United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Greenhouse Cucumbers

Effective September 5, 1985

(Reprinted - January 1997)
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United States Standards for Grades of Greenhouse Cucumbers

51.3855 General.

51.3856 Grades.

51.3857 Tolerances.

51.3858 Application of tolerances.

51.3859 Standard pack.

51.3860 Definitions.

51.3861 Permanent defects.

51.3862 Condition defects.

51.3863 Classification of defects.

§51.3855 General.

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

provisions of applicable Federal or State laws.

§51.3856 Grades.

(a)"U.S. Fancy"consists of cucumbers which meet the following requirements:

(1) Basic requirements:

(i) Clean;

(ii) Well formed;

(iii) Well colored;

(iv) Fresh; and,

(v) Firm.

(2) Free from: Decay, cuts or mechanical injury.

(3) Free from injury by:

(i) Scars;

(ii) Freezing;

(iii) Mosaic or other diseases; and,

(iv) Insects or other means.

(4) Size: Unless otherwise specified, the minimum length shall be not less than 11 inches.

(5) Tolerances: (See §51.3857)

(b) "U.S. No. 1" consists of cucumbers which meet the following requirements: 

(1) Basic requirements:

(i) Clean;

(ii) Fairly well formed;

(iii) Fairly well colored;

(iv) Fresh; and,

(v) Firm.

(2) Free from: Decay and unhealed cuts.

(3) Free from damage by:

(i) Scars;
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(ii) Freezing;

(iii) Mosaic or other diseases;

(iv) Insects; and,

(v) Mechanical or other means.

(4) Size: Unless otherwise specified, the minimum length shall be not less than 11 inches.

(5) Tolerances: (See §51.3857)

(c)"U.S. No. 2'' consists of cucumbers which meet the following requirements:

(1) Basic requirements:

(i) Clean;

(ii) Not badly deformed;

(iii) Fairly well colored;

(iv) Fresh; and,

(v) Firm.

(2) Free from: Decay and unhealed cuts.

(3) Free from serious damage by:

(i) Scars;

(ii) Freezing;

(iii) Mosaic or other diseases;

(iv) Insects; and,

(v) Mechanical or other means.

(4) Size: Unless otherwise specified, the minimum length shall be not less than 11 inches.

(5) Tolerances: (See §51.3857)

§51.3857 Tolerances.

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

the following tolerances, by count, shall be permitted in any lot:

(a) For defects. Ten percent for cucumbers in any lot which fail to meet the requirements of the

specified grade: Provided, that included in this amount not more than 1 percent for decay.

(b) For off-size. Five percent for cucumbers in any lot which are below a specified minimum

length and 5 percent for cucumbers longer than a specified maximum length.

§51.3858 Application of tolerances.

When packed in containers the contents shall be the sample, when in bulk or bulk bins the sample

shall consist of at least 25 cucumbers. Individual samples are subject to the following limitations:

(a) For a tolerance of 10 percent or more, individual samples may contain not more than one and

one-half times the tolerance specified except that when the lot consists of containers with 18

cucumbers or less, individual containers may contain not more than double the tolerance specified:

and provided, that the average is within the specified lot tolerance. 

(b) For a tolerance of less than 10 percent, individual samples may contain not more than double

the tolerance specified: Provided, that at least one defective and one off-size cucumber may be

permitted in any sample: and provided further, that the average is within the specified lot

tolerance.

§51.3859 Standard pack.

(a) Each cucumber shall be completely enclosed in a shrink wrapper.

(b) Cucumbers shall be fairly uniform in size and packed fairly tight in layers in containers
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according to approved and recognized methods.

(1) Fairly uniform in size means that not more than 10 percent, by count, of the cucumbers in any

container shall vary more than 2 inches in length.

(2) In order to allow for variations incident to proper packing, not more than 10 percent, by

count, of the containers in any lot may fail to meet these requirements.

§51.3860 Definitions.

(a) "Clean" means practically free from dirt or other foreign material.

(b) "Fresh" means bright, not wilted, yellow or exhibiting other symptoms of aging.

(c) "Well formed" means that the shape shall be fairly straight and not more than slightly tapered

at one or both ends.

(d) "Fairly well formed" means not materially curved, constricted, or pointed at one or both ends,

or otherwise materially misshapen. 

(e) "Badly deformed" means badly curved, beaked, bottlenecked, constricted, or otherwise so

badly misshapen that the appearance is seriously affected.

(f) "Well colored" means a characteristic green color over practically the entire surface.

(g) "Fairly well colored" means a characteristic green color over two-thirds or more of the surface

except for areas affected by foliage shading.

(h) "Injury" means any defect described in §51.3863 or an equally objectionable variation of any

one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which slightly detracts from

the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality.

(i) "Damage" means any defect described in §51.3863 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.

(j) "Serious damage" means any defect described in §51.3863 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.

§51.3861 Permanent defects.

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

including, but not limited to factors of shape, scars, or growth cracks and cuts which are so

located as to indicate that they occurred prior to packing.

§51.3862 Condition defects.

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

including, but not limited to decay, soft or yellowing and bruises which are so located as to

indicate that they occurred after packing.
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§51.3863 Classification of defects.

Defects Injury Damage Serious damage 1 1 1

Bruises....... When any indentation is When any indentation is When any indentation is

more than 1/16 inch more than 1/8 inch more than 1/4 inch

(1.6mm) in depth or (3.2mm) in depth or (6.4mm) in depth or

exceeds an area of a circle exceeds an area of a circle exceeds an area of a circle

1/2 inch (12.7mm) in 3/4 inch (19.1mm) in 1 inch (25.4mm) in

diameter. diameter. diameter.

Insects........ When feeding injury is When feeding injury When feeding injury

evident or any insect is materially detracts from seriously detracts from

present. appearance or any insect is appearance or any insect is

present. present.

Scars......... When not smooth, or not When not smooth, or not When dark or slightly

light colored, and light colored, and rough or barklike scars

aggregating more than the aggregating more than the aggregate more than a

area of a circle 3/8 inch area of a circle 1/2 inch circle 3/4 inch (19.1mm)

(9.5mm) in diameter; or (12.7mm) in diameter: or in diameter; or smooth and

smooth and light colored smooth and light colored light colored and

and aggregating more than and aggregating more than aggregating more than the

the area of a circle 3/4 the area of a circle 1-1/2 area of a circle 2 inches

inch (19.1mm) in inch (38.1mm) in (50.8mm) in diameter.

diameter. diameter.

 Defect classifications are based on a cucumber 11 inches in length. Correspondingly larger areas are permitted on 1

longer cucumbers and smaller areas on shorter cucumbers.
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