For each 

Fruit & 1400 Independence Avenue, SW. 

Vegetable Room 1536-S, STOP 0240

Program Washington, DC 20250-0240

February 25, 2021 

SECTION 32 SPECIFICATION for DRIED SWEET CHERRIES 

COMMODITY SPECIFICATION 

for DRIED FRUIT – January 2021

This specification is for Section 32 Purchases only, unless otherwise stated in the 

Solicitation/IFB. 

New text is in blue, links to information are underlined. 

These purchases must meet all existing and relevant requirements of the Commodity 

Specification for Dried Fruit January 2021, with the additional requirements shown below.

Inspection will occur at final packaging (shipping point - origin).

Crop year: As specified in solicitation/IFB. 

Representatives of the AMS, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) 

Division will perform inspection/grading of the finished dried product to determine that the 

quality of the dried sweet cherries produced is in accordance with requirements of this Section 

32 specification. 

Dried Sweet Cherries

All Dried Sweet Cherries must be of 100% domestic origin. The vendors will make all 

paperwork available to SCI that confirms 100% domestic origin traced back from final 

package to the origin orchard, including a descriptive narrative of all steps in the process.

Type: Sweet Cherry varieties with no sugar, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives added.

Style: Whole 

Size: 8/2 lb. bags 

Fumigation: 

• Fumigation of the dried cherries must occur as near as possible, but not exceed 30 days 

prior to final packaging. Such practices must be performed under the observation and to 

the satisfaction of the USDA Inspector. 

• Or, the dried sweet cherries may be heat-treated with a time and temperature adequate to 

kill any insect infestation. This treatment must occur as near as possible, but not exceed 

30 days prior to final packaging. If this heat treatment is performed to SCI’s satisfaction,

then the fumigation step may be omitted. Documentation of the heat treatment such as 
signed and dated time/ temperature recording charts will be made available to the SCI 

inspector for each lot/batch.

Quality characteristics after drying:

Pit tolerance: The pit score shall be not more than 1 per 80 ounces in the finished dried 

 product.

Size: Practically uniform, with at least 80% (by count) of cherries possessing a diameter of 

between 15-24 mm.

Visual Appearance: 

a. Similar varietal characteristics.

b. Black with hues of dark red, typical of properly processed dried sweet cherries without 

additives. 

c. 80% - of the individual cherries appear to be whole.

d. Practically free from defects.

e. No separation of juices or oils within the package.

Usability: The individual dried cherries must be reasonably easy to separate, with minimal 

clumps and stickiness.

Texture: The cherries must be well matured and tender, but not excessively soft, mushy, dry, 

 tough, or rubbery.

Flavor and odor: The cherries must possess an initial pleasant sweet flavor typical of 

unsweetened dried sweet cherries, and may not contain off flavors or odors.

Coatings: The cherries may be lightly coated with vegetable oil (not to exceed 1.0%, by 

weight). 

Microbiological and Chemical Requirements:

All samples for testing and analysis must be drawn by the SCI Federal or Federal-State 

Inspection Service. The sample will be the contents of an unopened final package. Testing and 

analysis must be performed and certified by the USDA National Labs in Gastonia, North 

Carolina, or the Dried Fruit Association of California (DFA) (Safe Food Alliance).

The methods for chemical and microbiological testing shown below are official methods from 

the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and can either be the method listed or 

another method deemed as equivalent by the testing lab.

Analysis for: Tolerances Methods (AOAC)

Aerobic Plate Count <50,000 cfu/g 966.23, 990.12

Coliforms <10 cfu/g 992.30, 966.24, 991.14, 

2000.15, 986.33, 989.10,

Escherichia coli <10 cfu/g 992.30, 966.24, 991.14, 

986.33, 989.10

Yeast <100 cfu/g 995.21, 997.02

Mold <100 cfu/g 995.21, 997.02
Analysis for: Tolerances Methods (AOAC)

Water Activity <0.62 978.18

Added Oil No greater than 1.0% USDA AMS Method 74

Truckload case count: 1,728 cases per truckload.

Material Codes and UPC Numbers for Non-Commercial Packaging

Dried Fruit WBSCM Material Primary Container Secondary Container

Dried Sweet Cherries 

(8/2 lb.) 111406 7 15001 11406 8 1 07 15001 11406 5

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.