Canned Lemon Juice Grades and Standards

Grades of Canned Lemon Juice

1. U.S. Grade A (or U.S. Fancy) is the quality of canned lemon juice that:
   1. Has good color;
   2. is practically free of defects;
   3. has good flavor; and
   4. scores not less than 90 points when scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart.
2. U.S. Grade C (or U.S. Standard) is the quality of canned lemon juice that:
   1. Has fairly good color;
   2. is fairly free of defects;
   3. has fairly good flavor; and
   4. scores not less than 80 points when scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart.
3. Substandard is the quality of canned lemon juice that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C.

Inspection Aid

Headspace Gauge

See How to Purchase Inspection Aids for more details.

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources:

• U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Lemon Juice (pdf)
• A-492 Fortification of Standardized Juices
• AOAC Official Method 970.72 Filth in Citrus and Pineapple Juices (Canned)
• AOAC Official Method 970.75 Mold in Citrus and Pineapple Juices (Canned)
• Certification Manual
• 21 CFR § 146.114 Lemon juice
• Condition of Container Manual
• FDA Food Defect Action Levels
• Foreign Material Manual
• General Procedures Manual 
• Safety Manual
• Sampling Manual
• Sanitation Manual
• SC 364-33 Score Sheet for Canned Lemon Juice
• Technical Procedures Manual
• U.S. Standards for Determination of Fill Weights 
• U.S. Standards for Inspection by Variables