51.1527—Standard pack.
(a) Packing.
(1)
All packages shall be tightly packed or well filled, according to the approved and recognized methods.
(2)
The plums or prunes in the top layer of any package shall be reasonably representative in quality and size of those in the remainder of the package.
(3)
“Well filled” means that the plums or prunes packed in loose or volume filled containers are packed within 1 inch of the top of the container.
(4)
“Tightly packed” means the plums or prunes are the proper size for the mold or cell compartments in which they are packed, and the molds or cells are filled in such a way that movement is not allowed.
(b) Marking.
(1)
The size of plums or prunes shall be marked on each package, and shall be indicated in terms of minimum diameter, or number of fruit per package, or in accordance with the arrangement of the top layer of fruit in the package or subcontainer. Size may also be shown in terms of maximum number of fruit for a specified weight, such as “8 per pound,” “6.4 per pound” or “7 2/3 per pound” or by a count-size designation based on the number of fruits contained in a 10 pound sample with the designation rounded to an applicable number which is divisible by 5 (example: 40 size, 45 size, 50 size, 55 size, etc.).
(i) California peach boxes, lug boxes and small consumer packages.
In layer-packed California peach boxes or lug boxes, and in small layer packed consumer packages, the count of the entire contents shall be marked on the package. The number of plums or prunes in California peach boxes or lug boxes shall not vary more than 4 from the number indicated on the package. Loose filled consumer packs not in a master container shall have a count-size marked on the package or on a tag closure. Master containers of loose filled consumer packages shall have a count-size marked on the package describing the size of plums or prunes within the container.
(ii) Face and fill packs in cartons and lug boxes.
In face and fill packs in cartons and lug boxes the number of rows in the face shall be marked on the packages, as “6 row,” “8 row,” etc.
(c) Sizing.
(1)
Not more than 5 percent, by count, of the plums or prunes in any package may vary more than one-fourth inch in diameter, except that not more than 5 percent, by count, of the plums or prunes 2-1/4 inches or larger in diameter and packed in loose or volume filled containers may vary more than three-eighths inch in diameter.
(2)
When size is indicated in terms of minimum diameter, not more than 5 percent, by count, of the fruit in any package may be smaller than the size marked.
(d) Tolerance for standard pack.
In order to allow for variations incident to proper sizing and packing, not more than 10 percent, by count, of the packages in any lot may fail to meet the requirements for standard pack.