that the head is not more than slightly wilted. 

§51.3225 Compact. 

"Compact" means that the flower clusters of the head or segments of the head are tightly united. 

§51.3226 Characteristic color. 

"Characteristic color" means that the head or segments of the head are white or creamy white. 

§51.3227 Cull material. 

"Cull material" means jacket leaves and stems removed in the proper trimming of the heads and

any loose leaves or foreign material. 

§51.3228 Damage. 

"Damage", unless otherwise specifically defined in this section, means any defect which materially

affects the appearance, or the processing quality of the cauliflower. 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 damage: 

(a) Discoloration when the cauliflower is of some abnormal color which will not change to a white

or light cream color in the ordinary process of blanching; 

(b) Riciness when individual bud branches have become slightly elongated and flower clusters

have lost compactness to the extent that a granular or abnormally rough surface is apparent; 

(c) Enlarged leaf bracts (modified ingrown leaves) when a segment has: 

(1) More than 3 light green leaf bracts extending over the shoulder of the segment; 

(2) One light green leaf bract extending more than half way across the segment; or, 

(3) Any leaf bract darker in color than light green; and, 

(d) Insects when there is more than slight infestation or when the cauliflower is blemished by

feeding or other means to the extent that the appearance or processing quality is materially

affected. 

§51.3229 Diameter. 

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

from the crown to the base of the head, exclusive of the jacket leaves. 

§51.3230 Segment.

"Segment" means one of the principal divisions of the head, consisting of a primary branch of the

stem, including secondary branches and flower buds.