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 162.36 - Hydroponic or greenhouse tomato standards

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) General. New York State Seal of Quality
				  hydroponic or greenhouse tomatoes shall be tomatoes of similar varietal
				  characteristics, mature, but not overripe or soft, clean, fairly well formed;
				  which are free from decay, sunscald, and freezing injury, and free from damage
				  caused by bruises, cuts, shriveling, puffiness, catfaces, growth cracks, scars,
				  disease, insects, or other means.
(b) Definitions.
(1) Similar varietal characteristics means
				  that the tomatoes are alike as to character of color (bright red varieties
				  shall not be mixed with varieties having a purplish tinge).
(2) Mature means that the contents of two or
				  more seed cavities have developed a jellylike consistency and the seeds are
				  well developed. External color shows at least a definite break from green to
				  tannish-yellow, pink or red color on not less than 10 percent of the
				  surface.
(3) Soft means that the
				  tomato yields readily to slight pressure.
(4) Clean means that the individual tomato is
				  practically free from dirt and other foreign matter.
(5) Fairly well formed means that the tomato
				  is not more than slightly kidney-shaped, lopsided, elongated, angular, or
				  otherwise slightly deformed.
(6)
				  Reasonably well formed means that the tomato is not more than moderately
				  kidney-shaped, lopsided, elongated, angular, or otherwise moderately
				  deformed.
(7) Damage means any
				  specific defect described 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 tomato. The following specific defects shall be
				  considered as damage:
(i) Puffiness when the
				  open space in one or more locules materially detracts from the appearance of
				  the tomato when cut through the center at right angles to a line running from
				  the stem to the blossom end.
(ii)
				  Catfaces when scars are rough or deep, when channels are very deep or wide,
				  when channels extend into a locule, or when affecting the appearance to a
				  greater extent than the following:
(a) A small
				  size tomato having a fairly smooth catface equivalent in area to a circle 3/8
				  inch diameter.
(b) A medium size
				  tomato having a fairly smooth catface equivalent in area to a circle 1/2 inch
				  in diameter.
(c) A large size
				  tomato having a fairly smooth catface equivalent in area to a circle 3/4 inch
				  in diameter.
(iii)
				  Growth cracks (radiating from or concentric to the stem scar) when not well
				  healed, when more than 1/8 inch in depth, or when affecting the appearance or
				  marketing quality of the tomato to a greater extent than that of a tomato five
				  ounces in weight having any individual radial crack 1/2 inch in length, or
				  having more than a one inch aggregate length of all radial cracks measured from
				  the edge of the stem scar.
(iv)
				  Scars (other than catfaces) when the appearance of the tomato is affected to a
				  greater extent than that of a tomato five ounces in weight having a scar with
				  no depth which has an area equivalent to that of a circle 3/8 inch in
				  diameter.
(v) Cuts, not well
				  healed, not shallow, or which affect the appearance or marketing quality of the
				  tomato to a greater extent than that of a tomato five ounces in weight having a
				  cut 1/2 inch in length.
(8) Serious damage means any specific defect
				  described 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 tomato.
				  The following specific defects shall be considered as serious damage:
(i) Puffiness when the open space in one or
				  more locules seriously detracts from the appearance of the tomato when cut
				  through the center at right angles to a line running from the stem to the
				  blossom end.
(ii) Catfaces when
				  channels extend into the locule, when the wall has been weakened to the extent
				  that slight pressure will cause the tomato to leak, or when the appearance of
				  the tomato is affected to a greater extent than that of a tomato five ounces in
				  weight having a fairly smooth catface with an area equivalent to that of a
				  circle one inch in diameter.
(iii)
				  Growth cracks (radiating from or concentric to the stem scar) when not well
				  healed, when more than 1/8 inch in depth, or when affecting the appearance or
				  marketing quality of the tomato to a greater extent than that of a tomato five
				  ounces in weight having individual radial cracks 3/4 inch in length, or having
				  more than a 1 1/2 inch aggregate length of all radial cracks, measured from the
				  edge of the stem scar.
(iv) Scars
				  (other than catfaces) when the appearance of the tomato is affected to a
				  greater extent than that of a tomato five ounces in weight having a scar with
				  no depth which has an area equivalent to that of a circle one inch in
				  diameter.
(v) Cuts, not well
				  healed, not shallow, or which affect the appearance or marketing quality of the
				  tomato to a greater extent than that of a tomato five ounces in weight having a
				  cut 1/2 inch in length.