Virginia Administrative Code
Title 2 - AGRICULTURE
Agency 5 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
Chapter 310 - RULES AND REGULATIONS-OFFICIAL STANDARDS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE VIRGINIA APPLES: GRADING, PACKING, AND MARKING LAW
Section 2VAC5-310-30 - Standards in addition to the U.S. Standards

Virginia Extra Fancy consists of apples of one variety which are mature but not further advanced in maturity than firm ripe, carefully hand-picked, clean, fairly well formed; free from decay, internal browning, internal breakdown, scald, scab, bitter pit, Jonathan spot, freezing injury, visible water core and broken skins, and bruises except those which are slight and incident to proper handling and packing. The apples are also free from injury caused by smooth net-like russeting, smooth solid russeting, sunburn or sprayburn, limb rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, disease, insects, or other means; and free from damage by slightly rough or rough russeting, or stem or calyx cracks, and free from injury by invisible water core after January 31 of the year following the year of production. Each apple of this grade has the amount of color specified for the variety. (See color requirements)

Virginia Fancy consists of apples of one variety which are mature but not overripe, carefully hand-picked, clean, fairly well formed; free from decay, internal browning, internal breakdown, bitter pit, Jonathan spot, scald, freezing injury, visible water core, and broken skins and bruises except those which are incident to proper handling and packing. The apples are also free from damage caused by russeting, sunburn or sprayburn, limb rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, stem or calyx cracks, disease, insects, or damage by other means. Each apple of this grade has the amount of color specified for the variety. (See color requirements)

Virginia No. 1 Hail Grade consists of apples which meet the requirements of Virginia Fancy grade except that hail marks where the skin has not been broken, and well healed hail marks where the skin has been broken, are permitted, provided the apples are fairly well formed.

Domestic Grade consists of apples of one variety which are mature but not overripe, carefully hand-picked, not seriously deformed; free from decay, internal browning, internal breakdown, scald, and freezing injury. The apples are also free from serious damage caused by dirt or other foreign matter, broken skins, bruises, russeting, sunburn or sprayburn, limb rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, stem or calyx cracks, visible water core, disease, insects, or other means.

Gift Grade may consist of mixed varieties and shall meet Virginia Extra Fancy grade as defined in Virginia Standards for Apples. When gift containers meet the requirements of Gift Grade, such containers need be marked only "Gift Grade" and a statement of net contents and name and address of packer or distributor.

In addition to the requirement specified for the grades set forth, apples of these grades shall have the percentage of color specified for the variety in Table I appearing in this section. For the solid red varieties the percentage stated refers to the area of the surface which must be covered with a good shade of solid red characteristic of the variety: Provided, that an apple having color of a lighter shade of solid red or striped red than that considered as a good shade of red characteristic of the variety may be admitted to a grade, provided it has sufficient additional area covered so that the apple has as good an appearance as one with the minimum percentage of good red characteristic of the variety required for the grade. For the striped red varieties the percentage stated refers to the area of the surface in which the stripes of a good shade of red characteristic of the variety shall predominate over stripes of lighter red, green, or yellow. However, an apple having color of a lighter shade than that considered as a good shade of red characteristic of the variety may be admitted to a grade, provided it has sufficient additional area covered so that the apple has as good an appearance as one with the minimum percentage of stripes of a good red characteristic of the variety required for the grade.

Shall have not more than 11/2 times a specified tolerance of 10% or more and not more than double a tolerance of less than 10%, except that at least one apple which is seriously damaged by insects or affected by decay or internal breakdown may be permitted in any package.

Not over 10% of the packages may have more than three times the tolerance specified, except that at least one defective apple may be permitted in any package: Provided, that not more than one apple or more than 6.0% (whichever is the larger amount) may be seriously damaged by insects or affected by decay or internal breakdown.