Analysis*:

* Nutrition Information is based on dried, sulfured and uncooked apricots.

Disclaimer: The range of values obtained through various private and government investigators are true and accurate to the best knowledge. Variations may occur due to crop differences year to year. Analysis and ranges of values obtained by various private and governmental sources may vary from actual data obtained from current and future crop years.

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 Dried apricots are the halved and pitted fruit of the apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) from which the greater portion of moisture has been removed. Before packing, the dried fruit is processed to cleanse the fruit and may be sulfured sufficiently to retain a characteristic color.

Moisture.

Federal inspection certificates shall indicate the moisture content of the finished product which shall be not more than 26 percent, by weight, for sizes No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and for slabs, and not more than 25 percent, by weight, for other sizes.

Sizes.

1. Federal inspection certificates shall indicate the size or combination of sizes of halved apricots found upon examination; or shall indicate Slabs if the apricots are such, or Whole Pitted or Slip Pitted if the apricots are found to be of this style.
2. The various sizes of dried apricots, except for slabs (including whole pitted or slip pitted apricots) are as follows:

1. Diameter means the shortest measurement across the face of the apricot half when restored to its normal shape.
2. In determining compliance with size requirements of this section, dried apricots will be considered as of one size if not more than 10 percent, by weight, of the fruit varies from the size range.

U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy.

1. U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a practically uniform, bright typical color, characteristic of well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess pale yellow areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area equivalent to one-eighth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice, but none of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.
2. Not more than a total tolerance of 10 percent, by weight, may be slabs, immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than two-fifths of the total tolerance, or 4 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.

U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice.

1. U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a reasonably uniform, bright typical color, characteristic of reasonably well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess pale yellow areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than 10 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard, but none of the units may possess light green areas that exceed an area equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit.
2. Not more than a total tolerance of 15 percent, by weight, may be slabs, immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than one-third of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-fifteenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.

U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

1. U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a fairly uniform typical color, characteristic of fairly well-matured apricots. The fruit may be pale yellow in color and may possess light green areas around the stem end of the fruit that do not exceed an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side of the unit, but not more than 15 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may possess light green areas that exceed an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side of the unit.
2. Not more than a total tolerance of 20 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be slabs, immature, or possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than one-fourth of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 2 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.

U.S. Grade D or Substandard.

U.S. Grade D or Substandard dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard: Provided, that, not more than 20 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be slabs; and not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than 2 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by decay.

U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs).

U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.

U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs).

U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.

U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs).

U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.

U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs).

U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs) dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs): Provided, that not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than 2 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by decay.

Explanation of terms.

(a) Damage or other defects.

1. Damaged by discoloration means that the apricots have become excessively darkened. Darkening of otherwise sound fruit characteristic of fruit held in storage, in keeping with good commercial practice, shall not be considered as damaged by discoloration unless excessively darkened.
2. Damaged by sunburn means any substantial damage to color or texture of skin caused by excessive heat from the sun.
3. Damaged by hail marks, scab, or disease means that the combined area of all such defects, or of any one such defect, exceeds in the aggregate an area equivalent to the area of a circle three-eighths inch in diameter.
4. Damaged by other similar defects means any injury or defect or group of defects not mentioned herein which materially affect the appearance, edibility, or keeping quality of the fruit.
5. Damaged by insect injury means healed or unhealed surface blemishes, and healed or unhealed blemishes in the flesh which materially affect the appearance, edibility, or keeping quality of the fruit but which do not possess evidence of insect infestation.
6. Affected by insect infestation means that the dried apricots show the presence of insects, insect fragments, or excreta. No live insects are permitted.
7. Affected by imbedded dirt means the units have sufficient quantities of adhering dirt to give the fruit a dirty, smudgy appearance and dirt which may not be removed readily in washing the fruit.

(b) Maturity.

1. Well-matured means that the apricots are fully ripe.
2. Reasonably well-matured means that the apricots are firm and may not have reached the fully ripe stage.
3. Fairly well-matured means that the apricots may be hard but not immature.
4. Immature means that the apricots are tough or possess a green or other color indicative of immature fruit.

(c) Slabs. Slabs are apricots that have been mashed, broken, or mutilated to the extent that they have lost their normal contour and have become definitely flattened at the edge or rim. A half that has a slightly torn edge is not considered a slab. For the purpose of these grades whole pitted (or slip pitted) dried apricots are considered as slabs.

 Standard Packing:

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