United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Fruit and

Vegetable

Division

Fresh

Products

Branch

United States Standards

for Grades of

Fresh Shelled Peas for

Canning or Freezing

Effective January 15, 1946

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

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

1

United States Standards for Grades of Fresh Shelled Peas for

Canning or Freezing 1

General

51.4210 General. 

Grades

51.4211 U.S. Fancy. 

51.4212 U.S. No. 1. 

51.4213 U.S. No. 2. 

51.4214 U.S. No. 3. 

Culls

51.4215 Culls. 

Foreign Material

51.4216 Foreign material. 

Definitions

51.4217 Very tender. 

51.4218 Very succulent. 

51.4219 Good characteristic color. 

51.4220 Injury. 

51.4221 Fairly tender. 

51.4222 Fairly succulent. 

51.4223 Characteristic color. 

51.4224 Slightly tender. 

51.4225 Slightly succulent. 

51.4226 Green color. 

51.4227 Damage. 

General 

§51.4210 General.

(a) These standards are recommended to be used as a basis for contracts only after thorough

consideration by canners and growers, and preferably after demonstration of methods of grading

and inspection by qualified inspectors. They provide a basis for determining the quality of various

lots of peas after shelling. The standards are an outgrowth of the widely accepted principle that

price should be proportional to quality. The grower delivering high quality peas deserves a

commensurate price because such quality peas enable the canner to pack a better quality finished

product. 

(b) Inspection based upon the U.S. Standards for Fresh Shelled Peas for Canning or Freezing

involves securing a representative sample from each lot and classifying each of the individual peas

in accordance with the accompanying grades. The inspector's report shows the percentage of peas
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in each of the various grades. 

(c) The application of the standards requires the services of private or official inspectors. Such

inspectors must be capable, efficient, and above all, they must be absolutely impartial. 

Grades 

§51.4211 U.S. Fancy.

"U.S. Fancy" consists of peas of similar varietal characteristics which are very tender, very

succulent, of good characteristic color, free from decay, scald, and from injury caused by rust,

shriveling, heating, disease, insects, or other means. 

§51.4212 U.S. No. 1.

"U.S. No. 1" consists of peas of similar varietal characteristics which are fairly tender, fairly

succulent, of characteristic color, free from decay and scald, and from injury caused by rust,

shriveling, heating, disease, insects, or other means. 

§51.4213 U.S. No. 2.

"U.S. No. 2" consists of peas of similar varietal characteristics which are slightly tender, slightly

succulent, which have a green color and are free from decay and scald, and from damage caused

by rust, shriveling, heating, disease, insects, or other means. 

§51.4214 U.S. No. 3.

"U.S. No. 3" consists of peas which are free from decay, scald, and from damage caused by

heating, or other means. 

Culls

§51.4215 Culls.

"Culls" are peas which fail to meet the requirements of U.S. No. 3 grade. 

Foreign Material

§51.4216 Foreign material.

The presence of thistle buds or other foreign material shall not be considered as affecting any of

the foregoing grades. However, restrictions regarding the amount of such foreign material may be

fixed by agreement between grower and processor. 

Definitions

§51.4217 Very tender.

"Very tender" means that the pea yields to slight pressure and the cotyledon crushes into a smooth

pulp. 

§51.4218 Very succulent.

"Very succulent" means that the pea tastes sweet, and the cotyledon yields free juice when

crushed. 

§51.4219 Good characteristic color.

"Good characteristic color" means that the pea has good green color characteristic of the variety. 

§51.4220 Injury.

"Injury" means any defect, or any combination of defects, which detracts from the canning or

freezing quality. Mechanical injury incident to harvesting and vining operations shall not be

considered as injury. 

§51.4221 Fairly tender.

"Fairly tender" means that the pea yields to moderate pressure which causes the cotyledon to

break into numerous small granular pieces rather than to crush into a smooth pulp. 
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§51.4222 Fairly succulent.

"Fairly succulent" means that the pea is moist and fairly sweet. 

§51.4223 Characteristic color.

"Characteristic color" means that the pea has a fairly good green color; that is, not faded or

having a yellowish color. 

§51.4224 Slightly tender.

"Slightly tender" means that the pea yields to pressure between the thumb and finger but the edges

of the cotyledon feel rather hard and sharp and the edges of broken pieces appear whitish and

ragged. 

§51.4225 Slightly succulent.

"Slightly succulent" means that the pea is becoming dry and starchy, and often having a whitish

center or "starch ball."

§51.4226 Green color.

"Green color" means that the pea may be slightly yellowish or faded, but the green color is

predominant. 

§51.4227 Damage.

"Damage" means any defect, or any combination of defects, which materially detracts from the

canning or freezing quality of the pea. Mechanical injury incident to harvesting and vining

operations shall not be considered as damage.