United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Grapes for Processing

and Freezing

Effective September 1, 1977

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

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

1

United States Standards for Grades of Grapes for Processing and Freezing 1

General 

51.2150 General. 

Grades 

51.2151 U.S. No. 1. 

51.2152 U.S. No. 2. 

Tolerances 

51.2153 Tolerances. 

Definitions 

51.2154 Mature. 

51.2155 Fairly well matured. 

51.2156 Foreign material. 

51.2157 Similar varietal characteristics. 

51.2158 Unattached petioles. 

51.2159 Damage. 

51.2160 Serious damage. 

51.2161 Classification of defects. 

General 

§51.2150 General. 

(a) These standards apply to all types of grapes, hand-picked or mechanically harvested, which are

to be processed.

(b) The grade of a lot of grapes shall be determined on the basis of a composite sample.

Grades 

§51.2151 U.S. No. 1. 

"U.S. Grade No. 1" consists of grapes and juice which meet the following requirements: 

(a) Basic requirements: 

(1) Mature; and, 

(2) Similar varietal characteristics. 

(b) Free from: 

(1) Decay; 

(2) Visible mold; 

(3) Immature berries; 

(4) Sunburn; 

(5) Freezing; 

(6) Attached insects or insect injury; and, 

(7) Foreign material. 
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(c) Free from damage by any cause. (See §51.2159.) 

(d) For tolerances, see §51.2153. 

§51.2152 U.S. No. 2. 

"U.S. No. 2" consists of grapes and juice which meet the requirements of the U.S. No. 1 grade

except: 

(a) Berries shall be at least fairly well matured; and, 

(b) Increased tolerances for defects and foreign material. (See §51.2153.) 

Tolerances 

§51.2153 Tolerances. 

(a) No tolerance is provided in these standards for grapes which fail to meet the maturity

requirement. 

(b) In order to allow for variations incident to proper culture, harvesting and handling in each of

the foregoing grades, tolerances, by weight, other than for maturity, are set forth in Table I.

TABLE I

U.S. No. 1 (pct by weight) U.S. No. 2 (pct by weight)

A. Total defects...... 10................... 10.

1. Serious damage 6..................... 6.

(Included in "A")

(a) Berries affected by mold 3..................... 3.

or decay (included in "1").

(b) Dissimilar varieties 1/2 of 1.......... 1/2 of 1.

(included in "1").

(c) Berry moth, attached insects or 1/2 of 1.......... 1.

other insects or injury (included in 

"1").

B. Foreign material........ 3..................... 4.

(a) Leaves, petioles, or other plants 3..................... 4.

parts, except for unattached petioles

(included in "B").

(b) All other foreign material 1/2 of 1........... 1/2 of 1.

(included in "B").

Definitions 

§51.2154 Mature. 

"Mature" means that representative samples of grapes and juice from containers in a lot shall test,

unless otherwise specified, not less than 15.5 percent soluble solids, as determined by an approved

refractometer. 

§51.2155 Fairly well matured. 

"Fairly well matured" means that representative samples of grapes and juice from containers in a

lot shall test, unless otherwise specified, not less than 14.5 percent soluble solids, as determined
 This color plate may be purchased from the Munsell Color Co., 2441 North Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21218. 2

3

by an approved refractometer. 

§51.2156 Foreign material. 

"Foreign material" means sticks, stones, leaves, petioles or other plant parts or other extraneous

material. 

§51.2157 Similar varietal characteristics. 

"Similar varietal characteristics" means grapes having same characteristic skin and pulp color. 

§51.2158 Unattached petioles. 

"Unattached petioles" means petioles that are completely devoid of their leaf. 

§51.2159 Damage. 

"Damage" means any specific defect described in §51.2161, Table II; or an equally objectionable

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

materially detracts from the processing quality of the grapes. 

§51.2160 Serious damage. 

"Serious damage" means any specific defect described in §51.2161, Table II; or an equally

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

defects, which seriously detracts from the processing quality of the grapes. 

§51.2161 Classification of defects.

TABLE II

Defects Damage Serious Damage

Dried berries................... When berries are dry and shrivelled

to the extent that practically no

moisture is present within the

berries. 

Discoloration......................... See Serious damage. When darker than plate 7.5 RP 3/4

in the Munsell Book of Color.2

Sunburn................................. See Serious damage. When sunken, discolored, and dried

area caused by sunburn affects the

skin or flesh of the grape. 

Decay or Mold..................... See Serious damage. Any visible decay or mold on the

grape skin or penetrating the flesh. 

Insects or insect injury. See Serious damage. Any insect injury penetrating the

flesh or any insect attached to the

grape. 

Immature See Serious damage. When berries are hard and green and

generally small.