Lime Grades and Standards

Grades of Persian (Tahiti) Limes

  1. U.S. No. 1 consists of Persian limes which are firm, fairly well formed, of fairly smooth texture, which are free from decay, stylar end breakdown or other internal discoloration, broken skins which are not healed, bruises (except those incident to proper handling and packing), hard or dry skins, and free from damage caused by freezing, dryness or mushy condition, sprayburn, exanthema (ammoniation), scars, thorn scratches, scale, sunburn, scab, blanching, yellow color, discoloration, buckskin, dirt or other foreign material, disease, insects or mechanical or other means.
a. Each fruit in this grade shall have not less than an aggregate area of three-fourths of the surface of the fruit which shows good green color characteristic of the Persian lime: Provided, that lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. No. 1 grade requirements only because of blanching may be designated as ''U.S. No. 1, Mixed Color:'' And provided further, That lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. No. 1 or U.S. No. 1 Mixed Color grade requirements only because of turning yellow or yellow color, caused by the ripening process, may be designated as ''U.S. No. 1, Turning.''
b. The fruit shall have a juice content of not less than 42 percent, by volume or weight.
c. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the color requirements. In addition, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may be below the remaining requirements of this grade, but not more than one-half of this amount, or 5 percent, shall be allowed for decay, stylar end breakdown, broken skins which are not healed, or defects causing serious damage including not more than one-half of 1 percent for decay at shipping point: Provided, That an additional tolerance of 2-1/2 percent, or a total of not more than 3 percent, shall be allowed for decay en route or at destination.

 

  1. U.S. Combination consists of a combination of U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 limes: Provided, that at least 60 percent, by count, of the limes in the lot meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade.
a. In this grade the U.S. No. 1 limes shall meet the color requirements of the U.S. No. 1 grade and the U.S. No. 2 limes shall meet the color requirements of the U.S. No. 2 grade: Provided, that lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. Combination grade requirements only because of blanching may be designated as ''U.S. Combination, Mixed Color:'' And provided further, that lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. Combination or U.S. Combination Mixed Color grade requirements only because of turning yellow or yellow color, caused by the ripening process, may be designated as ''U.S. Combination, Turning.''
b. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the color requirements. In addition, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may be below the remaining requirements of the lower grade in the combination, but not more than one-half of this amount, or 5 percent, shall be allowed for limes affected by decay, stylar end breakdown and broken skins which are not healed, including not more than one-half of 1 percent for decay at shipping point: Provided, That an additional tolerance of 2-1/2 percent, or a total of not more than 3 percent, shall be allowed for decay en route or at destination.
c. No part of the above tolerances shall be allowed to reduce for the lot as a whole, the 60 percent of U.S. No. 1 limes required in the U.S. Combination grade, but individual containers may have not less than 50 percent of the higher grade.

  1. U.S. No. 2 consists of Persian limes which are fairly firm, which are not badly deformed, and not of excessively rough texture, which are free from decay, stylar end breakdown or other internal discoloration, broken skins which are not healed, bruises (except those incident to proper handling and packing), and hard or dry skins, and free from serious damage caused by freezing, dryness or mushy condition, sprayburn, exanthema (ammoniation), scars, thorn scratches, scale, sunburn, scab, blanching, yellow color, discoloration, buckskin, dirt or other foreign material, disease, insects or mechanical or other means.

a. Each fruit in this grade shall have not less than an aggregate area of one-half of the surface of the fruit which shows good green color characteristic of the Persian lime: Provided, That lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. No. 2 grade requirements only because of blanching may be designated as ''U.S. No. 2, Mixed Color;'' And provided further, That lots of limes which fail to meet the U.S. No. 2 or U.S. No. 2 Mixed Color grade requirements only because of turning yellow or yellow color, caused by the ripening process, may be designated as ''U.S. No. 2, Turning.''
b. The fruit shall have a juice content of not less than 42 percent, by volume or weight.
c. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the color requirements. In addition, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the fruit in any lot may be below the remaining requirements of this grade, but not more than one-half of this amount, or 5 percent, shall be allowed for decay, stylar end breakdown, and broken skins which are not healed, including not more than one-half of 1 percent for decay at shipping point: Provided, That an additional tolerance of 2-1/2 percent, or a total of not more than 3 percent, shall be allowed for decay en route or at destination.

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