Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 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.
(c)
Tolerances. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and
handling the following tolerances, by count, shall be permitted, except that
these tolerances shall not apply to the requirement relating to internal
quality, and uniformity of appearance. Eight percent for cantaloupes
(muskmelons) in any lot which fail to meet the requirements of this grade:
provided, that included in this amount not more than four percent shall be
allowed for defects causing serious damage, including in this latter amount not
more than one percent which are affected by decay or mold.
(d) Application of tolerances. The contents
of individual packages are subject to the following limitation: provided, that
the averages for the entire lot are within the tolerances specified. A package
may contain not more than double any specified tolerance except that at least
two defective specimens may be permitted in any package.
(e) Packing. Cantaloupes must be packed in
new standard cartons and are subject to approval by the Department of
Agriculture and Markets. Package approval shall be based upon the ability of
the package to maintain the quality standards and integrity of the
product.
(f) Markings. Each package
or display of cantaloupes (muskmelons) offered for sale under the Seal of
Quality program shall have affixed the official seal designation.
