The potato above has a growth crack.  The crack develops while the potato is in the ground, growing.  Due to heavy rains, or too much fertilizer, the potato has a sudden growth spurt, leaving a furrow or crack in the potato.  The potato continues to grow in the ground, and the growth crack heals over.  In addition to potatoes you will find growth cracks affecting tomatoes, carrots and celery, just to name a few.

Depending on the commodity, growth cracks will have different attributes.  If you have ever grown tomatoes yourself, after a heavy rain you will no doubt come across some tomatoes that have split at the stem end.  These splits are called growth cracks.

Scars, on the other hand, are not due to rapid growth.  Scars can be caused by many different things, insects, disease, or simply from a limb or leaf rubbing against the fruit or vegetable while growing.  Scars will range in color, in texture, and may or may not have depth associated with the injury.

So, when you come across scoring guidelines for scars or for growth cracks, they are specific defects.  It is important you are able to differentiate between the two defects, as they always have unique scoring guidelines.

Sampling for Internal Defects

When inspecting eggplant for internal defects, randomly select and cut, a minimum of two fruit for packages containing 15 fruit or less, cut a minimum of four fruit for packages containing more than 15 fruit. If no defects are found it will not be necessary to continuing cutting.  However, if defect(s) are found cut the remainder of the sample.

I would agree with this procedure if you were finding internal discoloration on a regular basis, affecting your eggplant.  In my personal experience I have seen internal discoloration affecting eggplant every now and then.  For this reason, I suggest only to cut 1 to 3 eggplant during your entire inspection process, not 2 or 4 eggplant per sample.  I’d hate to see an inspector wasting their time and destroying 2 eggplant per sample, looking for a defect that is rarely found.  You will find most if not all USDA inspectors ignore this cutting procedure as well, as they use common sense in deciding whether to cut the specimens.  If they are finding internal discoloration they will cut more eggplant, if they do not find internal discoloration they will cut only a few eggplant throughout their inspection.

Internal discoloration may be found affecting the flesh resulting from a bruise, or it may be a physiological disease, exhibiting no external indication of internal discoloration.

As you can see in the image above, this type of discoloration is impossible to detect, without cutting.  If you find this discoloration you must also verify if the discoloration is turning into decay, becoming soft, or mushy.  If the discolored area is firm and dry, the USDA has developed a specific scoring guideline.  What may seem very lenient, the USDA allows an aggregate discolored area of 1 inch in diameter before it is scored as a defect against the U.S. No. 1 Grade.  If the discolored area is soft and mushy (decay), then it is considered a free from defect, meaning any amount is scored as decay.

In this eggplant, shown above, the discoloration is caused by the bruise, as the flesh was injured and became discolored.  Always check under the surface of bruised areas to determine the extent of the damage.  The same 1 inch scoring guideline is used for scoring discoloration caused by bruising.

As shown above, this defect can be found on the surface of pineapple, appearing as a brown to dark brown discolored spot.  The USDA Inspection Instructions state a definitive scoring definition.  Let’s take it one step at a time.  Based on the USDA, if the discolored spot(s) affect an aggregate area greater than 1/2 inch in diameter, it should be scored as damage.  Based on the scoring guideline, the discolored spot seen above does not appear to be larger than 1/2 inch in diameter, thus it would not be a defect.  But the USDA goes on to state, if the gum deposits slightly penetrate into the flesh, then regardless of the area, it is scored as damage (and as serious damage), a defect of the U.S. No.1 Grade.

As you can see, after cutting,  the gummy deposits do penetrate the flesh.  Remember, if the affected area alone is not exceeding 1/2 inch, you must cut into the pineapple to determine if the flesh is affected.  This pineapple is now scored as a defect.  In this case the defect is scored as serious damage.  Anytime the flesh is affected by a gummosis, it is scored as serious damage.

Your next question may be how many pineapples can be affected by gummosis, and still meet the U.S. No. 1 Grade.  The USDA classifies gummosis as a quality defect.  Insects, while the pineapples are growing, are the primary cause of this defect.  The discolored area will not become larger, or darker in color.  The affected area may be more susceptible to decay, but the gummosis itself will not become worse. The tolerances for pineapples allow for up to 8% quality defects, including 4% serious damage by quality defects.

In other words, if the affected discolored area of gummosis exceeded 1/2 inch, and the flesh was not affected, you would be allowed 8% of the pineapples to have this defect.  But if upon cutting, you found more than 4% of the pineapples with the flesh affected by gummosis then you would be out of grade.

To view the pineapple standard click here

IPT does receive many requests from individuals looking for a training class that is available for them to attend.  In collaboration with the Southeast Produce Council (SPC), International Produce Training will be providing the training on the proper inspection procedures of fresh fruit and vegetables open to all members of Southeast Produce Council, free of charge.  If space is available SPC will open the training class to anyone interested in attending. For a nominal registration fee of $495, includes 4 days of training, and a one year membership to SPC.

The training class is being held at Food Lion’s DC, in Salisbury, NC on May 9-10.  Part two of the training will be also be held in Salisbury, NC, on October 17-18, 2012.  At the conclusion of all four sessions participants will receive a certificate of completion.

The training class in May will include the following commodities:

• Sweet Peppers
• Peaches
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Sweet corn
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Watermelons

If you are interested in attending this training session, please click here for registration information.

The USDA inspection instructions for apples does devote a small section addressing pressure test procedures and instructions.  But what do the numbers mean.  If I follow the USDA procedures, if an apples records 6 pounds of pressure, is that good?  What if I record a reading of 4.5 pounds of pressure, can I reject the load.

Take a look above at the chart taken from the USDA Inspection Instructions.  For example, if you are inspecting Golden Delicious apples and you have a pressure test reading of 7 pounds, the chart indicates that all readings up to 8 pounds, the apple would be considered as being ripe.  If you have a reading of 12 pounds, that would equate to a firm apple.  So, to answer our earlier question, what if you recorded an average pressure test reading of 5 pounds of pressure for a Golden Delicious apple…..can you reject the load?  The answer is “maybe.”  Remember, the penetrometer is a tool you can use to verify your findings.  While inspecting the apples you suspected they were soft, when cutting there was no crisp snap, and they taseted mealy, you could use a pressure tester to backup your decision to reject the load of apples as being soft or overripe.

But what if you are receiving varieties other than Yellow Newtowns or Winesaps?  The USDA instructs their inspectors to base the apple variety they are inspecting on a comparable variety from the chart.

Another common question I hear, “What tip should I use when pressure testing?”  There are some new models of  digital penetrometers on the market, but many people still use the Wagner penetrometer shown below.

A typical pressure tester will include the slicer along with two tips.  The ones shown from my kit contain a 5/16″ tip and a 7/16″ tip.  It is imperative to use the correct tip for the fruit or vegetable you are inspecting.  A few years ago a USDA inspector used the incorrect tip while recording pressure test readings on a load of pears.  The mistake resulted in the load of pears being rejected and costing the shipper thousands of dollars.  When the mistake was discovered it was too late.  The USDA was forced to reimburse the shipper for the loss incurred.

Click here to view a chart developed by Wagner illustrating approximate firmness levels, and the proper tip to use.  Remember, the readings are only guidelines.  They are very helpful, but remember to not reject a load based upon these guidelines, but they are beneficial to help you in your decision to reject a load for being overripe.

We will discuss northern grown onions (onions grown in Idaho, Oregon Northern California, New York, etc) as the scoring guideline for Bermuda Granex Grao type onions is decidedly different.  Sunburn is a greenish discoloration of the outer scales caused by exposure to the sun.  There is no killing of the tissues, so you will not see sunken areas or sunken pitted areas associated with sunburn.

If you come across sunburn, the USDA has established a scoring guideline to follow:  Without removing the scales, if more than 33% of the surface of the onion has a medium green or darker color, then the onion is scored as a defect, sunburn.  Because the green color does not change, progress, or become more green , this defect is considered a quality defect.  But remember, you are not allowed to peel back the papery scales to look for sunburn, if you pick up an onion, and you see green color, then you would begin to determine if the color is dark enough green and is affecting at least 33% of the surface of the onion.

You may wondering what is “medium green” color?  The USDA has developed a visual aid, a color chip depicting what is meant by “medium green” color.

This color chip is to be used only to determine the green color of sunburn for northern grown onions. For BGG onions affected by sunburn, the USDA has developed an entirely different color chip to use.

Seems simple enough; if you find an onion with green color, and without peeling back the outer scales, if the green color is at least as dark or darker green than the color chip, and the affected area is more 33% of the surface of the onion, then the onion would be scored as a defect.

Although the U.S. Standard allows a total defect tolerance of only 5% for northern grown onions, sunburn has its own special tolerance.  If you find more than 33% of the onions being damaged by sunburn, then the lot would be out of grade.  In other words, you would have to find more than 33% of the onions with more than 1/3 of the surface affected by at least a medium green color to have the lot fail to grade U.S. No. 1 account of sunburn. 

I am sure you will find an occasional onion here or there that may be damaged by sunburn, but to find more than 33% of the onions with enough sunburn to be scored as damage is highly unlikely.

Many inspectors confuse this defect with bruising or mechanical damage, or may think these are growth cracks.  But no, these are not caused by rough harvesting or due to sudden growth while in the ground.  This defect is called “air cracks” or “fresh cracks.”  The carrots are fine when shipped, but during transit or handling the bags during the unloading the process, the carrots actually burst, or pop open, resulting in cracks, when the carrots are moved around, more likely when they are cold and brittle.  The cracks are fresh, deep and narrow and affect from 1/2 inch to almost the entire length of the carrot.

Since this defect occurs after packing, it is considered a condition defect.  Once the crack develops, it will not become longer in size, nor will it become deeper.  Because the flesh is exposed it is more susceptible to decay but this is not very common.  It simply detracts from the appearance.  The USDA does have simple scoring guidelines; score as damage when the crack is more than 20% of the length of the carrot, or more than 1/8 inch wide, or if more than 1/4 inch deep.  For example, if this carrot was 7-1/2 inches long, the air crack would have to be longer than 1-1/2 inches to be scored as damage.  If the crack was less than 1-1/2 inches long, but the crack was more than 1/8 inch wide, then it still would be scored as a defect.

Air cracks can be scored as damage or as serious damage, and the US Grade Standards allow a total of 10% defects, including not more than 5% for serious damage.

All other commodities state the defect tolerances are based on a count basis or a weight basis.  Let’s use cucumbers as an example.  You count 50 cucumbers to make up your sample.  If you find 4 decayed cucumbers the percent is determined by:  4 defects ÷ 50 total = .08 x 100 = 8%.  If your sample size was 63 count, and you found 4 decayed cucumbers, then you would have: 4 ÷ 63 = .06 x 100 = 6%.  This is very straight forward.  Some commodities vary in size within a sample, so because they lack uniformity the US Standard states that the defect tolerances are determined on a weight basis.  Using potatoes as an example; if you found 3 potatoes within your 20 pound sample with soft rot, you would have to weigh the 3 defective potatoes.  We’ll say they weighed 1.25 pounds.

To determine your percentage; 1.25 lbs of soft rot ÷ 20 lbs sample = .06 x 100 = 6%.

But for raspberries annd blackberries you would base the defect tolerances on a volume basis.

Step 1:  Open the clam shell, and carefully pour out the contents.  You will be inspecting all raspberries within the clam shell.

Step 2:  Even though the tolerances are based on volume, you have to count out all the raspberry in the clamshell.  In this example you have 45 raspberries.  So, 1 raspberry is equal to 2% (1/45).  Because the tolerances are based on volume, it is more accurate to say, 1 average size raspberry is equal to 2%.

Step 3.  You will have to determine what you consider to be an average size raspberry for your sample.  If the raspberry on the far right is your “average” size raspberry, then any defective raspberries you find, that are equal to the average size, would be equal to 2%.  If the defective raspberry was twice the size of the “average” raspberry, then the percent would also double, to 4%.  If the raspberry is smaller than the “average” raspberry (such as the berry, 2nd from the right), and is half the size of the average size, then the percent would equal 1%.

Does anyone actually go through this exercise when inspecting raspberries or blackberries?  No.  Chances are the sizes of the defective raspberries will average out during your inspection, and the percentages will still be accurate.  Inspectors do count out the raspberries to determine their sample size, they do separate their defects, soft, leaking, decayed, etc. and simply count the defective berries.  Using this example, if they find 15 berries that are soft, the percentages are determined by:  15 soft ÷ 45 total berries = .33 x 100 = 33%.

If you are not familiar with the reference manual, attached is a small sample for you to review.  IPT Commodity Reference Manual Sample 2012

The reference manual contains over 60 of the most common fruit and vegetables.  You will find all the tolerances, defect descriptions and scoring guidelines for the most common defects, storage tips and other useful information.  Included, are all the up-to-date standard changes, and defect scoring guidelines.

• How much bruising is allowed for a U.S. Extra Fancy Apple?
• Is tipburn a defect in Cabbage?
• I’ve heard the term “blanching” on Limes, what is it?
• What’s the freezing point of Lettuce?

You can find these answers and all your answers when performing your inspections within the manual.

This manual is being purchased by buyers, to give them a quick and easy to use reference guide when rejections come into play, as well as by inspectors (state and industry inspectors) who will use the manual in their day to day inspection activities.  It is compact in size, measuring 4-1/2 by 7 inches, easily fitting in a coat pocket, and has a laminated cover to protect it from the elements.

This is just one of many new resources being developed by IPT.  Look for on-line, or web-based inspection training coming in 2013.

The USDA has a scoring guideline to follow; it states:  Score as damage when more than 2 leaves are materially affected and as serious damage when more than 4 leaves are materially affected by peeling and feathering.  You are not allowed to brush the area affected to determine the damage.  The question that arises is what is meant by “materially affected?”

If you can readily see the peeling and feathering and you find it affecting at least 3 leaves, then score the plant as damage.  If the peeling and feathering is affecting 5 or more leaves then score the plant as serious damage.  But if yellow to brown discoloration accompanies the peeling and feathering, then you would still need it to affect more than 2 leaves before scoring as damage, but you would need less of an area affected on each leaf, to be considered as materially affected.

Looking at the above image, the area affected is considered materially affected, so you would need to see this on at least 3 leaves to be scored as damage, or on at least 5 leaves to be scored as serious damage.