-5-

3. Recording Weights and Percentages

The weights on the memorandum should be recorded in whole pounds. (20)
Exact half pounds are treated as whole pounds. Less than half pounds
are ignored.

In computing percentages on the slide rule or computation chart, (21)
add or subtract from the No. 2 grade when adjustment is needed to
make the percentage total 100.

GRADE INTERPRETATIONS

Maturity, Firmness and Ground Color. ‘these factors are most (22)
important in determining the grade of peaches and their interpretation
and classification should be on approximately the same basis as used
in inspecting peaches for shipment to market except that peaches
judged “wature" for the standards for processing must have ground
color not greener than yellowish-green. Attention is called to the
definitions of maturity stages in the Shipping point Handbook on
Peaches. ‘The inspector is warned against confusing bruising with the
“soft” stage. Peaches which are in the more advanced stages of the
"pipe" classification will almost invariably show from one to many
bruises after delivery to the processing plant. Scraping away the
bruised tissue will usually reveal normal flesh beneath. Unless the
flesh has become mushy and is beyond the usable stage, the peach
should not be classed as "soft".

Bruises. In deciding how to handle bruises, the inspector (23)
should be guided more by their depth than by their width, number,
appearance or breaking of the skin. Bruises are practically un-
avoidable when peaches are picked in the riper stages of maturity
desired by the processors. However, if the fruit is carefully hand-
led, as it should be, the bruises are usually shallow and superficial.
In many cases, bruises will not prevent the making of reasonably well
formed halves, and, in still more cases, they will not cause over 10
percent waste.

Some bruising occurs in the containers while the fruit is being (2h)

moved from the orchard to the processing plant. With proper handling

this type of bruising will be held to a minimum, and should be ignored

by the inspector. However, if numerous peaches in the tops of con-

tainers are bruised due to excessive filling, or if many peaches in

the bottoms of the containers are crushed due to rough handling or too

rapid hauling over rough roads, the inspector should include a pro-

portionate number of bruised peaches in his sample.


(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

-2-

In no case will the Inspection Service assume the processor's
responsibility for notifying growers of variations from or return tc
contract specifications. a :

EQUIPMENT FOR INSPECTION

The following equipment is needed:

1. ‘Inspection Memoranda.

2. Sizing Gauge.

3. Three Direct rading scales.

4. Three suitable weighing containers.

5. Grading table - preferably slatted bottom, partitioned in

3 or more compartments, and dump top construction (most
canners require separate percentages for various defects).

6. Slide rule or computation chart.

7. Paring knife.

The memorandum form will have spaceg for recording the weights and
percentages of U. S. No. 1, U. S. No. 2, U. S. No. 3 and Culls. Spaces
for recording percentages of certain defects is also often desirable.

The Grading table should be of the type specifically designed for
peaches for canning. Specifications for the special table for canning
peaches may be obtained from the Federal-State Inspection Service,
Macon, Georgie.

INSPECTION PROCEDURE
1. Sample

Representative Sampling. ‘The selection of a representative
sample is fully as important as correct grading of the sample. Peaches

delivered to processors are generally ungraded as to quality or size,
and individual containers will vary with the quality and size produced


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CONSUMER AND MARKETING SERVICE
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DIVISION
FRESH PRODUCTS STANDARDIZATION AND INSPECTION BRANCH

INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS
FOR
FRESH FREESTONE PEACHES FOR CANNING,
FREEZING OR PULPING 1/

GENERAL

The inspector will be guided by these instructions and by any
additional instructions from his Supervisor, oral or written. When
there is any doubt as to procedure the inspector will ask the Super-
visor in advance if possible. If immediate action is necessary the
inspector will use his best judgement and advise the supervisor as
soon as possible so that if the procedure was not proper, it will
be possible for the supervisor to make necessary corrections.

Each inspector should become thoroughly familiar with the re-
quirements of the U. S. Standards before attempting to make inspec-
tions or issue grade memorandums.

There are two particularly important points to bear in mind
when inspecting peaches for processing as contrasted to inspecting
for fresh shipment:

1. Peaches are usually left on the tree a number of days
longer when destined for processing than when picked for long
distance shipment to fresh market. ‘Thus peaches for processing
may generally be more susceptible to bruising.

2. Processors frequently deviate from or make exceptions
to contract specifications.

It is necessary that the Federal Supervisor receive and the
inspector carefully study the GROWER-PROCESSOR CONTRACT and any
modification thereof before starting inspection.

The Federal Supervisor should insist that the processor give
written notice of any change in contract terms sufficiently in
advance of the effective date so that all inspectors can be noti-
fied. If the inspector is notified of any change by the processor
the inspector must advise the Supervisor and receive instructions
regarding procedure before inspections are made on the basis of
exceptions or changes in specifications.

1/ These Instructions supersede Shipping Point Inspection Handbook
for Peaches for Processing, revised August 1957.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)


(14)

(15)

(26)

(17)

(18)

(19)

-he

If a load is sent back to the inspection platform for the ex-
amination of portions not accessible for sampling at the time of the
first inspection and the portion returned for resampling is to be
weighed, a new memorandum should be issued on this portion of the
load and treated as a new inspection without reference to the first
inspection. The number of containers shown on the first memorandum
should be reduced to agree with the number unloaded before the
second weighing.

If the portion of the load returned for resampling is not to
be weighed, the weighted average of two inspections should be given
for the load as a whole, and the first memorandum should be voided.

Samples selected by other parties. In some cases, growers will
bring loads in after the inspection station is closed and request a
processor's employee to select samples to be graded the next day.
Such @ sample may be inspected and the grade and number of containers
restricted to the sample only. Remarks may show that the processor's
employee states that the sample was from a certain lot.

2. Grading the le

ortance of Rapid Inspection. It is absolutely necessary that
the inspector work very rapidly at times in order that factory opera-
tions or growers may not be unnecessarily delayed. ‘The inspector
should be on hand to make inspections whenever deliveries are made.
When practical, definite hours should be established for receiving
peaches for inspection.

Sorting the Sample. The sample should be emptied into the pro-
per compartment on the grading table. The peaches must be poured out
gently with great care to avoid bruising. ‘hey are then segregated
into the various grade and defects compartments. It is a good practice
to first pick out those peaches that are distinctly U. S. No. 1,

U. S. No. 2, U. S. No. 3, or culls. After most of. the peaches have
been segregated in this way, it will be less difficult to place
borderline specimens properly by comparison with those already graded.

cial Se, tions. Some grower-processor contracts contain
@ clause limiting the amount of undersize, worm damage, or possibly
other defects. When contracts contain such specifications the in-
spectors should segregate the undersized, worm damaged, or other spec-
ifically mentioned defects from other culls in the sample so that the
percentages may be correctly reported on the memorandum.



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
CONSUMER AND MARKETING SERVICE

PEACHES

FOR

CANNING, FREEZING,
OR PULPING

INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS

June 1966

FOR USE OF FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INSPECTORS

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DIVISION
FRESH PRODUCTS STANDARDIZATION AND INSPECTION BRANCH
WASHINGTON, D. C.


-T-

Factory trimming operations are of necessity performed very
rapidly and will usually involve more waste than a deliberate, care-
ful trimming such as would be made in a home kitchen. The in-
spector's judgment of the amount of waste should be based upon the
factory operation, provided it is not excessively wasteful.

Split pits. Removal of halves or pieces of split pits mater-
dally or seriously impede preparation of the peach for processing.
For this reason the U. S. No. 1 grade requires peaches “free from"
split pits. In determining the presence of split pits the inspector
should cut all peaches which are difinitely suspected of containing
split pits.

Machinery is now available which removes split pits which are
in two halves with little or no time loss. Where such machines are
used the buyer may have no objection to split pits which are not in
small pieces, and in such case should so stipulate in the contract,
or in writing to the inspection service so that this factor can be
handled in a satisfactory manner.

Blemishes and Peeling. Certain blemishes such as Bacteriosis,
Sprayburn, and limbrub are usually firmly attached to the flesh of the
peach and will not be removed in the usual lye peeling operation.

Hail injury or deeply developed scab spots are often in the same cate-
gory. Such defects are classed as damage because considerable costly
time is usually necessary for hand trimming. Where larger areas are
affected by these blemishes so that a great amount of hand peeling

is required, the peaches are classed as seriously damaged because the
cost of preparing them probably more than offsets their final value.
The inspector should try to familiarize himself at the earliest
possible time with the way in which the blemished peaches react to
the peeling operation. When he has seen how these peaches come
through the peeler he will be much more competent to judge whether
they should be passed as undamaged or scored as damaged or seriously
damaged.

REINSPECTION AND APPEAL INSPECTION

Growers or Processor occasionally request reinspections. These
requests are usually based either upon the claim that (1) the sample
examined was not representative, or (2) that the inspector's scoring
of the sample was incorrect.

(1) When Adequacy of Sampling Questioned. When a grower or pro-
cessor questions the accuracy of an inspection because the sample was
not representative due to extreme irregularity in the quality or size
in various containers, it will be permissible for the inspector to se-
lect and grade another sample. When this sample has been graded, the
results of the two inspections should be combined in a weighted average
and shown on the inspection memorandum. If a memorandum covering the
first inspection has been issued previously it should be voided.

(29)

(30)

(32)

(32)

(33)

(34)


(25)

(26)

(27)

(28)

-6-

Decay, Worms or Worm Holes: All grades state that the peaches
shall be free from these defects. Inspectors should be alert to de-
tect spots of decay or the earliest stages of worm development, as
those factors create a serious problem for the processors. Any peach
with decay, worms or worm holes which is also undersize is scored
as defective account decay, worms. or worm holes rather than as
undersize.

Damage. Damage is defined as:

(a) Any injury or defect which prevents removel of the skin by
efficient commercial peeling operations; or

(b) Which causes waste to the extent that the fruit, after
trimming, will not yield two reasonably well formed halves;
qa or

(c) Which materially affects the processing quality of the peach,
or materially impedes preparation of the peach for pro-
cessing. Necessity for more than 2 shallow cuts is consid-
ered as materially impeding preparation.

NOTE: Specific defects considered as damage are certain degrees
of scab and bacterial spot which fall under (a), (b) or (c) above.

Serious Damage is defined as:

(a) Any injury or defect which affects the skin so that it cannot
be removed by efficient commercial peeling operations without
excessive hand trimming; or

(b) Which causes waste of more than 20%, by weight, of the flesh
in excess of that which would occur if the peach was not de-
fective; or

(c) Which seriously affects the processing quality of the peach,
or seriously impedes preparation of the peach for processing.

Estimating Waste. In estimating the amounts of waste on a peach
as affecting the U. S. No. 1 grade, consideration should be given to
the location of the blemish on the peach and the amount that will be
removed in an efficient commercial operation. For example, a blemish
on the side of a peach may require trimming to the extent that the
half would not be “reasonably well formed". Qn the other hand, the
same blemish located at the seam might be removed in such a way as
to leave two reasonably well formed halves.


-3-

on individual trees. ‘The efficiency of individual pickers may also
cause variation in quality and size in containers. The Inspector
should make a casual examination of all accessible containers in a
lot and select a sample that he believes to be truly representative
of the average quality of the lot.

Method of Sampling. ‘The sample should be a composite drawn
from many containers throughout the load. From 10 to 20 percent of
the containers should be sampled in order to adequately represent
the "tree" and "picker" variations mentioned above. ‘The amount of
fruit drawn from each crate should be approximately the same in
sampling any one load. Usually about a dozen peaches of average
size will be enough to give the total volume of sample needed. In
taking the peaches from the container, the inspector should take
several handfuls of fruit from one spot in the container as they
run. Peaches should be taken from the bottoms of some containers
in order to be sure that the sample is representative.

Minimum Size of Samples. A sample of approximately 40 to 50
pounds should be selected fram a lot containing 75 to 100 bushels
or field boxes. The sample should be increased proportionately on
larger lots, going as high as 200 or more pounds on large trailer
truck loads. ‘These suggested figures are to be considered as
minimums, and the sample should be larger when conditions seem
irregular.

Restricted Sampling. Unloading of large truckload lots may
reveal in the lower layers of the load a quality different from
that found by the inspector in his sample taken from the accessible
portion of the load. For this reason it is the policy of the
service to insist that when the inspector is located at the pro-
cessing plant the applicant should make it possible for the inspec-
tor to obtain samples from all parts of the loads either before or
during unloading. If, however, the inspection is made at a point
which is distant from the plant and the applicant is unable or
unwilling to make the entire load accessible, the inspector must
restrict the memorandum by a statement under "Remarks" to that
portion of the load which was sampled. A definite understanding
to this effect should be had with the processor before the work
begins. It should also be understood that the processor may send
pack a load for regrading if, in the process of unloading, there is
found to be a material difference between the upper and lower por-
tions of the load.

(12)

(a2)

(23)


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paragraph
Numbers

GENERAL... 2 see ceceesccccecccncscccncnenseccecccscereeeececee

EQUIPMENT FOR INSPECTION. ......scsccecccsccecccsccecscsssves

Sample
Grading the Sample. s.sscsee
Recording Weights and Percentages

Bruises....... bocce eeceeee se veeee :

Estimating Waste.
Split Pits..........
Blemishes and Peeling. ae

REINSPECTION AND APPEAL INSPECTION......ccecceccccccvcccccee

RRR HR EE

1-6
7-9

10 - 21
10 - 16




INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS

HANDBOOK CONTROL RECORD

DIVISION LETTERS OR OTHER REFERENCES

Reference Date Paragraph



(35)

(36)

(37)

-8-

(2) When Accuracy of Scoring is Questioned Make an Appeal
Inspection. If either the grower or processor questions the accuracy
of an inspector's scoring of the sample, he may request an Appeal
inspection. The Inspector can often adjust the difficulty by taking
additional samples and giving a detailed explanation of the reasons
for his scoring. If the grower or processor is still not satified
with the inspector's interpretation of grade factors, the inspector
should call the Supervisor and give him a copy of the memorandum and
a@ full explanation of the case. It then becomes the duty of the
supervisor to either personally inspect a new sample or assign another
inspector to make the appeal inspection.

A memorandum issued on an appeal inspection should include only
the results of the second examination and the following should be
written across the face of the memorandum: "“Appéal Inspection - This

memorandum supersedes memorandum No. .
Delayed Appeal Handled as New Inspection. If sufficient time has

elapsed since the first inspection was made for a material change to
have taken place in the condition of the fruit or the load has been
out of the inspection yard, a second inspection should be treated as
a@ new inspection and no reference should be made to the first
memorandum.

HRREKHE HEHE