CFR > Title 7 - Agriculture > SUBTITLE B—Regulations of the Department of Agriculture > CHAPTER I—AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (parts 27 to 206) > SUBCHAPTER C—REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 (parts 51 to 75) > PART 51—FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND OTHER PRODUCTS 1,2 (INSPECTION, CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) > SUBPART —United States Standards for Grades of Fresh Plums and Prunes (§51.1520 to §51.1538) > 51.1536—Serious damage.

51.1536—Serious damage.

“Serious damage” means any specific defect defined in this section; or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects which seriously detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the fruit. The following specific defects shall be considered as serious damage:
(a) Broken skins which are unhealed when aggregating more than one-eighth inch in diameter, length or depth. (Healed skin breaks shall be considered scars);
(b) Heat injury, sprayburn or sunburn:
(1) When the skin is blistered, cracked or decidedly flattened;
(2) When causing any dark discoloration of the flesh;
(3) When there are more than two indentations;
(4) When the aggregate area of indentations exceeds that of a circle three-eighths inch in diameter; or,
(5) When causing noticeable brownish or darker discoloration over more than one-fourth of the fruit surface;
(c) Growth cracks:
(1) When not healed and more than one-eighth inch in length or depth;
(2) When healed and more than three-sixteenths inch in depth;
(3) When healed and aggregating more than five-eighths inch in length if within the stem cavity; or,
(4) When healed and aggregating more than one-half inch in length if outside of the stem cavity;
(5) When extending from within to outside the stem cavity, when healed and aggregating more than five-eighths inch in length if the major portion of the crack is within the stem cavity or when healed and aggregating more than one-half inch in length if the major portion of the crack is outside the cavity;
(d) Split pit when causing any unhealed crack, or when healed and aggregating more than three-eighths inch in length, or when affecting the shape to the extent that the fruit is badly misshapen;
(e) Scab or bacterial spot, when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle one-half inch in diameter on a fruit 2 inches in diameter or smaller; or when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle three-fourths inch in diameter on a fruit larger than 2 inches in diameter;
(f) Drought spots or external gum spots which have an aggregate area exceeding that of a circle one-half inch in diameter;
(g) Scale or scale marks when the aggregate area exceeds that of a circle three-eighths inch in diameter;
(h) Russeting and scars, including those caused by hail, when the surface of the fruit is depressed more than three-sixteenths inch, or when exceeding any of the following aggregate areas, or a combination of two or more types of russeting or scars the seriousness of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one type:
(1) Dark or rough scars or rough russeting when the area exceeds that of a circle three-fourths inch in diameter on a fruit 2 inches in diameter or smaller; or when the area exceeds that of a circle one inch in diameter on a fruit larger than 2 inches in diameter;
(2) Russeting and scars which are not dark or rough when the area exceeds one-fourth of the fruit surface.
(i) Soft or overripe or shriveled plums or prunes;
(j) Plums or prunes affected by decay; and
(k) Plums or prunes affected by sunscald.
(l) Discoloration when definitely contrasting with the normal surface color and affects more than 25 percent of the surface.