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7 CFR § 51.1837 - Classification of defects.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t7/s51.1837"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "7 CFR § 51.1837 - Classification of defects."
title_number: 7
title_name: "Agriculture"
section_number: "51.1837"
section_name: "Classification of defects."
chapter_name: "AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (STANDARDS, INSPECTIONS, MARKETING PRACTICES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT"
part_number: "51"
part_name: "FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND OTHER PRODUCTS (INSPECTION, CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS)"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "7 U.S.C. 1621-1627."
cfr_part: "51"
---

# 51.1837 Classification of defects.

Table I

| Factor | Damage | Serious damage | Very serious damage |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ammoniation | Not occurring as light speck type, or detracts more than discoloration permitted in the grade | Scars are cracked or dark and aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (15.9 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Bruises | Segment walls are collapsed, or rag is ruptured and juice sacs are ruptured | Segment walls are collapsed, or rag is ruptured and juice sacs are ruptured | Fruit is split open, peel is badly watersoaked, or rag is ruptured and juice sacs are ruptured causing a mushy condition affecting all segments more than ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) at bruised area or the equivalent of this amount, by volume, when affecting more than one area on the fruit. |
| Buckskin | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (19.1 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface | Aggregating more than 50 percent of the surface. |
| Caked melanose | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (9.5 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (15.9 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Creasing | Materially weakens the skin, or extends over more than one-third of the surface | Seriously weakens the skin, or extends over more than one-half of the surface | Very seriously weakens the skin, or is distributed over practically the entire surface. |
| Dryness or mushy condition | Affecting all segments more than ⁄ inch (3.2 mm) at stem end, or the equivalent of this amount, by volume, when occurring in other portions of the fruit | Affecting all segments more than ⁄ inch (6.4 mm) at stem end, or the equivalent of this amount, by volume, when occurring in other portions of the fruit | Affecting all segments more than ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) at stem end, or the equivalent of this amount, by volume, when occurring in other portions of the fruit. |
| Green spots | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (15.9 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Oil spots | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (19.1 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Scab | Materially detracts from the shape or texture, or aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (9.5 mm) in diameter | Seriously detracts from the shape or texture, or aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (15.9 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Scale | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (9.5 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (15.9 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Scars, Hail, and Thorn scratches [For smooth or fairly smooth superficial scars see § 51.1828.] | Deep or rough aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (6.4 mm) in diameter; slightly rough with slight depth aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (19.1 mm) in diameter; smooth or fairly smooth with slight depth aggregating more than a circle 1⁄ inches (28.6 mm) in diameter | Deep or rough aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) in diameter; slightly rough with slight depth aggregating more than a circle 1⁄ inches (28.6 mm) in diameter; smooth or fairly smooth with slight depth aggregating more than 10 percent of fruit surface | Deep or rough or unsightly that appearance is very seriously affected. |
| Skin breakdown | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (12.7 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (19.1 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Sprayburn | Skin is hard and aggregating more than a circle ⁄ inch (19.1 mm) in diameter | Skin is hard and aggregating more than a circle 1⁄ inches (31.8 mm) in diameter | Aggregating more than 25 percent of the surface. |
| Sunburn | Skin is flattened, dry, darkened, or hard and the affected area exceeds 25 percent of the surface | Skin is hard and affects more than one-third of the surface | Aggregating more than 50 percent of the surface. |
| All references to area or aggregate area, or length are based on a tangerine 2⁄ inches in diameter (63.5 mm), allowing proportionately greater areas on larger fruit and lesser areas on smaller fruit. |  |  |  |