Code of Maine Rules › 01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY › 001 - AGRICULTURE - GENERAL › Chapter 125 - OFFICIAL GRADES, STANDARDS AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR POTATOES PACKED IN MAINE › Section 001-125-I - DEFINITIONS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
Unless otherwise provided herein, all terms shall have the
				  meaning indicated in the United States Standards for Grades of Potatoes, as
				  promulgated on March 27, 1991 attached hereto. In addition, the following terms
				  have the meanings described below:
A.
				"Chef(s)" means large potatoes typically purchased by restaurants, hotels,
				resorts, or other institutional markets where size, count or portion control
				are desired. Such potatoes shall meet U.S. No. 1 grade standards and shall not
				be less than 2 3/4 inches in diameter or 8 ounces in weight.
B. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of
				The Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources.
C. "Consumer pack" means a unit of 50 pounds
				or less net weight of potatoes contained in a bag or other type of container
				designed for the consumer market.
D. "Department" means the Maine Department of
				Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Division of Quality Assurance and
				Regulations.
E. "Long White
				Potatoes" means long type Irish potatoes with a smooth white skin, including
				but not limited to the following varieties: Shepody and White Rose.
F. "Lot" means a load or any number of like
				containers which contain potatoes of the same kind or similar variety located
				in the same place or conveyance. Potatoes which are different from each other
				as to grade, size, or type and size of container, identification marks or other
				factors shall be deemed to be separate lots. For the purposes of these rules a
				lot shall not exceed 50,000 pounds.
G. "Maine Bag" means any consumer pack of
				potatoes on which appears the word "Maine" in letters larger than 1/14 inch or
				a pictorial representation of the outline of the shape of the state.
H. "Maine Bag Grade" means any of the
				officially established grades of potatoes adopted by the Commissioner which
				qualify for packing in a Maine bag.
I. "Non Approved Varieties" means varieties
				that are not approved for packing or shipping by the Department in Maine Bags
				because of poor or unacceptable eating or cooking characteristics. The
				following variety is currently non- approved: Snowden. Additional varieties may
				be designated as non-approved through the rule-making process.
J. "Non Commercial Producer" means a potato
				producer that produces ten (10) or fewer acres of potatoes annually. The
				production of all family members sharing the same farm or equipment shall be
				included in calculating the farm production.
K. "Non-Maine Bag" means any consumer pack
				that is not a Maine bag.
L.
				"Organic Potatoes" means potatoes that are produced in the State of Maine by
				producers that are Certified Organic Farmers.
M. "Positive Lot Identification" means the
				affixing by, or under the supervision of, the inspector of a traceable code,
				consisting of numbers and/or letters, to containers by stamping or taping or
				other means approved by the Department.
N. "Principal display panel" means that part,
				or those parts of a label designed to be most likely displayed and examined
				under normal conditions of display at retail markets.
O. "Round type Irish potatoes" means those
				varieties classified as round to include white and yellow fleshed; red, white
				and blue skinned, round russets, etc.
P. "Russet Type Potatoes" means long type
				Irish potatoes with russeted skins, including but not limited to the following
				varieties: Bel Rus, Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah.
Q. "Sprout Inhibitor" means a sprout
				suppressant approved or registered for use on potatoes by the Pesticides
				Control Board, such as Maleic Hydrazide or Chloro IPC.
R. "State of Maine Quality Trademark" means
				an official quality trademark described as either a silhouette of the State of
				Maine divided into three horizontal sections or three parallel stripes
				consisting of a blue stripe at the top, white in the center and red at the
				bottom. The use of these trademarks is subject to the provisions set forth by
				Department of Agriculture Rules (01-001, Chapter 135).
S. "Very Serious Damage" means defect(s) that
				affects the external appearance of the potato and cannot be removed without a
				loss of more than 15 percent of the total weight of the potato including peel
				covering the defective area.