United States

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Fruit and

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Fresh

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United States Standards

for Grades of

Shelled Spanish Type

Peanuts

Effective July 15, 1965

(Reprinted - January 1997)
 Packing of the product in conformity with the requirements of these standards shall not excuse failure to comply 1

with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or with applicable State laws and regulations.

1

United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Spanish Type Peanuts 1

Grades 

51.2730 U.S. No. 1 Spanish.

51.2731 U.S. Spanish Splits.

51.2732 U.S. No. 2 Spanish.

Application of Tolerances

51.2733 Application of tolerances.

Definitions

51.2734 Spanish type.

51.2735 Whole.

51.2736 Split.

51.2737 Broken.

51.2738 Foreign material.

51.2739 Damage.

51.2740 Minor defects.

51.2741 Unshelled.

Grades 

§51.2730 U.S. No. 1 Spanish. 

"U.S. No. 1 Spanish" consists of shelled Spanish type peanut kernels which are whole and free

from foreign material, damage and minor defects, and which will not pass through a screen having

15/64 x 3/4 inch openings. 

(a) In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, the following

tolerances, by weight, shall be permitted: 

 (1) 1 percent for other types of peanuts; 

 (2) 3 percent for sound peanuts which are split or broken; 

 (3) 1.5 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts; 

 (4) 0.5 percent for minor defects: Provided, That in addition, any unused part of the tolerance

for damaged or unshelled peanuts shall be allowed for minor defects; 

 (5) 0.1 percent for foreign material; and, 

 (6) 2 percent for sound whole peanuts which will pass through the prescribed screen. 

§51.2731 U.S. Spanish Splits. 

"U.S. Spanish Splits" consists of shelled Spanish type peanut kernels which are split or broken,

but which are free from foreign material, damage and minor defects, and which will not pass

through a screen having 16/64 inch round openings. 

(a) In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, the following

tolerances, by weight, shall be permitted: 
2

 (1) 2 percent for other types of peanuts; 

 (2) 2 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts and minor defects; 

 (3) 0.2 percent for foreign material; 

 (4) 2 percent for sound portions of peanuts which will pass through the prescribed screen; and, 

 (5) 4 percent for sound whole kernels. 

§51.2732 U.S. No. 2 Spanish. 

"U.S. No. 2 Spanish" consists of shelled Spanish type peanut kernels which may be split or

broken, but which are free from foreign material, damage, and minor defects, and which will not

pass through a screen having 16/64 inch round openings. 

(a) In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, the following

tolerances, by weight, shall be permitted: 

 (1) 2 percent for other types of peanuts; 

 (2) 2.5 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts and minor defects; 

 (3) 0.2 percent for foreign material; and, 

 (4) 6 percent for sound peanuts and portions of peanuts which will pass through the prescribed

screen. 

Application of Tolerances 

§51.2733 Application of tolerances. 

The tolerances provided in these standards are on a lot basis and shall be applied to a composite

sample representative of the lot. However, any container or group of containers in which the

peanuts are obviously of a quality materially different from that in the majority of containers shall

be considered a separate lot, and shall be sampled and graded separately. 

Definitions 

§51.2734 Spanish type. 

"Spanish type" means peanuts of varieties which belong to the Spanish classification group and

which are free from kernels of Runner, Virginia, or other types. 

§51.2735 Whole. 

"Whole means" that the peanut kernel is not split or broken. 

§51.2736 Split. 

"Split" means the separated half of a peanut kernel. 

§51.2737 Broken. 

"Broken" means that more than one-fourth of the peanut kernel is broken off. 

§51.2738 Foreign material. 

"Foreign material" means pieces or loose particles of any substance other than peanut kernels or

skins. 

§51.2739 Damage. 

"Damage" means any specific defect described in this section; or any other defect, or any

combination of defects which materially detracts from the edible quality of the peanut. The

following specific defects shall be considered as damage: 

(a) Rancidity or decay; 

(b) Mold; 

(c) Insects, worm cuts, web or frass; 

(d) Freezing injury causing hard, translucent, or discolored flesh; and, 
3

(e) Dirt when the surface of the kernel is heavily smeared, thickly flecked or coated with dirt,

seriously affecting its appearance. 

§51.2740 Minor defects. 

"Minor defects" means that the peanut kernel is not damaged but is affected by one or more of the

following: 

(a) Skin discoloration which is dark brown, dark gray, dark blue or black and covers more than

one-fourth of the surface; 

(b) Flesh discoloration which is darker than a light yellow color or consists of more than a slight

yellow pitting of the flesh; 

(c) Sprout extending more than one-eighth of an inch from the tip of the kernel; and, 

(d) Dirt when the surface of the kernel is distinctly dirty, and its appearance is materially affected. 

§51.2741 Unshelled. 

"Unshelled" means a peanut kernel with part or all of the hull (shell) attached.