United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Shelled Virginia Type

Peanuts

Effective August 31, 1959

(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 regualtions.

1

United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Virginia Type Peanuts 1

Grades 

51.2750 U.S. Extra Large Virginia.

51.2751 U.S. Medium Virginia.

51.2752 U.S. No. 1 Virginia.

51.2753 U.S. Virginia Splits.

51.2754 U.S. No. 2 Virginia.

Application of Tolerances

51.2755 Application of tolerances.

Definitions

51.2756 Similar varietal characteristics.

51.2757 Whole.

51.2758 Split.

51.2759 Broken.

51.2760 Foreign material.

51.2761 Unshelled.

51.2762 Minor defects.

51.2763 Damage.

Grades 

§51.2750 U.S. Extra Large Virginia. 

"U.S. Extra Large Virginia" consists of shelled Virginia type peanut kernels of similar varietal

characteristics which are whole and free from foreign material, damage and minor defects, and

which will not pass through a screen having 20/64 x 1 inch openings. Unless otherwise specified,

the peanuts in any lot shall average not more than 512 per pound. 

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

tolerances, by weight, shall be permitted: 

 (1) 0.75 percent for other varieties of peanuts; 

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

 (3) 1 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts; 

 (4) 0.75 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) 3 percent for sound, whole peanuts which will pass through the prescribed screen. 

§51.2751 U.S. Medium Virginia. 

"U.S. Medium Virginia" consists of shelled Virginia type peanut kernels of similar varietal

characteristics which are whole and free from foreign material, damage and minor defects, and
2

which will not pass through a screen having 18/64 x 1 inch openings. Unless otherwise specified,

the peanuts in any lot shall average not more than 640 per pound. 

(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 varieties of peanuts; 

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

 (3) 1.25 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts; 

 (4) 0.75 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) 3 percent for sound, whole peanuts which will pass through the prescribed screen. 

§51.2752 U.S. No. 1 Virginia. 

"U.S. No. 1 Virginia" consists of shelled Virginia type peanut kernels of similar varietal

characteristics which are whole and free from foreign material, damage and minor defects, and

which will not pass through a screen having 15/64 x 1 inch openings. Unless otherwise specified,

the peanuts in any lot shall average not more than 864 per pound. 

(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 varieties of peanuts; 

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

 (3) 1.25 percent for damaged or unshelled peanuts; 

 (4) 0.75 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) 3 percent for sound, whole peanuts which will pass through the prescribed screen. 

§51.2753 U.S. Virginia Splits. 

"U.S. Virginia Splits" consists of shelled Virginia type peanut kernels of similar varietal

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

pass through a screen having 20/64 inch round openings. Not less than 90 percent, by weight,

shall be splits. 

(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 varieties of peanuts; 

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

 (3) 0.2 percent for foreign materials; and, 

 (4) 3 percent for sound peanuts and portions of peanuts which will pass through the prescribed

screen. 

§51.2754 U.S. No. 2 Virginia. 

"U.S. No. 2 Virginia" consists of shelled Virginia type peanut kernels of similar varietal

characteristics 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 17/64 inch round openings. 

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

tolerances, by weight, shall be permitted: 
3

 (1) 2 percent for other varieties 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 

§51.2755 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 separately. 

Definitions 

§51.2756 Similar varietal characteristics. 

"Similar varietal characteristics" means that the peanut kernels in the lot are not of distinctly

different varieties. For example, Spanish type shall not be mixed with Virginia type. 

§51.2757 Whole. 

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

§51.2758 Split. 

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

§51.2759 Broken. 

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

§51.2760 Foreign material. 

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

skins. 

§51.2761 Unshelled. 

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

§51.2762 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. 

§51.2763 Damage. 

"Damage" means that the peanut kernel is affected by one or more of the following: 

(a) Rancidity or decay; 

(b) Mold; 

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

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

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

seriously affecting its appearance.