Canned Tomatoes and Okra Grades and Standards

Canned Tomatoes and Okra Grades & Standards

Canned tomatoes and okra and canned okra and tomatoes, hereinafter called canned tomatoes and okra, is the product prepared from clean, sound, properly matured tomatoes of red or reddish varieties which may be canned, and the clean, sound, succulent, immature pods of either the green or white varieties of the okra plant which may be processed. The tomatoes have been prepared by trimming, washing, sorting, peeling, and coring. The okra is prepared by trimming, washing, and sorting, and may be whole or cut into pieces. The tomatoes and okra may be packed with or without a small amount of tomato juice or tomato puree and with or without such other ingredients permissible under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in accordance with good commercial practice. The product is sufficiently processed by heat to assure preservation in hermetically sealed containers.

Grades of Canned Tomatoes and Okra

  1. U.S. Grade A is the quality of canned tomatoes and okra that possess a good flavor; that possess a good color; that are practically free from defects; that possess a good character; and that score not less than 85 points when scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart.
  2. U.S. Grade C is the quality of canned tomatoes and okra that possess a a fairly good flavor; that possess fairly good color; that are fairly free from defects; that possess a fairly good character; and that score not less than 70 points when scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart.
  3. Substandard is the quality of canned tomatoes and okra that fail to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

Color Standards

Color Standards for Tomato Products.

 Instructions for Use and Care of the Visual Color Standards for Tomato Products, including additional technical guidance is found in the Fresh and Processed Equipment Catalog (pdf).  Look in the Processed Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Products section on Care and Use Guides. 

Inspection Aid

  • Headspace gauge

See How to Purchase Visual Aids for more details.

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: