Whether you are inspecting nectarines from Chile, California, or the East Coast, you may run into some varying degrees of surface discoloration. Somewhere along the chain, the nectarines were subject to some rough handling, that injured the cells of the skin, leading to oxidation, or discoloring of the skin. This surface discoloration may appear light […]
Category Archives: Defect Identification
Nectarines- Surface Discoloration
Avocados- Discoloration
A common defect you can expect to find, when inspecting avocados is surface discoloration. Discoloration can have many different looks, such as discoloration caused from russeting, from sunburn, or from unexplained transit or physiological conditions. As seen above, this is typically how you will see discoloration on your avocados. It will range from a dark brown […]
Honeydews- Netting/Scars/Surface Cracks
Scars on honeydews…..are they defects? We are talking about scars, that occur while the honeydew is growing. The scars do not progress, or become worse. As you can see from the above image, I would score two honeydews as defects, damage by scars. I decided to research the USDA inspection instructions for some guidance. […]
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Table Grapes- Freezing
With the Chilean fruit hitting your warehouses, always be on the lookout for freezing injury. Sometimes in Table Grapes it is difficult to detect, especially if the freezing injury is only slight, or only located in a few pallets. Remember, the grapes arriving from Chile are transported by ship, being on the water for 10 or more […]
Cantaloups- Fusarium Decay
One of the more difficult defects to detect on cantaloups is fusarium decay. Many inspectors do come across this defect, but are not aware it is actually decay. When I point this out during a training class, I always hear, “Oh, I’ve seen this before, but didn’t know what it was.” From this official USDA visual aid, […]
Broccoli- Bruising
If you find bruising affecting bunched broccoli or broccoli crowns don’t look to the USDA Inspection Service to answer your questions. While being a trainer at the USDA’s Training and Development Center for years, it was obvious to me and the entire training staff that the inspectors were all over the board on whether to score this […]
Lettuce- Rusty Brown Discoloration
Assume for a minute you are inspecting a load of lettuce. You come across some heads (See image below) that have a distinct discoloration affecting the veins and midribs. One thing you know for certain is the discoloration definitely materially affects the appearance of the head, thus you would score it as a defect. But what […]
Cauliflower- Curd Discoloration
Other than decay affecting the curds, keeping an eye out for discolored curds is the most common defect you will find. The longer the caulifloweris stored, the more likely the curds will oxidize, and discolor. The discoloration will appear in different stages, first appearing as a light tan or brown, then advancing in size and […]
Artichokes- Discoloration
Artichokes usually show very few defects. Always look carefully for decay affecting the stems, which may or may not be accompanied by mold growth. The most common defect you may find is surface discoloration. The discoloration will range from a medium brown color to a dark black. The area affected will range from a few […]
Apples- Undercolor
With all the varieties of apples on the market, you may think it would be confusing to determine if the apples you are packing or receiving are making the US Grade Standards. Let’s take a look at Red Delicious, for example. If the Red Delicious are packed to meeting the US Extra Fancy Grade, the […]