7 CFR § 996.31 - Outgoing quality standards.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t7/s996.31"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "7 CFR § 996.31 - Outgoing quality standards."
title_number: 7
title_name: "Agriculture"
section_number: "996.31"
section_name: "Outgoing quality standards."
chapter_name: "AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE"
part_number: "996"
part_name: "MINIMUM QUALITY AND HANDLING STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "7 U.S.C. 7958."
regulatory_source: "67 FR 57140, Sept. 9, 2002, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "996"
---


# 996.31 Outgoing quality standards.

(a) *Shelled peanuts:* No handler or importer shall ship or otherwise dispose of shelled peanuts for human consumption unless such peanuts are positive lot identified, chemically analyzed by a USDA laboratory or USDA-approved laboratory and certified “negative” as to aflatoxin, and certified by the Inspection Service as meeting the following quality standards:

Minimum Quality Standards—Peanuts for Human Consumption

[Whole kernels and splits: Maximum limitations]

| Type and grade category | Unshelled peanuts and damagedkernels andminor defects(percent) | Total fall through sound whole kernels and/or sound split and broken kernels | Foreignmaterials(percent) | Moisture(percent) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| Runner | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Virginia (except No. 2) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Spanish and Valencia | 3.50 | 6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| No. 2 Virginia | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Runner with splits (not more than 15% sound splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Virginia with splits (not more than 15% sound splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Spanish and Valencia with splits (not more than 15% sound splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| Runner (not less than 90% splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Virginia (not less than 90% splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |
| Spanish and Valencia (not less than 90% splits) | 3.50 | 6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen | .20 | 9.00 |

(b) *Cleaned-inshell peanuts:* No handler or importer shall ship or otherwise dispose of cleaned-inshell peanuts for human consumption unless such peanuts are Positive lot identified and are determined by the Inspection Service to contain:

(1) Not more than l.00 percent kernels with mold unless a sample of such peanuts, drawn by an inspector of the Inspection Service, is analyzed chemically by a USDA laboratory or a USDA-approved laboratory and certified “negative” as to aflatoxin;

(2) Not more than 3.50 percent peanuts with damaged or defective kernels;

(3) Not more than 10.00 percent moisture; or

(4) Not more than 0.50 percent foreign material.

[67 FR 57140, Sept. 9, 2002; 67 FR 63503, Oct. 11, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 46924, Aug. 7, 2003; 68 FR 53490, Sept. 11, 2003; 81 FR 50288, Aug. 1, 2016]