New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 1 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS › Chapter IV - Markets › Subchapter A - Grading of Farm Products (Article 12-A Agriculture and Markets Law) › Part 162 - Official State Brands Or Trademarks › Section 162.27 - Fresh plum and prune standards

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) General. New York State Seal of Quality
				  fresh plums and prunes shall be plums and prunes of one variety which are well
				  formed, clean, mature but not overripe or soft or shriveled; which are free
				  from decay, sunscald, heat injury, sunburn, split pits and hail marks, and free
				  from damage caused by broken skins, growth cracks, drought spots, gum spots,
				  russeting, scars, other disease, insects or mechanical or other
				  means.
(b) Definitions.
(1) Well formed means that the fruit has the
				  shape characteristic of the variety. Doubles shall not be considered well
				  formed.
(2) Clean means that the
				  fruit is practically free from dirt and other foreign material.
(3) Mature means that the fruit has reached
				  the stage of maturity which will insure a proper completion of the ripening
				  process.
(4) Sunscald means injury
				  caused by the sun in which softening or collapse of the flesh is
				  apparent.
(5) Damage means any
				  specific defect defined in this section or an equally objectionable variation
				  of any one of these defects, any other defect or any combination of defects,
				  which materially detracts from the appearance or the edible or marketing
				  quality of the fruit. The following specific defects shall be considered as
				  damaged:
(i) Broken skins which are unhealed
				  except those caused by pulled stems where the skin is torn only slightly within
				  the stem cavity. (Healed skin breaks shall be considered scars).
(ii) Heat injury, sprayburn or sunburn:
(a) when the skin is blistered, cracked or
				  decidedly flattened;
(b) when the
				  normal color of the skin or flesh has materially changed;
(c) when there is more than one indentation;
				  and
(d) when an indentation exceeds
				  3/16 inch in diameter.
(iii) Growth cracks:
(a) when not healed;
(b) when more than one in number;
(c) when more than 1/8 inch in
				  depth;
(d) when more than 3/8 inch
				  in length if within the stem cavity; and
(e) when more than 1/4 inch in length if
				  outside of the stem cavity;
(iv) Split pit when causing any unhealed
				  crack or when healed and aggregating more than 1/4 inch in length or when
				  affecting the shape to the extent that the fruit is not well formed.
(v) Scab or bacterial spot when cracked or
				  when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle 1/4 inch in diameter on a
				  fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size, or smaller or when the aggregate
				  area exceeds that of a circle 3/8 inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two
				  inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(vi) Drought spots or external gum spots
				  which have an aggregate area exceeding that of a circle 1/4 inch in
				  diameter.
(vii) Scale or scale
				  marks when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle 1/4inch in
				  diameter.
(viii) Scars, including
				  those caused by hail, when the surface of the fruit is depressed more than 1/16
				  inch, or when exceeding any of the following aggregate areas, or a combination
				  of two or more types of scars the seriousness of which exceeds the maximum
				  allowed for any one type.
(a) Dark or rough
				  scars when the area exceeds that of a circle 1/4 inch in diameter on a fruit
				  two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller or when the area exceeds that
				  of a circle 3/8 inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two inches in diameter
				  or 4 x 4 size.
(b) Fairly light
				  colored, fairly smooth scars when, in the case of Italian type prunes, the area
				  exceeds that of a circle 1/2 inch in diameter or when, in the case of other
				  types of plums, the area exceeds that of a circle 1/2inch in diameter on a
				  fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller or when the area exceeds
				  that of a circle 5/8 inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two inches in
				  diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(c) Light
				  colored, smooth scars when, in the case of Italian type prunes, the area
				  exceeds 1/12 of the fruit surface or when, in the case of other types of plums,
				  the area exceeds that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on a fruit two inches in
				  diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller, or when the area exceeds that of a circle
				  7/8 inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two inches in diameter or 4 x 4
				  size.
(d) Twig or limb scratches
				  which are not well healed or which have an aggregate length of more than 1/2
				  inch.
(ix) Russeting
				  which exceeds any of the following aggregate areas of any one type of
				  russeting, or a combination of two or more types of russeting the seriousness
				  of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one type.
(a) Rough russeting when the area exceeds
				  that of a circle 1/4 inch in diameter on a fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x
				  4 size, or smaller or when the area exceeds that of a circle 1/2 inch in
				  diameter on a fruit larger than two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(b) Slightly rough russeting when, in the
				  case of Italian type prunes, the area exceeds 1/12 of the fruit surface or
				  when, in the case of other types of plums, the area exceeds that of a circle
				  5/8 inch in diameter on a fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller
				  or when the area exceeds that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on a fruit
				  larger than two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(c) Fairly smooth or smooth russeting when,
				  in the case of Italian type prunes, the area exceeds 1/12 of the fruit surface
				  or when, in the case of other types of plums the area exceeds that of a circle
				  3/4 inch in diameter on a fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller
				  or when the area exceeds that of a circle one inch in diameter on a fruit
				  larger than two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(6) Well colored, as applied to
				  Italian type prunes, means that 95 percent of the surface of the prune is
				  purpose color.
(7) Fairly well
				  colored, as applied to Italian type prunes, means that at least 3/4 of the
				  surface of the prune is purpose color.
(8) Badly misshapen means that the fruit is
				  so malformed or rough that its appearance is seriously affected. Doubles shall
				  be considered badly misshapen, except that doubles of Italian type prunes which
				  have approximately equal halves shall not be considered badly
				  misshapen.
(9) Serious damage means
				  any specific defect defined in this section or an equally objectionable
				  variation of any one of these defects, any other defect or any combination of
				  defects which seriously detracts from the appearance or the edible or marketing
				  quality of the fruit. The following specific defects shall be considered as
				  serious damage:
(i) Broken skins which are
				  unhealed when aggregating more than 1/8 inch in diameter, length or depth.
				  (Healed skin breaks shall be considered scars).
(ii) Heat injury, sprayburn or sunburn:
(a) when the skin is blistered, cracked or
				  decidedly flattened;
(b) when
				  causing any dark discoloration of the flesh;
(c) when there are more than two
				  indentations;
(d) when the
				  aggregate area of indentations exceeds that of a circle 3/8 inch in diameter;
				  and
(e) when causing noticeable
				  brownish or darker discoloration over more than1/4 of the fruit
				  surface;
(iii) Growth
				  cracks:
(a) when not healed and more than 1/8
				  inch in length or depth;
(b) when
				  healed and more than 3/16 inch in depth;
(c) when healed and aggregating more than 5/8
				  inch in length if within the stem cavity; and
(d) when healed and aggregating more than 1/2
				  inch in length if outside of the stem cavity.
(iv) Split pit when causing any unhealed
				  crack or when healed and aggregating more than 3/8 inch in length or when
				  affecting the shape to the extent that the fruit is badly
				  misshapened.
(v) Scab or bacterial
				  spot, when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle1/2 inch in diameter on a
				  fruit two inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller or when the aggregate
				  area exceeds that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two
				  inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size.
(vi) Drought spots or external gum spots
				  which have an aggregate area exceeding that of a circle 1/2 inch in
				  diameter.
(vii) Scale or scale
				  marks when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle 3/8inch in
				  diameter.
(viii) Russeting and
				  scars, including those caused by hail, when the surface of the fruit is
				  depressed more than 3/16 inch, or when exceeding any of the following aggregate
				  areas, or a combination of two or more types of russeting or scars the
				  seriousness of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one type:
(a) Dark or rough scars or rough russeting
				  when the area exceeds that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on a fruit two
				  inches in diameter or 4 x 4 size or smaller or when the area exceeds that of a
				  circle one inch in diameter on a fruit larger than two inches in diameter or 4
				  x 4 size.
(b) Russeting and scars
				  which are not dark or rough when the area exceeds 1/4of the fruit
				  surface.
(ix) Soft or
				  overripe or shriveled plums or prunes.
(x) Plums or prunes affected by
				  decay.
(xi) Plums or prunes
				  affected by sunscald.
(10) Diameter means the greatest dimension
				  measured at right angles to a line from the stem to blossom end of the
				  fruit.