About the Standards
U.S. Grade Standards for fruits are voluntary and provide the fruit, vegetable and specialty crop industry with a uniform language for describing the quality and condition of commodities in the marketplace. For more information on U.S. Standards and the development and revision process see the Fact Sheet titled U.S. GRADE STANDARDS for Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, and Other Specialty Products (pdf).
The PDF publications provided within this section supersede any previously issued publications.
Inspection Instructions
Many U.S. Grade Standards are supplemented by Inspection Instructions. These instructions discuss special grading situations, expand on descriptions of quality requirements, outline grading procedures, and cover other related topics.
Visual Aids
Special photo guides, models, color standards, and other visual interpretative guides are available for reference to specific U.S. Grade Standards. More information about visual aids >