Carrots with Short Trimmed Tops Grades and Standards

  1. U.S. No. 1 consists of carrots of similar varietal characteristics the roots of which are firm, fairly clean, fairly well colored, fairly smooth, well formed, and which are free from soft rot and free from damage caused by freezing, growth cracks, sunburn, pithiness, woodiness, internal discoloration, oil spray, dry rot, other disease, insects or mechanical or other means. The carrots shall have leafstems which are free from decay and free from damage caused by freezing, seedstems, yellowing or other discoloration, disease, insects or mechanical or other means. The leafstems shall be cut back to not more than 4 inches in length.
a. Size. Unless otherwise specified, the diameter of each carrot shall be not less than three-fourths inch.
b. Tolerances. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling the following tolerances shall be permitted:
1. For defects of roots. 10 percent, by count, for carrot roots in any lot which fail to meet the requirements of the grade, other than for size: Provided, That not more than one-half of this amount, or 5 percent, shall be allowed for defects causing serious damage, including therrein not more than 1 percent for carrot roots affected by soft rot;
2. For defects of leafstems. 10 percent, by count, for carrots in any lot which have leafstems which fail to meet the requirements of the grade, including therein not more than 5 percent for leafstems affected by decay;
3. For off-size roots. 5 percent, by count, for carrot roots in any lot which are smaller than the specified minimum diameter, and 10 percent, by count, for carrot roots which are larger than any specified maximum diameter; and,
4. For off-length leafstems. 10 percent, by count, for carrots in any lot which have leafstems longer than the specified maximum length. 
  1. U.S. Commercial consists of carrots which meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1 except for the increased tolerance for defects of the roots specified below:
a. Tolerances. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling the following tolerances shall be permitted:
1. For defects of roots. 20 percent, by count, for carrot roots in any lot which fail to meet the requirements of the grade, other than for size; Provided, That not more than one-half of this amount, or 10 percent, shall be allowed for defects causing serious damage, including therein not more than 1 percent for carrot roots affected by soft rot;
2. For defects of leafstems. 10 percent, by count, for carrots in any lot which have leafstems which fail to meet the requirements of the grade, including therein not more than 5 percent for leafstems affected by decay;
3. For off-size roots. 5 percent, by count, for carrot roots in any lot which are smaller than the specified minimum diameter and 10 percent, by count, for carrot roots which are larger than any specified maximum diameter; and,
4. For off-length leafstems. 10 percent, by count, for carrots in any lot which have leafstems longer than the specified maximum length. 

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