United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Processed

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Dried Apricots

Effective date May 24, 1967
This is the third issue, as amended, of the United States Standards for Grades of Dried

Apricots published in the Federal Register of May 24, 1967, (32 FR 7572) to become

effective May 24, 1967. This issue supersedes the third issue which has been in effect

since June 1, 1945.

Voluntary U.S. grade standards are issued under the authority of the Agricultural

Marketing Act of 1946, which provided 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 processed fruits and vegetables, 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 standards also serve as a basis for the inspection and grading of commodities by the

Federal inspection service, the only activity authorized to approve the designation of U.S.

grades as referenced in the standards, as provided under the Agricultural Marketing Act

of 1946. This service, available as on-line (in-plant) or lot inspection and grading of all

processed fruit and vegetable products, is offered to interested parties, upon application,

on a fee-for-service basis. The verification of some specific recommendations,

requirements or tolerances contained in the standards can be accomplished only by the

use of on-line inspection procedures. In all instances, a grade can be assigned based on

final product factors or characteristics.

In addition to the U.S. grade standards, grading manuals or instructions for inspection of

several processed fruits and vegetables are available upon request for a nominal

fee. These manuals or instructions contain detailed interpretations of the grade standards

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

Grade standards are issued by the Department after careful consideration of all data and

views submitted, ant the Department welcomes suggestions which might aid in improving

the standards in future revisions. Comments may be submitted to, and copies of standards

and grading manuals obtained from:

Chief, Processed Products Branch

Fruit and Vegetable Division, AMS

U.S. Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 96456, Rm. 0709, So. Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20090-6456
United States Standards for Grades of Dried Apricots

Section Page No.

§52.5761 Product description. ........................................ 2

§52.5762 Moisture. ................................................. 2

§52.5763 Sizes. ................................................... 2

§52.5764 U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy. .................................. 3

§52.5765 U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice. ................................. 3

§52.5766 U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard. ............................... 4

§52.5767 U.S. Grade D or Substandard. ................................ 4

§52.5768 U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs). ..................... 4

§52.5769 U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs). ..................... 4

§52.5770 U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs). .................. 5

§52.5771 U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs). .................... 5

§52.5772 Explanation of terms. ....................................... 5

§52.5773 Work sheet and summary of requirements for dried apricots. ........ 7

Authority: Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, Secs. 203, 205, 60 Stat. 1087, as

amended, 1090, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1622, 1624).

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.
2

§52.5761 Product description.

Dried apricots are the halved and pitted fruit of the apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) from

which the greater portion of moisture has been removed. Before packing, the dried fruit

is processed to cleanse the fruit and may be sulfured sufficiently to retain a characteristic

color.

§52.5762 Moisture.

Federal inspection certificates shall indicate the moisture content of the finished product

which shall be not more than 26 percent, by weight, for sizes No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and

for slabs, and not more than 25 percent, by weight, for other sizes.

§52.5763 Sizes.

(a) Federal inspection certificates shall indicate the size or combination of sizes

of halved apricots found upon examination; or shall indicate Slabs if the

apricots are such, or Whole Pitted or Slip Pitted if the apricots are found to

be of this style.

(b) The various sizes of dried apricots, except for slabs (including whole pitted

or slip pitted apricots) are as follows:

No. 1 Size (Jumbo Size) ........... 1-3/8 inches, or larger in diameter.

No. 2 Size (Extra Fancy) ...... 1-1/4 inches to 1-3/8 inches in diameter.

No. 3 Size (Fancy Size) ....... 1-1/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches in diameter.

No. 4 Size (Extra Choice Size) ...... 1 inch to 1-1/8 inches in diameter.

No. 5 Size (Choice Size) ............. 13/16 inch to 1 inch in diameter.

No. 6 Size (Standard Size) .......... Less than 13/16 inch in diameter.

(1) Diameter means the shortest measurement across the face of the

apricot half when restored to its normal shape.

(2) In determining compliance with size requirements of this section,

dried apricots will be considered as of one size if not more than 10

percent, by weight, of the fruit varies from the size range.
3

§52.5764 U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy.

(a) U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy dried apricots possess similar varietal

characteristics; and possess a practically uniform, bright typical color,

characteristic of well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess pale yellow

areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area equivalent to oneeighth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than 5 percent, by

weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade B or U.S.

Choice, but none of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade C or

U.S. Standard.

(b) Not more than a total tolerance of 10 percent, by weight, may be slabs,

immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by

discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other

similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live

insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided,

that, not more than two-fifths of the total tolerance, or 4 percent, by weight,

may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are

permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided,

that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by weight,

may be affected by decay.

§52.5765 U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice.

(a) U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice dried apricots possess similar varietal

characteristics; and possess a reasonably uniform, bright typical color,

characteristic of reasonably well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess

pale yellow areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area

equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than

10 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade

C or U.S. Standard, but none of the units may possess light green areas that

exceed an area equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit.

(b) Not more than a total tolerance of 15 percent, by weight, may be slabs,

immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by

discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other

similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live

insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided,

that, not more than one-third of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight,

may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are

permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided,

that, not more than one-fifteenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by

weight, may be affected by decay.
4

§52.5766 U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

(a) U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard dried apricots possess similar varietal

characteristics; and possess a fairly uniform typical color, characteristic of

fairly well-matured apricots. The fruit may be pale yellow in color and may

possess light green areas around the stem end of the fruit that do not exceed

an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side of the unit, but not

more than 15 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may possess light green

areas that exceed an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side

of the unit.

(b) Not more than a total tolerance of 20 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be

slabs, immature, or possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by

discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other

similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live

insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided,

that, not more than one-fourth of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight,

may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are

permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided,

that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 2 percent, by weight,

may be affected by decay.

§52.5767 U.S. Grade D or Substandard.

U.S. Grade D or Substandard dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit that fails to

meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard: Provided, that, not more than

20 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be slabs; and not more than 5 percent, by

weight, of the total fruit may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects

are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not

more than 2 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by decay.

§52.5768 U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs).

U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S.

Grade A or U.S. Fancy, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.

§52.5769 U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs).

U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S.

Grade B or U.S. Choice, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.
5

§52.5770 U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs).

U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of

U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.

§52.5771 U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs).

U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs) dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit

that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard

(Slabs): Provided, that not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be

affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt,

or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than 2 percent, by weight,

of the total fruit may be affected by decay.

§52.5772 Explanation of terms.

(a) Damage or other defects.

(1) Damaged by discoloration means that the apricots have become

excessively darkened. Darkening of otherwise sound fruit

characteristic of fruit held in storage, in keeping with good commercial

practice, shall not be considered as damaged by discoloration unless

excessively darkened.

(2) Damaged by sunburn means any substantial damage to color or

texture of skin caused by excessive heat from the sun.

(3) Damaged by hail marks, scab, or disease means that the combined

area of all such defects, or of any one such defect, exceeds in the

aggregate an area equivalent to the area of a circle three-eighths inch

in diameter.

(4) Damaged by other similar defects means any injury or defect or

group of defects not mentioned herein which materially affect the

appearance, edibility, or keeping quality of the fruit.

(5) Damaged by insect injury means healed or unhealed surface

blemishes, and healed or unhealed blemishes in the flesh which

materially affect the appearance, edibility, or keeping quality of the

fruit but which do not possess evidence of insect infestation.

(6) Affected by insect infestation means that the dried apricots show

the presence of insects, insect fragments, or excreta. No live insects

are permitted.
6

(7) Affected by imbedded dirt means the units have sufficient quantities

of adhering dirt to give the fruit a dirty, smudgy appearance and dirt

which may not be removed readily in washing the fruit.

(b) Maturity.

(1) Well-matured means that the apricots are fully ripe.

(2) Reasonably well-matured means that the apricots are firm and may

not have reached the fully ripe stage.

(3) Fairly well-matured means that the apricots may be hard but not

immature.

(4) Immature means that the apricots are tough or possess a green or

other color indicative of immature fruit.

(c) Slabs. Slabs are apricots that have been mashed, broken, or mutilated to

the extent that they have lost their normal contour and have become

definitely flattened at the edge or rim. A half that has a slightly torn edge is

not considered a slab. For the purpose of these grades whole pitted (or

slip pitted) dried apricots are considered as slabs.
7

§52.5773 Work sheet and summary of requirements for dried apricots.

Size of case or package .....................................................................................

Markings .................................................................................................

Label or brand .............................................................................................

Net weight ................................................................................................

Size or sizes ..............................................................................................

Moisture content ...........................................................................................

A B C D A B C D

Slabs Slabs Slabs Slabs

COLOR Minimum requirements

Grade A color ....................

Grade B color ....................

Grade C color ....................

95% ......

5% 90% .......

..... 10% 100% ......

....... ......

......

95% .....

5% 90% .....

....... 10% 100% .....

..... .....

.....

DEFECTS Maximum tolerances

Total defects .....................

Slabs ...........................

10% 15% 20% ......

..... ...... ....... 20% .......

10% 15% 20% .....

No No

limit limit

Immature:

Fruit possessing pits or pieces of

pits; damaged by discoloration,

sunburn, hail marks, scab,

disease, insect injury, or other

similar defects; and .......... 10% 15% 20% ...... 10% 15% 20% .....

But not more than

Affected by mold, decay, insect

infestation, imbedded dirt or other foreign

material ......................... . 4% 5% 5% 5% 4% 5% 5% 5%

But not more than

Decay .......................... 1% 1% 2% 2% 1% 1% 2% 2%

U.S. Grade ...............................................................................................

Dated: May 16, 1967.

/s/

G.R. Grange

Deputy Administrator

Marketing Services

Published in the Federal Register of May 24, 1967 (32 F.R. 7572).