Canned Asparagus Grades and Standards

Grades of Canned Asparagus

1. U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy is the quality of canned asparagus that possesses a good flavor; that possesses a clear liquor; that possesses a good color; that is practically free from defects; that possesses a good character; and that for those factors which are scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this section the total score is not less than 85 points: Provided, that the canned asparagus may possess a fairly clear liquor and a fairly good color if the total score is no less than 85 points.  

2. U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard is the quality of canned asparagus that possesses a fairly good flavor; that possesses a fairly clear liquor; that possesses a fairly good color; that is fairly free from defects; that possesses a fairly good character; and that scores not less than 70 points when scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this section.

3. Substandard is the quality of canned asparagus that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

Inspection Aid

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources:

• U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Asparagus (pdf)
• Inspection Instructions for Canned Asparagus (pdf)
• Foreign Material Manual (pdf)
• U.S. Standards for Determination by Fill Weights (pdf)
• FDA Food Defect Action Level
• A-459 Harmless Extraneous Material (HEM) in Canned Asparagus, June 1975
• A-530 Evaluating Flavor in Specialty Packs of Processed Products, November 2009
• FV-364-6 Score Sheet for Canned Asparagus