Common Green Onions Grades and Standards

  1. U.S. No. 1 shall consist of green onions which are fairly well-formed, firm, young and tender, fairly clean, free from decay, and from damage caused by seedstems, roots, foreign material, disease, insects, mechanical or other means. The bulbs shall be well trimmed. The tops shall be fresh, of good green color, free from damage caused by broken or bruised leaves, or by clipping. When all the tops of the onions have been evenly clipped back in accordance with good commercial practice, they shall be specified as "Clipped Tops" in connection with the grade. 
a. Over-all length. Unless otherwise specified, the over-all length (roots excepted) of the onions shall be not more than 24 inches nor less than 8 inches and the onions shall be not less than one-fourth of an inch or more than one inch in diameter.
b. Tolerance for defects. In order to allow for variations, other than size, incident to proper grading and handling, not more than a total of 10 percent, by count, of the onions in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, but not more than 5 percent shall be allowed for defects causing serious damage, including not more than 2 percent for onions affected by decay.
c. Tolerance for size. Not more than a total of 10 percent, by count, of the onions in any lot may fail to meet the requirements as to the specified length, minimum diameter or maximum diameter, but not more than 5 percent shall be allowed for any one of the requirements for size
  1. U.S. No. 2 shall consist of green onions which are not badly misshapen, and which are fairly firm, fairly young and tender, fairly clean, free from decay and from serious damage caused by seedstems, roots, foreign material, disease, insects, mechanical or other means. The bulbs shall be fairly well trimmed. The tops shall be fresh, of fairly good green color, and free from serious damage caused by broken or bruised leaves, or by clipping. When all the tops of the onions have been evenly clipped back in accordance with good commercial practice, they shall be specified as "Clipped Tops" in connection with the grade.
a. Over-all length. Unless otherwise specified, the over-all length (roots excepted) of the onions shall be not less than 8 inches and the onions shall be not less than one-fourth of an inch or more than one and one-half inches in diameter.
b. Tolerance for defects. In order to allow for variations, other than size, incident to proper grading and handling, not more than a total of 10 percent, by count, of the onions in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, including not more than 2 percent for onions affected by decay.
c. Tolerance for size. Not more than a total of 10 percent, by count, of the onions in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of the specified length, minimum or maximum diameter, but not more than 5 percent shall be allowed for any one of the requirements for size.

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