7 CFR § 51.3199 - Tolerances.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t7/s51.3199"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "7 CFR § 51.3199 - Tolerances."
title_number: 7
title_name: "Agriculture"
section_number: "51.3199"
section_name: "Tolerances."
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"
---


# 51.3199 Tolerances.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling in each of the foregoing grades the following tolerances, by weight, are provided as specified:

(a) For defects:

(1) *U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 grades.* Not more than 10 percent of the onions in a lot may fail to meet the requirements of these grades, but not more than one-fifth of this tolerance, or 2 percent, may be allowed for onions which are affected by decay or wet sunscald.

(2) *U.S. Combination grade.* When applying the foregoing tolerances to this grade no part of any tolerance shall be allowed to reduce, for the lot as a whole, the 50 percent of onions of the U.S. No. 1 grade, but individual containers shall have not less than 40 percent of the U.S. No. 1 grade.

(b) For size:

(1) Not more than 5 percent of the onions in a lot may be smaller than the minimum diameter specified. In addition, not more than 10 percent of the onions in a lot may be larger than the maximum diameter specified.

(2) When a percentage of the onions is specified to be a certain size and larger, individual packages containing more than 10 pounds may have not less than one-half of the percentage specified: *Provided,* that the entire lot averages within the percentage specified.