Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

documents listed above. After incorporation into the documents listed above this PATCH will 

become obsolete. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

PATCH # 006 Certifying Various Varieties of Citrus (July 13, 2016)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 1 of 2

PATCH # 006

DOCUMENT: Oranges and Grapefruit Market Inspection Instructions for Citrus Grown in 

Texas and States Other Than Florida, California and Arizona; Oranges and Grapefruit Shipping 

Point Inspection Instructions for Citrus Grown in Texas and States Other Than Florida, 

California and Arizona; Florida Citrus Shipping Point and Market Inspection Instructions; Citrus 

California and Arizona Shipping Point and Market Inspection Instructions.

REMARKS: The following guidance is being issued to further set Division policy when 

inspecting varieties of citrus. This PATCH supersedes Directive FPB-618 Certifying Various 

Varieties of Citrus, and Directive FPB 96-2. To maintain uniformity of inspection procedures 

and results, the Division policy for certifying varieties of citrus is as follows: Chart headings on 

page 2 indicate how the fruit will be certified and what standard it will be certified under. This 

list is not inclusive. Whenever a new variety is encountered it will be classified as to what the 

fruit most closely resembles. Tangerines are generally smaller than oranges, and the rind and 

fruit sections are loosely adherent. Therefore, when fruit is small and the rind and fruit sections 

are loosely adherent, the fruit will be inspected based on the tangerine standards. If the fruit does 

not meet these criteria, it will be inspected based upon the orange standards. Cartons marked 

mandarin orange may fall into different categories listed on page 2, depending on variety. 

Grapefruit are generally easier to identify.

For import requirement certification at port of entry use the following:

Grapefruit U.S. Standards for Grades of Florida Grapefruit and the Florida State 

maturity requirements.

Navel oranges U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges (California and Arizona) and the 

Texas State maturity requirements.

Oranges other than 

Navel

U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges (Texas and States other than 

Florida, California and Arizona) and the Texas State maturity 

requirements, except for navel oranges.

Inspections requested for non-domestic (imported) fruit other than at port of entry or when 

import requirements are not in effect, the fruit shall be inspected based on the standards that the 

fruit most closely resembles in regard to texture, thickness of skin, discoloration and scarring. If 

a quality and condition inspection is requested, the maturity standards for the U.S. Standards 

being used will apply. 
This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

documents listed on the first page. After incorporation into the documents listed above this 

PATCH will become obsolete.

PATCH #006 Certifying Various Varieties of Citrus (July 13, 2016)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 2 of 2

Report as Oranges in the product heading. Apply the U.S. Standards for Oranges (based on 

the origin of the fruit).

Ambersweet

Blood (Sanguina)

Boone's Early

Conner’s Seedless

Hamlin

Homosassa

Hurds

Jaffa

Lamb’s Late

Lue Gim Gongs

Navel 

Parson Brown

Pineapple

Pope Summer

Queen

Red Navel

Rhodes Red

Ruby

Seedling

Star Calyx

Valencia

Walker’s Early

Temple (Royal Mandarin) 

(Except Florida)*

Report as Tangelos in the product heading. Apply the U.S. Standards for Oranges (based on 

the origin of the fruit).

Minneola Orlando

Report as Tangerines in the product heading. Apply the U.S. Standards for Tangerines (based 

on the origin of the fruit).

Algerian

Autumn Honey

Dancy

Fairchild

Fallglo

Honey Tangerine (Honey Mandarin or Murcott)

Orri

Robinson

Roe

Sunburst

US Early Pride

Report as Citrus Fruit in the product heading. Apply the U.S. Standards for Oranges (based 

on the origin of the fruit).

Emerald

K-Early

King Oranges

Lee

Page

Satsumas

Seminole

Sour Oranges

Report as Citrus Fruit in the product heading. Apply the U.S. Standards for Tangerines 

(based on the origin of the fruit). 

Clementines

Kara

Kinnow

Nova

Osceola

Ponkan

Wilking

Report as Citrus Fruit in the product heading. No Established U.S. Grade.

Homli

Melogold

Oroblanco

Pummelo (Pomelo)

Ugli

*Other

For “Temple (Royal Mandarin)” citrus fruit grown in Florida only, also known as Royal Tangerine, 

report as Citrus Fruit in the product heading and apply the Florida Tangerine standard.