United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Fresh Freestone Peaches

for Canning, Freezing, or

Pulping

Effective June 1, 1966

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

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

1

United States Standards for Grades of Fresh Freestone Peaches for Canning,

Freezing, or Pulping 1

Grades 

51.3695 U.S. No. 1. 

51.3696 U.S. No. 2. 

51.3697 U.S. No. 3. 

Culls 

51.3698 Culls. 

Application of Standards 

51.3699 Application of standards. 

Calculation of Percentages 

51.3700 Calculation of percentages. 

Minimum Sizes 

51.3701 Minimum sizes. 

Definitions 

51.3702 Mature. 

51.3703 Fairly well formed. 

51.3704 Hard. 

51.3705 Firm. 

51.3706 Firm ripe. 

51.3707 Ripe. 

51.3708 Soft. 

51.3709 Damage. 

51.3710 Not badly misshapen. 

51.3711 Serious damage. 

51.3712 Diameter. 

Grades 

§51.3695 U.S. No. 1. 

"U.S. No. 1" consists of fresh freestone peaches of similar varietal characteristics which are

mature, fairly well formed, firm, firm ripe, or ripe, but not hard or soft; which are free from decay,

worms, worm holes, and split pits, and free from damage caused by scab, bacterial spot, other

disease, insects, bruises, or other means. Ground color shall not be greener than yellowish-green. 

§51.3696 U.S. No. 2. 

"U.S. No. 2" consists of fresh freestone peaches of similar varietal characteristics which are

mature, not badly misshapen, which may be firm, firm ripe, or ripe, but not hard or soft; and are

free from decay, worms, worm holes, and from serious damage by split pits, scab, bacterial spot,
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other disease, insects, bruises, or other means. Ground color shall not be greener than

yellowish-green. 

§51.3697 U.S. No. 3. 

"U.S. No. 3" consists of fresh freestone peaches which meet the requirements of the U.S. No. 2

grade except that there is no requirement for shape and peaches may be hard. 

Culls 

§51.3698 Culls. 

"Culls" consist of peaches which fail to meet the requirements of U.S. No. 3 grade. 

Application of Standards 

§51.3699 Application of standards. 

It is presumed that sellers usually will not sort peaches into separate grade lots before delivery to

the buyer. Under these circumstances no tolerances are provided for defective or undersize

peaches, as it is comtemplated that processors will pay for the exact percentage of U.S. No. 1,

U.S. No. 2, and U.S. No. 3 peaches in the lot as determined by inspection. However, if the

contract between buyer and seller calls for delivery of lots consisting of only one grade, then,

unless otherwise specified, a 10 percent tolerance shall be allowed for peaches which fail to meet

the requirements, other than size, of the one grade upon which the contract is based, including not

more than 2 percent affected by decay, and not more than 1 percent affected by worms. In

addition, a 5 percent tolerance shall be allowed for peaches smaller than the specified minimum

size and a 10 percent tolerance for peaches larger than the specified maximum size. 

Calculation of Percentages 

§51.3700 Calculation of percentages. 

Calculation of percentages shall be on the basis of weight. 

Minimum Sizes 

§51.3701 Minimum sizes. 

Minimum sizes for U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, and U.S. No. 3 grades may be fixed by agreement

between buyer and seller, and shall be stated in terms of diameter in inches, or inches and not less

than eighth-inch fractions thereof. 

Definitions 

§51.3702 Mature. 

"Mature" means the peach has reached a stage of growth which will insure satisfactory

completion of the ripening process. 

§51.3703 Fairly well formed. 

"Fairly well formed" means that the peach will yield two reasonably well shaped halves. 

§51.3704 Hard. 

"Hard" means that the peach is solid and does not yield to moderate pressure. 

§51.3705 Firm. 

"Firm" means that the peach is fairly solid but yields very slightly to moderate pressure. 

§51.3706 Firm ripe. 

"Firm ripe" means that the peach is relatively firm but yields moderately to moderate pressure. 

§51.3707 Ripe. 

"Ripe" means that the peach yields readily to moderate pressure. 
3

§51.3708 Soft. 

"Soft" means that the peach is overripe, has little resistance to slight pressure, and is too near

deterioration to be desirable for processing. Such softness is a result of advanced maturity and is

not to be confused with bruising. 

§51.3709 Damage. 

"Damage" means any specific defect described in this section; or an equally objectionable variation

of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which will prevent

removal of the skin of the peach by efficient commercial peeling operations; or will cause waste to

the extent that the fruit, after trimming, will not yield two reasonably well formed halves; or which

will materially detract from the processing quality of the peach or materially impede preparation

of the peach for processing. The following specific defects shall be considered as damage: 

(a) Scattered scab which exceeds an aggregate area of three-eighths inch in diameter, or scab

which is sunken below the skin surface into the flesh of the peach to the extent that it cannot be

removed by two shallow cuts; 

(b) Bacterial spot which exceeds an aggregate area of three-eighths inch in diameter, or which has

cracked the flesh of the peach to the extent that the injured flesh cannot be removed by two

shallow cuts. 

§51.3710 Not badly misshapen. 

"Not badly misshapen" means that the peach will yield one reasonably well shaped half. 

§51.3711 Serious damage. 

"Serious damage" means any specific defect described in this section; or any equally objectionable

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

prevent removal of the skin by efficient commercial peeling operations without excessive hand

trimming; or which will cause waste of more than 20 percent, by weight, of the flesh of the peach

or will seriously detract from the processing quality of the peach or seriously impede preparation

of the peach for processing. The following specific defects shall be considered as serious damage: 

(a) Scab when sunken into the flesh of both halves of the peach to the extent that removal would

require excessive hand trimming; and, 

(b) Bacterial spot which has cracked the flesh of both halves of the peach to the extent that

removal would require excessive hand trimming. 

§51.3712 Diameter. 

"Diameter" means the shortest distance measured through the center of the peach at right angles

to a line running from the stem to the blossom end.