Recently I have received some pictures from different chain stores that have found this defect on watermelons. There is no external indication of problems and the QC Inspectors were curious as to what the defect was and what caused it. I have not seen this defect before and I reached out to some of […]
Continue reading about Watermelons- Internal Discoloration »
During a recent training class, hosted by the Southeast Produce Council, we encountered some yellow summer squash that was showing quite a bit of surface mold affecting the blossom end. The class was surprised when I told them the USDA would not score this as a defect, as white surface mold is not considered as […]
I’d like to thank my friends from Dwight for providing new information regarding color on raspberries. The USDA does have a U.S. Grade Standard for Raspberries, dated 1931. So you can see there may be some room for new information. Within the grade standard there is a color requirement for raspberries, they be well colored. […]
We have all come across a defect we are not sure of what to call it. The USDA allows inspectors to describe the defect when this occurs. This picture of navel oranges was sent to me by an inspector, to help identify the defect. Looking at the USDA Inspection Instructions for the three oranges, with […]
Tomatoes that exhibit signs of being puffy may be scored as quality defects. Have you ever picked up a tomato and noticed it felt lighter than other tomatoes in the carton? The surface is usually flattened, appearing as being more rectangular than round in shape. When puffy tomatoes are cut, larger air spaces are found […]
You may be reading this post and wondering, “what the heck is cercospora spot?” Avocados can be a bit tricky to inspect unless you are involved with the growing/shipping processes. To begin with, the USDA has issued a grade standard for Avocados grown in Florida. Mexican avocados are not “technically” covered by this standard, but […]
We have all seen the defect, “sunken discolored areas” on honeydews before. Of all the defects seen on honeydews this is one of the most commonly found. Sunken discolored areas occur due to various factors, but bruising or rough handling is the major culprit. Somewhere along the harvesting, packing to transportation process the honeydew was […]
This will be a useful post to reference when inspecting all types of citrus. All citrus, while growing is subject to sunburn, as the direct sunlight, and heat, may at times cause sunburn to develop. Sunburn will be found on lemons (or other citrus fruit) growing on the outside of the tree, facing the west […]
In all my classes of teaching the inspection procedures for cauliflower I’ve never had a good picture of this defect, fuzziness on cauliflower. Describing a defect, without a good picture is sometimes difficult. When you do come across this defect you should be able to identify it, as the heads have a distinct “fuzzy” appearance. […]
Occasionally you will come across a defect that you are just not sure what it is, or how the defect is caused. You may find the unusual defect in any commodity, and here is one someone found recently. You can plainly see the distinct watersoaking of the flesh of the watermelon. Is it second […]