Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in
2VAC5-310-30 of this chapter, shall
have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:
"Carefully hand-picked" means that the apples do not show
evidence of rough handling or of having been on the ground.
"Clean" means that the apples are free from excessive dirt,
dust, spray residue and other foreign material.
"Damage" means any specific defect defined 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 apple. The following
specific defects shall be considered as damage:
1. Russeting in the stem cavity or calyx
basin which cannot be seen when the apple is placed stem end or calyx end down
on a flat surface shall not be considered in determining whether or not an
apple is damaged by russeting, except that excessively rough or bark-like
russeting in the stem cavity or calyx basin shall be considered as damage when
the appearance of the apple is materially affected. The following types and
amounts of russeting outside of the stem cavity or calyx basin shall be
considered as damage:
a. Russeting which is
excessively rough on Roxbury Russet and other similar varieties.
b. Smooth net-like russeting, when an
aggregate area of more than 25% of the surface is covered, and the color of the
russeting shows no very pronounced contrast with the background color of the
apple, or lesser amounts of more conspicuous net-like russeting when the
appearance is affected to a greater extent than the above amount
permitted.
c. Smooth solid
russeting, when an aggregate area of more than 10% of the surface is covered,
and the pattern and color of the russeting shows no very pronounced contrast
with the background color of the apple, or lesser amounts of more conspicuous
solid russeting when the appearance is affected to a greater extent than the
above amount permitted.
d. Slightly
rough russeting which covers an aggregate area of more than 1/2 inch in
diameter.
e. Rough russeting which
covers an aggregate area of more than 1/4 inch in diameter.
2. Sunburn or sprayburn which has
caused blistering or cracking of the skin, or when the discolored area does not
blend into the normal color of the fruit unless the injury can be classed as
russeting.
3. Limb rubs which
affect a total area of more than 1/2 inch in diameter, except that light brown
limb rubs of a russet character shall be considered under the definition of
damage by russeting.
4. Hail marks,
drought spots, other similar depressions or scars:
a. When any unhealed mark is
present;
b. When any surface
indentation exceeds 1/8 inch in depth;
c. When the skin has not been broken and the
aggregate affected area exceeds 1/2 inch in diameter; or
d. When the skin has been broken and well
healed, and the aggregate affected area exceeds 1/4 inch in diameter.
5. Stem or calyx cracks which are
not well healed, or well healed stem or calyx cracks which exceed an aggregate
length of 1/4 inch.
6. Disease:
a. Scab spots which affect a total area of
more than 1/4 inch in diameter.
b.
Cedar rust infection which affects a total area of more than 1/4 inch in
diameter.
c. Sooty blotch or fly
speck which is thinly scattered over more than 1/10 of the surface, or dark,
heavily concentrated spots which affect an area of more than 1/2 inch in
diameter.
d. Red skin spots which
are thinly scattered over more than 1/10 of the surface, or dark, heavily
concentrated spots which affect an area of more than 1/2 inch in
diameter.
7. Insects:
a. Any healed sting or healed stings which
affect a total area of more than 3/16 inch in diameter including any encircling
discolored rings.
b. Worm holes.
"Diameter" means:
1.
When measuring for minimum size, diameter means the greatest dimension of the
apple measured at right angles to a line from stem to blossom end.
2. When measuring for maximum size, diameter
means the smallest dimension of the apple determined by passing the apple
through a round opening in any position. (See
2VAC5-310-30 G - Marking
Requirements)
"Fairly well formed" means that the apple may be slightly
abnormal in shape but not to an extent which detracts materially from its
appearance.
"Injury" means any specific defect, defined in this section;
or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other
defect, or any combination of defects which more than slightly detracts from
the appearance, or the edible or shipping quality of the apple. The following
specific defects shall be considered as injury:
1. Russeting in the stem cavity or calyx
basin which cannot be seen when the apple is placed stem end or calyx end down
on a flat surface shall not be considered in determining whether or not an
apple is injured by russeting.
a. Smooth
net-like russeting outside of the stem cavity or calyx basin shall be
considered as injury when an aggregate area of more than 10% of the surface is
covered, and the color of the russeting shows no very pronounced contrast with
the background color of the apple, or lesser amounts of more conspicuous
net-like russeting when the appearance is affected to a greater extent than the
above amount permitted.
b. Smooth
solid russeting, when an aggregate area of more than 5.0% of the surface is
covered, and the pattern and color of the russeting shows no very pronounced
contrast with the background color of the apple, or lesser amounts of more
conspicuous solid russeting when the appearance is affected to a greater extent
than the above amount permitted.
2. Sunburn or sprayburn, when the discolored
area does not blend into the normal color of the fruit.
3. Dark brown or black limb rubs which affect
a total area of more than 1/4 inch in diameter, except that light brown limb
rubs of a russet character shall be considered under the definition of injury
by russeting.
4. Hail marks,
drought spots, other similar depressions or scars:
a. When the skin is broken, whether healed or
unhealed;
b. When there is
appreciable discoloration of the surface;
c. When any surface indentation exceeds 1/16
inch in depth;
d. When any surface
indentation exceeds 1/8 inch in diameter; or
e. When the aggregate affected area of such
spots exceeds 1/2 inch in diameter.
5. Disease:
a. Cedar rust infection which affects a total
area of more than 3/16 inch in diameter.
b. Sooty blotch or fly speck which is thinly
scattered over more than 5.0% of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated
spots which affect an area of more than 1/4 inch in diameter.
c. Red skin spots which are thinly scattered
over more than 1/10 of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated spots which
affect an area of more than 1/4 inch in diameter.
6. Insects:
a. Any healed sting or healed stings which
affect a total area of more than 1/8 inch in diameter including any encircling
discolored rings.
b. Worm
holes.
7. Invisible
water core existing around the core and extending to water core in the vascular
bundles; or surrounding the vascular bundles when the affected areas
surrounding three or more vascular bundles meet or coalesce; or existing in
more than slight degree outside the circular area formed by the vascular
bundles.
"Mature" means that the apples have reached the stage of
development which will insure the proper completion of the ripening process.
Before a mature apple becomes overripe it will show varying degrees of
firmness, depending upon the stage of the ripening process.
1. "Hard" means apples with a tenacious flesh
and starchy flavor.
2. "Firm" means
apples with a tenacious flesh but which are becoming crisp with a slightly
starchy flavor, except the Delicious variety.
3. "Firm ripe" means apples with crisp flesh
except that the flesh of the Gano, Ben Davis, and Rome Beauty varieties may be
slightly mealy.
4. "Ripe" means
apples with mealy flesh and soon to become soft for the variety.
"Overripe" means apples which are dead ripe, with flesh very
mealy or soft, and past commercial utility.
"Serious damage" means any specific defect defined 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 apple. The following
specific defects shall be considered as serious damage:
1. Smooth solid russeting, when more than 1/2
of the surface in the aggregate is covered, including any russeting in the stem
cavity or calyx basin, or slightly rough, or excessively rough or bark-like
russeting, which detracts from the appearance of the fruit to a greater extent
than the amount of smooth solid russeting permitted: Provided, that any amount
of russeting shall be permitted on Roxbury Russet and other similar
varieties.
2. Sunburn or sprayburn
which seriously detracts from the appearance of the fruit.
3. Limb rubs which affect more than 1/10 of
the surface in the aggregate.
4.
Hail marks, drought spots, or scars, if they materially deform or disfigure the
fruit or if such defects affect more than 1/10 of the surface in the aggregate:
Provided, that no hail marks which are unhealed shall be permitted and not more
than an aggregate area of 1/2 inch shall be allowed for well healed hail marks
where the skin has been broken.
5.
Stem or calyx cracks which are not well healed, or well healed stem or calyx
cracks which exceed an aggregate length of 1/2 inch.
6. Visible water core which affects an area
of more than 1/2 inch in diameter.
7. Disease:
a. Scab spots which affect a total area of
more than 3/4 inch in diameter.
b.
Cedar rust infection which affects a total area of more than 3/4 inch in
diameter.
c. Sooty blotch or fly
speck which affects more than 1/3 of the surface.
d. Red skin spots which affect more than 1/3
of the surface.
e. Bitter pit or
Jonathan spot which is thinly scattered over more than 1/10 of the surface and
does not materially deform or disfigure the fruit.
8. Insects:
a. Healed stings which affect a total area of
more than 1/4 inch in diameter including any encircling discolored
rings.
b. Worm holes.
"Seriously deformed" means that the apple is so badly
misshapen that its appearance is seriously affected.
Statutory Authority
§ 3.2-4501 of the Code of Virginia.
