United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Sweet Cherries

Effective May 7, 1971

(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 Sweet Cherries 1

Grades 

51.2646 U.S. No. 1. 

51.2647 U.S. Commercial. 

Tolerances 

51.2648 Tolerances. 

Application of Tolerances 

51.2649 Application of tolerances. 

Definitions 

51.2650 Similar varietal characteristics. 

51.2651 Mature. 

51.2652 Fairly well colored. 

51.2653 Well formed. 

51.2654 Clean. 

51.2655 Damage. 

51.2656 Diameter. 

51.2657 Serious damage. 

51.2658 Permanent defects. 

51.2659 Condition defects. 

Metric Conversion Table

51.2660 Metric conversion table.

Grades 

§51.2646 U.S. No. 1. 

"U.S. No. 1'' consists of sweet cherries which meet the following requirements: 

(a) Similar varietal characteristics; 

(b) Mature;

(c) Fairly well colored; 

(d) Well formed; and 

(e) Clean. 

(f) Free from: 

(1) Decay; 

(2) Insect larvae or holes caused by them; 

(3) Soft, overripe or shriveled; 

(4) Undeveloped doubles; and, 

(5) Sunscald. 
 Shipping point, as used in these standards, means the point of origin of the shipment in the producing area or at port 2

of loading for ship stores or overseas shipment, or, in the case of shipments from outside the continental United States,

the port of entry into the United States.

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(g) Free from damage by any other cause. (See §51.2655.) 

(h) Size. Unless otherwise specified, the minimum diameter of each cherry shall be not less than

three-fourths inch. The maximum diameter of the cherries in any lot may be specified in

accordance with the facts. 

(i) For tolerances see §51.2648. 

§51.2647 U.S. Commercial. 

"U.S. Commercial" consists of sweet cherries which meet the requirements for the U.S. No. 1

grade except for minimum diameter and except for increased tolerances. 

(a) Size. Unless otherwise specified, the diameter of each cherry shall be not less than five-eighths

inch. The maximum diameter of the cherries in any lot may be specified in accordance with the

facts. 

(b) For tolerances see §51.2648. 

Tolerances. 

§51.2648 Tolerances. 

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

grades, the following tolerances, by count, are provided as specified: 

(a) For defects at shipping point -- 

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(1) U.S. No. 1. 8 percent for cherries which fail to meet the requirements for this grade: 

Provided, That included in this amount not more than 4 percent shall be allowed for defects

causing serious damage, including in this latter amount not more than one-half of 1 percent for

cherries which are affected by decay. 

(2) U.S. Commercial. 16 percent for cherries which fail to meet the requirements for this grade: 

Provided, That included in this amount not more than 4 percent shall be allowed for defects

causing serious damage, including in this latter amount not more than one-half of 1 percent for

cherries affected by decay. 

(b) For defects en route or at destination -- 

(1) U.S. No. 1. 12 percent for cherries in any lot which fail to meet the requirements for this

grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than the following percentages shall be

allowed for defects listed:

(i) 8 percent for cherries which fail to meet the requirements for this grade because of permanent

defects; or, 

(ii) 6 percent for cherries which are seriously damaged, including therein not more than 4 percent

for cherries which are seriously damaged by permanent defects and not more than 2 percent for

cherries which are affected by decay. 

(2) U.S. Commercial. 24 percent for cherries in any lot which fail to meet the requirements for

this grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than the following percentages shall

be allowed for defects listed: 

(i) 16 percent for cherries which fail to meet the requirements for this grade because of permanent

defects; or, 
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(ii) 6 percent for cherries which are seriously damaged, including therein not more than 4 percent

for cherries which are seriously damaged by permanent defects and not more than 2 percent for

cherries which are affected by decay. 

(c) For off-size. 5 percent for cherries which fail to meet the specified minimum diameter and 10

percent for cherries that fail to meet any specified maximum diameter. 

Application of Tolerances

§51.2649 Application of tolerances. 

Individual samples shall have not more than double the tolerances specified, except that at least

two defective and two off-size specimens may be permitted in any sample: Provided, That the

averages for the entire lot are within the tolerances specified for the grade. 

Definitions 

§51.2650 Similar varietal characteristics. 

"Similar varietal characteristics" means that the cherries in any container are similar in color and

shape. 

§51.2651 Mature. 

"Mature" means that the cherries have reached the stage of growth which will insure the proper

completion of the ripening process. 

§51.2652 Fairly well colored. 

"Fairly well colored" means that at least 95 percent of the surface of the cherry shows

characteristic color for mature cherries of the variety. 

§51.2653 Well formed. 

"Well formed" means that the cherry has the normal shape characteristic of the variety, except that

mature well developed doubles shall be considered well formed when each of the halves is

approximately evenly formed. 

§51.2654 Clean. 

"Clean" means that the cherries are practically free from dirt, dust, spray residue, or other foreign

material. 

§51.2655 Damage. 

"Damage" means any specific defect described in this section; or an equally objectionable variation

of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which materially

detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit. The following

specific defects shall be considered as damage: 

(a) Cracks within the stem cavity when deep or not well healed, or when the appearance is

affected to a greater extent than that of a cherry which has a superficial well healed crack

one-sixteenth inch in width extending one-half the greatest circumference of the stem cavity; 

(b) Cracks outside of the stem cavity when deep or not well healed, or when the crack has

weakened the cherry to the extent that it is likely to split or break in the process of proper

grading, packing, and handling, or when materially affecting the appearance; 

(c) Hail injury when deep or not well healed, or when the aggregate area exceeds the area of a

circle three-sixteenths inch in diameter; 

(d) Insects when scale or more than one scale mark is present, or when the appearance is

materially affected by any insect; 

(e) Limbrubs when affecting the appearance of the cherry to a greater extent than the amount of
4

scarring permitted; 

(f) Pulled stems when the skin or flesh is torn, or when the cherry is leaking; 

(g) Russeting when affecting the appearance of the cherry to a greater extent than the amount of

scarring permitted; 

(h) Scars when excessively deep or rough or dark colored and the aggregate area exceeds the area

of a circle three-sixteenths inch in diameter, or when smooth or fairly smooth, light colored and

superficial and the aggregate area exceeds the area of a circle one-fourth inch in diameter; 

(i) Skin breaks when not well healed or when the appearance of the cherry is materially affected;

and, 

(j) Sutures when excessively deep or when affecting the shape of the cherry to the extent that it is

not well formed. 

§51.2656 Diameter. 

"Diameter" means the greatest dimension measured at right angles to a line from the stem to the

blossom end of the cherry. 

§51.2657 Serious damage. 

"Serious damage" means any specific defect described in this section; or an equally objectionable

variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects which

seriously detracts from the appearance or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit. The

following specific defects shall be considered as serious damage: 

(a) Decay; 

(b) Insect larvae or holes caused by them; 

(c) Skin breaks which are not well healed; 

(d) Cracks which are not well healed; and, 

(e) Pulled stems with skin or flesh of cherry torn or which causes the cherry to leak. 

§51.2658 Permanent defects. 

"Permanent defects" means defects which are not subject to change during shipping or storage;

including, but not limited to factors of shape, scarring, skin breaks, injury caused by hail or

insects, and mechanical injury which is so located as to indicate that it occurred prior to shipment. 

§51.2659 Condition defects. 

"Condition defects" means defects which may develop or change during shipment or storage;

including, but not limited to decayed or soft cherries and such factors as pitting, shriveling, sunken

areas, brown discoloration and bruising which is so located as to indicate that it occurred after

packing. 
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Metric Conversion Table

§51.2660 Metric conversion table.

Inches Millimeters (mm)

8/64 equals....... 3.2

16/64 equals....... 6.4

24/64 equals....... 9.5

32/64 equals....... 12.7

40/64 equals....... 15.9

48/64 equals....... 19.1

51/64 equals....... 20.2

52/64 equals....... 20.6

54/64 equals....... 21.4

56/64 equals....... 22.2

1 equals....... 25.4

1-8/64 equals...... 28.6

1-16/64 equals....... 31.8

1-24/64 equals....... 34.9