The standards in this subpart apply only to the common or sweet orange group and varieties belonging to the Mandarin group except tangerines for which separate U.S. Standards are issued.

“U.S. Fancy” consists of oranges which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Discoloration: Not more than one-tenth of the surface, in the aggregate, may be affected by discoloration. (See § 51.700.);

(2) Firm;

(3) Mature;

(4) Similar varietal characteristics;

(5) Smooth texture;

(6) Well colored; and

(7) Well formed.

(b) Free from:

(1) Ammoniation;

(2) Bruises;

(3) Buckskin;

(4) Caked melanose;

(5) Creasing;

(6) Decay;

(7) Growth cracks;

(8) Scab;

(9) Skin breakdown;

(10) Sprayburn;

(11) Undeveloped segments;

(12) Unhealed skin breaks; and

(13) Wormy fruit.

(c) Free from injury caused by:

(1) Green spots;

(2) Hail;

(3) Oil spots;

(4) Rough, wide or protruding navels;

(5) Scale;

(6) Scars;

(7) Split navels; and

(8) Thorn scratches.

(d) Free from damage caused by:

(1) Dirt or other foreign material;

(2) Disease;

(3) Dryness or mushy condition;

(4) Insects;

(5) Sunburn; and

(6) Other means.

(e) For tolerances see § 51.689.

“U.S. No. 1” consists of oranges which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Color:

(i) Early and midseason varieties shall be fairly well colored.

(ii) For Valencia and other late varieties, not less than 50 percent, by count, shall be fairly well colored and the remainder reasonably well colored.

(2) Discoloration: Not more than one-third of the surface, in the aggregate, may be affected by discoloration. (See § 51.700.);

(3) Firm;

(4) Fairly smooth texture;

(5) Mature;

(6) Similar varietal characteristics; and

(7) Well formed.

(b) Free from:

(1) Bruises;

(2) Caked melanose;

(3) Decay;

(4) Growth cracks;

(5) Sprayburn;

(6) Undeveloped segments;

(7) Unhealed skin breaks; and

(8) Wormy fruit.

(c) Free from damage caused by:

(1) Ammoniation;

(2) Buckskin;

(3) Creasing;

(4) Dirt or other foreign material;

(5) Disease;

(6) Dryness or mushy condition;

(7) Green spots;

(8) Hail;

(9) Insects;

(10) Oil spots;

(11) Scab;

(12) Scale;

(13) Scars;

(14) Skin breakdown;

(15) Split, rough or protruding navels;

(16) Sunburn;

(17) Thorn scratches; and

(18) Other means.

(d) For tolerances see § 51.689.

The requirements for this grade are the same as for U.S. No. 1 except that no fruit may have more than one-tenth of its surface, in the aggregate, affected by discoloration.

(a) For tolerances see § 51.689.

The requirements for this grade are the same as for U.S. No. 1 except that all fruit must show some discoloration and at least 10 percent, by count, of the fruit shall have more than one-third of their surface, in the aggregate, affected by discoloration. The predominating discoloration on these fruits shall be of rust mite type. For tolerances see § 51.689.

“U.S. Combination” consists of a combination of U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 oranges: Provided, That at least 55 percent, by count, meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade for defects, And provided further, That the lot meets the basic requirement for discoloration as specified in the U.S. No. 2 grade. For tolerances see § 51.689.

“U.S. No. 2” consists of oranges which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Discoloration: Not more than one-half of the surface, in the aggregate, may be affected by discoloration. (See § 51.700.);

(2) Fairly firm;

(3) Mature;

(4) Not more than slightly misshapen;

(5) Not more than slightly rough texture;

(6) Reasonably well colored; and

(7) Similar varietal characteristics.

(b) Free from:

(1) Bruises;

(2) Decay;

(3) Growth cracks;

(4) Unhealed skin breaks; and

(5) Wormy fruit.

(c) Free from serious damaged caused by:

(1) Ammoniation;

(2) Buckskin;

(3) Caked melanose;

(4) Creasing;

(5) Dirt or other foreign material;

(6) Disease;

(7) Dryness or mushy condition;

(8) Green spots;

(9) Hail;

(10) Insects;

(11) Oil spots;

(12) Scab;

(13) Scale;

(14) Scars;

(15) Skin breakdown;

(16) Split, rough or protruding navels;

(17) Sprayburn;

(18) Sunburn;

(19) Thorn scratches; and

(20) Other means.

(d) For tolerances see § 51.689.

The requirements for this grade are the same as for U.S. No. 2 except that at least 10 percent by count of the fruit shall have more than one-half of their surface, in the aggregate, affected by any type of discoloration. For tolerances see § 51.689.

“U.S. No. 3” consists of oranges which meet the following requirements:

(a) Basic requirements:

(1) Mature;

(2) May be misshapen;

(3) May be poorly colored. Not more than 25 percent of the surface may be of a solid dark green color;

(4) May be slightly spongy;

(5) May have rough texture;

(6) Not seriously lumpy or cracked; and

(7) Similar varietal characteristics.

(b) Free from:

(1) Decay;

(2) Unhealed skin breaks; and

(3) Wormy fruit.

(c) Free from very serious damage caused by other means.

(d) For tolerances see § 51.689.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling in each of the foregoing grades, the following tolerances, by count, based on a minimum 25 count sample, are provided as specified. No tolerance shall apply to wormy fruit.

(a) Defects—(1) U.S. Fancy, U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 1 Bright, U.S. No. 1 Bronze, U.S. No. 2, and U.S. No. 2 Russet Grades—(i) For defects at shipping point. 1 Not more than 10 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the specified grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than 5 percent shall be allowed for defects causing very serious damage, including in this latter amount not more than 1 percent for decay.

(ii) For defects en route or at destination. Not more than 12 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the specified grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than the following percentages shall be allowed for defects listed:

(A) 10 percent for fruit having permanent defects; or

(B) 7 percent for defects causing very serious damage, including therein not more than 5 percent for very serious damage by permanent defects and not more than 3 percent for decay.

(2) U.S. Combination—(i) For defects at shipping point. 1 Not more than 10 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the U.S. No. 2 grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than 5 percent shall be allowed for defects causing very serious damage, including in this latter amount not more than 1 percent for decay.

(ii) For defects en route or at destination. Not more than 12 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the U.S. No. 2 grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than the following percentages shall be allowed for defects listed:

(A) 10 percent for fruit having permanent defects; or

(B) 7 percent for defects causing very serious damage, including therein not more than 5 percent for very serious damage by permanent defects and not more than 3 percent for decay.

(iii) For defects at shipping point 1 and en route or at destination. No part of any tolerance shall be allowed to reduce for the lot as a whole, the 55 percent of U.S. No. 1 fruit required in the U.S. Combination grade, but individual samples may have not more than 15 percent less than the required percentage for the grade: Provided, That the entire lot averages within the percentage required.

(3) U.S. No. 3—(i) For defects at shipping point. 1 Not more than 10 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than 1 percent for decay.

(ii) For defects en route or at destination. Not more than 12 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the grade: Provided, That included in this amount not more than the following percentages shall be allowed for defects listed:

(A) 10 percent for fruit having permanent defects; or

(B) 3 percent for decay.

(b) Discoloration—(1) U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 1 Bright, U.S. Combination, and U.S. No. 2. Not more than 10 percent of the fruit in any lot may fail to meet the requirements relating to discoloration as specified in each grade. No sample may have more than 20 percent of the fruit with excessive discoloration: Provided, That the entire lot averages within the percentage specified.

(2) U.S. No. 1 Bronze. At least 10 percent of the fruit shall have more than one-third of the surface, in the aggregate, affected by discoloration, and no part of any tolerance shall be allowed to reduce this percentage. No sample may have less than 5 percent of the fruit with required discoloration: Provided, That the entire lot averages within the percentage specified. No tolerance shall apply to fruit showing no discoloration.

(3) U.S. No. 2 Russet. At least 10 percent of the fruit shall have more than one-half of the surface, in the aggregate, affected by discoloration, and no part of any tolerance shall be allowed to reduce this percentage. No sample may have less than 5 percent of the fruit with the required discoloration: Provided, That the entire lot averages within the percentage specified.

Individual samples are subject to the following limitations, unless otherwise specified in § 51.689. Individual samples shall have not more than one and one-half times a specified tolerance of 10 percent or more, and not more than double a specified tolerance of less than 10 percent: Provided, That at least one decayed may be permitted in any sample: And provided further, That the averages for the entire lot are within the tolerances specified for the grade.

(a) Fruit shall be fairly uniform in size. When packed in approved containers, fruit shall be arranged according to approved and recognized methods.

(b) “Fairly uniform in size” means that not more than 10 percent of fruit in any lot, and not more than double that amount in any sample, are outside the ranges of diameters given in Table 1.

(c) In order to allow for variations, other than sizing, incident to proper packing, not more than 5 percent of the packages in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of standard pack.

(a) Boxes, cartons, bag packs, or bulk loads in which oranges are not packed according to a definite pattern do not meet the requirements of standard pack, but may be certified as meeting the requirements of standard sizing: Provided, that the ranges are fairly uniform in size as defined in § 51.691.

(b) In order to allow for variations incident to proper packing, not more than 5 percent of the containers in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of standard sizing.

Mature shall have the same meaning currently assigned that term in the laws and regulations of the State in which the orange is grown; or as the definition of such term may hereafter be amended.

Similar varietal characteristics means that the fruits in any container are similar in color and shape.

Well colored means that the fruit is yellow or orange in color with practically no trace of green color.

Firm as applied to common oranges, means that the fruit is not soft, or noticeably wilted or flabby; as applied to oranges of the Mandarin group (Satsuma, King, Mandarin), means that the fruit is not extremely puffy, although the skin may be slightly loose.

Well formed means that the fruit has the shape characteristic of the variety.

Smooth texture means that the skin is thin and smooth for the variety and size of the fruit.

Injury means any specific defect described in Table 1 to § 51.713; or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which slightly detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit.

Discoloration means russeting of light shade of golden brown caused by rust mite or other means. Lighter shades of discoloration caused by smooth or fairly smooth, superficial scars or other means may be allowed on a greater area, or darker shades may be allowed on a lesser area, provided no discoloration caused by melanose or other means may affect the appearance of the fruit to a greater extent than the shade and amount of discoloration allowed for the grade.

Fairly smooth texture means that the skin is not materially rough or coarse and that the skin is not thick for the variety.

Damage means any specific defect described in Table 1 to § 51.713; or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which materially detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit.

Fairly well colored means that except for a one inch circle in the aggregate of green color, the yellow or orange color predominates over the green color on that part of the fruit which is not discolored.

Reasonably well colored means that the yellow or orange color predominates over the green color on at least two-thirds of the fruit surface in the aggregate which is not discolored.

Fairly firm as applied to common oranges, means that the fruit may be slightly soft, but not bruised; as applied to oranges of the Mandarin group (Satsuma, King, Mandarin) means that the fruit is not extremely puffy or the skin extremely loose.

Slightly misshapen means that the fruit is not of the shape characteristic of the variety but is not appreciably elongated or pointed or otherwise deformed.

Slightly rough texture means that the skin is not smooth or fairly smooth but is not excessively rough or excessively thick, or materially ridged, grooved or wrinkled.

Serious damage means any specific defect described in Table 1 to § 51.713; or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which seriously detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit.

Misshapen means that the fruit is decidedly elongated, pointed or flatsided.

Slightly spongy means that the fruit is puffy or slightly wilted but not flabby.

Very serious damage means any specific defect described in Table 1 to § 51.713; or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which very seriously detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit.

Diameter means the greatest dimension measured at right angles to a line from stem to blossom end of the fruit.

All references to area or aggregate area, or length in this standard are based on an orange 2 7/8 inches in diameter, allowing proportionately greater areas on larger fruit and lesser areas on smaller fruit.