Canned apple juice is the unfermented juice obtained from sound, ripe apples, with or without parts. Concentrated apple juice may be added, provided that any added apple juice concentrate shall not contribute more than one-fourth of the total apple juice solids in the finished apple juice. No water may be added directly to the finished food. Natural volatile apple juice components (apple essence) may be restored to a level that provides a natural apple juice flavor.
The apple juice may be processed with or without the addition of antioxidants and is sufficiently processed to assure preservation of the product in hermetically sealed containers.
Grades of Canned Apple Juice
- U.S. Grade A is the quality of canned apple juice that: (1) Meets the applicable requirements of Table I or Table II; and (2) Scores not less than 90 points.
- U.S. Grade B is the quality of canned apple juice that: (1) Meets the applicable requirements of Table I or Table II; and (2) Scores not less than 80 points.
- Substandard is the quality of canned apple juice that fails to meet the requirements for U.S. Grade B.
Inspection Aid
Headspace Gauge
See How to Purchase Inspection Aids for more details.
Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources:
- U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Apple Juice (pdf)
- Inspection Instructions for Canned Apple Juice (pdf)
- A-492 Fortification of Standardized Juices
- Certification Manual
- Condition of Container Manual
- Domestic Origin Verification (DOV) Program Manual
- Foreign Material Manual
- General Procedures Manual
- Safety Manual
- Sampling Manual
- Sanitation Manual
- SC 364-3 Score Sheet for Canned Apple Juice
- Technical Procedures Manual
- USDA Purchases Manual