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 162.7 - Cantaloupe (muskmelon) standards

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) General. New York State Seal of Quality
				  cantaloupe shall be cantaloupe (muskmelon) of one type which are mature and
				  have high internal quality and uniform appearance, but are not over-ripe or
				  soft or wilted, which are well formed, well netted, and free from decay, wet
				  slip and sunscald, and free from damage caused by liquid in the seed cavity,
				  sunburn, hail, dirt, surface mold or other disease, aphis or other insects,
				  scars, cracks, sunken areas, ground spot, bruises, or mechanical or other
				  means.
(b) Definitions.
(1) High internal quality means that the
				  combined juice from the edible portion of a sample of cantaloupes (muskmelons)
				  selected at random contains not less than 9.3 percent soluble solids as
				  determined by an approved hand refractometer.
(2) Uniform in appearance means that not more
				  than one-tenth of the packages in any lot contain cantaloupes (muskmelons)
				  which show sufficient variation in shape, size, ground color or netting to
				  materially detract from the appearance of the contents of the individual
				  packages, or which are not packed according to the approved and recognized
				  methods for the package.
(3) One
				  type means that the cantaloupes (muskmelons) in any container are similar in
				  color of flesh and are not decidedly different in shape, character of netting
				  and prominence of ribbing.
(4)
				  Mature means that the muskmelon has reached the stage of maturity which will
				  insure the proper completion of normal ripening process.
(5) Soft means that the muskmelon yields
				  readily to slight pressure.
(6)
				  Wilted means that the muskmelon lacks turgidity and is somewhat flabby, spongy
				  and pliable under moderate pressure.
(7) Well formed means that the muskmelon has
				  the normal shape characteristic of the variety.
(8) Well netted means that to an extent
				  characteristic of variety the muskmelon is well covered with fully developed,
				  well-raised netting, some portion of which is well rounded with practically no
				  crease.
(9) Decay means breakdown,
				  disintegration or fermentation of flesh or rind of the muskmelon caused by
				  bacteria or fungi.
(10) Wet slip
				  means a condition present at time of packing in which the stem scar is
				  abnormally large, excessively wet and slippery, yields to slight pressure, and
				  is frequently accompanied by fresh radial growth cracks at the edge of the stem
				  scar.
(11) Sunscald means
				  discolored or bleached, sunken areas of the surface having tough epidermis with
				  underlying flesh leathery and usually off color.
(12) 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 shipping quality of
				  the muskmelon. The following specific defects shall be considered damage:
(i) when more than a slight amount of liquid
				  is present in the seed cavity;
(ii)
				  sunburn when the color of the flesh is materially changed; when the rind is
				  hard, tough, thin, or definitely flattened; when distinct flattening of the
				  netting or dark yellow surface discoloration affects an aggregate area
				  exceeding 20 percent of the surface of the muskmelon, or when brown, gray,
				  purple or dark green surface discoloration detracts from the appearance of the
				  muskmelon to a greater extent than the area of dark yellow discoloration
				  permitted;
(iii) hail when the
				  injury is unhealed or deep;
(iv)
				  surface mold when the color, character, or location of the mold materially
				  detracts from the muskmelon;
(v)
				  aphis when aphis honeydew is more than slightly sticky or when resulting
				  discoloration more than slightly detracts from the appearance of the
				  muskmelon;
(vi) scars when healed,
				  shallow, smooth and light colored and the aggregate area affected exceeds five
				  percent of the surface of the muskmelon; or when deep rough or dark colored
				  detracting from the appearance to a greater extent than the area healed,
				  shallow, smooth and light colored scars permitted. Smooth scarring at the
				  blossom end and coalesced netting should not be considered in determining
				  damage caused by scarring unless materially detracting from the appearance of
				  the muskmelon;
(vii) cracks when
				  deep or not dry. Slight dry cracks at the ends or the sutures of the muskmelon
				  shall not be considered damage;
(viii) ground spot when the rind of the
				  affected area is thin or weak, or when the size or color of the affected area
				  or the character of netting on the area in relation to the remainder of the
				  surface of the muskmelon materially detracts from the appearance of the
				  muskmelon;
(ix) bruises when the
				  surface of the muskmelon is definitely flattened or indented, or when the
				  underlying flesh is noticeably discolored; and
(x) mechanical means when cuts or gouges are
				  deep or when any skin break is unhealed.
(13) 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 shipping quality of the
				  muskmelon. The following specific defects shall be considered as serious
				  damage:
(i) when a large amount of liquid is
				  present in the seed cavity or the flesh of the cavity wall is noticeably soft
				  or discolored or when any fermentation is present;
(ii) sunburn when the flesh is seriously
				  discolored, when causing cracking of the rind, or when causing flattening of
				  the rind which seriously detracts from the appearance of the
				  muskmelon;
(iii) hail when the
				  injury in unhealed;
(iv) surface
				  mold when the color, character, or location of the mold seriously detracts from
				  the appearance or marketing quality of the muskmelon;
(v) cracks when fresh and deep;
(vi) bruises when the surface of the
				  muskmelon is seriously flattened or indented or when a material portion of the
				  underlying flesh is broken down; and
(viii)
				  [(vii)] mechanical means when fresh cuts or gouges extend into the
				  edible portion of the muskmelon.
(14) Permanent defects means defects which
				  are not subject to change during shipping or storage, including but not limited
				  to factors of shape, netting scarring, sunscald, sunburn and injury caused by
				  hail or insects, and mechanical injury which is so located as to indicate that
				  it occurred prior to shipment.
(15)
				  Condition defects means defects which may develop or change during shipment or
				  storage, including but not limited to decayed or soft cantaloupes (muskmelons)
				  and such factors as liquid in the seed cavity, surface mold, sunken areas,
				  fresh cracks, and bruising which is so located as to indicate that it occurred
				  after packing.