The USDA spent a lot of time developing the U.S. Grade Standard for Mangos, but they omitted a few common defects. One is the defect, sunken shoulders, seen below. This defect can be found in all varieties of mangos, and it is thought to be caused from the reaction of certain mangos to a heat [...]
Every now and then we come across a defect, assume we know how it should be scored and then find ourselves surprised when we discover the USDA has a very different scoring guideline. How about the defect, “surface mold” on pineapples? We commonly find mold affecting pineapples, usually around the base, or the cut stem [...]
International Produce Training is proud to announce a new addition to its team. Paul Manol has joined IPT to lend his experience to the development and delivery of training classes for the inspection procedures of fresh fruit and vegetables. Paul brings a wealth of experience to the training class room. He began is USDA career in 1977, with the [...]
With stone fruit season nearing, a defect you must keep an eye out for is internal discoloration or internal breakdown occuring in nectarines. Most nectarines can be stored for a week to 10 days at 40° F with little or no deterioration. They can be stored for up to 3 weeks at 31 to 32° [...]
I just heard there are some job openings for inspectors working in the state of California. IPT does not usually post job announcements, but in this case, the jobs are seasonal but may last from May until September. It is a great opportunity to earn a good amount of money in a short amount of time. The [...]
The 4th Annual Training Class, in cooperation with the Southeast Produce Council has been scheduled. Although International Produce Training (IPT) generally holds training classes at host company’s facilities, IPT looks forward to providing this training class on fresh produce inspection procedures, open to all industry members. The Southeast Produce Council offers this training class, free to their [...]
I received a few pictures the other day of a defect you don’t see too often, but I thought it may surprise a few people if they came across it. Let’s say you receive a load of potatoes and you proceed to make a few exploratory cuts, and you stumble upon this; Have you ever [...]
A question came my way the other day, asking “How many insects are allowed on a head of cauliflower?” Thinking the answer would be cut and dry, I reached for the U.S. Grade Standard for Cauliflower and found the answer, or so I thought. From the standard, I paraphrase, it reads: “Score as damage by insects [...]
One of the most common questions I hear during my training classes is confusion over the term “free from.” If you pick up any U.S. Grade Standard you will see this term, sometimes referring to more than one defect. For the purpose of keeping the explanation simple I will discuss one of the most common [...]
Chances are you won’t be finding too many problems when you receive Okra into your warehouse. But every now and then you will find some shriveled okra, discolored okra, decayed okra, or you may encounter a temperature issue and the okra is showing signs of yellowing. In future posts I will cover some of the specific [...]