Proposed changes to grades and requirements for pears

This document was part of the public consultation on the Proposed changes to the Canadian Grade Compendium: Volume 2 – Fresh Fruit or Vegetables. Each phase of the consultation will focus on a group of fresh fruit or vegetables and will be open for a 60-day period.

The consultation for Phase 2 ran from December 10, 2021 to February 11, 2022.

Grades and Requirements for Pears

Application

66. The grades and requirements set out in sections 67 to 72 apply to pears of varieties grown from Pyrus communis.

Grades and Grade Names

67. The grades and grade names for pears are Canada Extra Fancy, Canada Fancy and Canada Commercial.

Requirements for All Grades

68. (1) In this section, "sized", with respect to tiered pears, means that the pears are packaged by count and do not vary in diameter by more than 6 mm (¼ inch).

(2) In addition to the requirements for each grade and subject to the general tolerances set out in section 72, pears of all grades must

(a) be properly packaged;
(b) be of one variety and sized;
(c) be mature and sound;
(d) be free from bruises that have caused brown discolouration under the skin;
(e) be free from insects and insect larvae; and
(f) be free from storage scald and black end.

Canada Extra Fancy Grade Requirements

69. (1) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 68, pears graded Canada Extra Fancy must

(a) be clean, smooth and well formed;
(b) be a minimum diameter of 57 mm (2 ¼ inch);
(c) be free from bruises that individually exceed 13 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter;
(d) be free from skin punctures
- (i) in the case of pears of any variety other than Anjou, or
- (ii) in the case of pears of the Anjou variety, that
  - (A) exceed one per pear,
  - (B) individually measure more than 5 mm (3/16 inch) in diameter, or
  - (C) affect more than 10%, by count, of the pears in a lot;
(e) be free from hail damage that
- (i) has broken the skin,
- (ii) has caused discolouration,
- (iii) has caused an individual mark exceeding 3 mm (⅛ inch) in diameter, or
- (iv) affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 6 mm (¼ inch) in diameter;
(f) be free from limb rub or leaf mark that is
- (i) soft, rough or dark in colour, or
- (ii) light brown in colour or of a smooth russet character and affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter;
(g) be free from russeting that is
- (i) rough exceeding 6 mm (1/4 inch) in diameter,
- (ii) smooth but not characteristic of the variety and affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter; or
- (iii) fine but not characteristic of the variety and affects more than 25% of the surface area of a pear;
(h) be free from insect damage of any of the following types:
- (i) pear psylla residue that
  - (A) affects the appearance of a pear, or
  - (B) affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter, and
- (ii) scale and scale spots that
  - (A) exceed two per pear, or
  - (B) affect more than 5%, by count, of the pears in a lot;
(i) be free from disease;
(j) be free from drought spot, sprayburn and sunscald;
(k) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs (c) to (h) and 68(2)(d) that individually do not exceed their respective tolerances but that in combination exceed the greatest area tolerance set out in any of those paragraphs; and
(l) be free from any other damage or defect or combination of damage and defects that affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the pears.

(2) Despite paragraph 68(2)(b), pears of different varieties packaged in approximately equal proportions in packages not exceeding a capacity of 10 kg (22 lb) and labelled with the words "Gift Pack", "Combination Pack" or "Variety Pack", that in all other respects meet the requirements for Canada Extra Fancy grade, may be designated as Canada Extra Fancy.

Canada Fancy Grade Requirements

70. (1) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 68, pears graded Canada Fancy must

(a) be fairly clean, smooth and fairly well formed;
(b) be a minimum diameter of 57 mm (2 ¼ inch);
(c)be free from bruises that individually exceed 19 mm (3/4 inch) in diameter;
(d) be free from skin punctures
- (i) in the case of pears of any variety other than Anjou, or
- (ii) in the case of pears of the Anjou variety, that
  - (A) exceed one per pear,
  - (B) individually measure more than 5 mm (3/16 inch) in diameter, or
  - (C) affect more than 15%, by count, of the pears in a lot;
(e) be free from hail damage that
- (i) has broken the skin and is not well healed, or
- (ii) has broken the skin, is well healed, and has caused one skin break larger than 5 mm (3/16 inch) in diameter or depth or has caused more than one skin break larger than 3 mm (⅛ inch) in diameter or depth, or
- (iii) has not broken the skin but affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter, or
- (iv) has noticeably depressed the affected areas or materially affects the appearance of a pear;
(f) be free from limb rub or leaf mark that is
- (i) soft, rough or dark in colour, or
- (ii) light brown in colour or of a smooth russet character and affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 19 mm (¾ inch) in diameter;
(g) be free from russeting that is
- (i) rough exceeding 13 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter,
- (ii) smooth but not characteristic of the variety and that affects more than 25% of the surface area of a pear; or
- (iii) fine but not characteristic of the variety and that affects more than 50% of the surface area of a pear;
(h) be free from scab spots that affect an aggregate area per pear exceeding 3 mm (⅛ inch) in diameter;
(i) be free from drought spot;
(j) be free from sunscald or sprayburn that does not blend with the normal colour of a pear or that has caused blistering or cracking of the skin;
(k) be free from insect damage of any of the following types, namely,
- (i) leaf roller damage that has deformed a pear or affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 19 mm (¾ inch) in diameter,
- (ii) three or more insect punctures or stings per pear or any insect punctures or stings that exceed 3 mm (⅛ inch) in depth or diameter, inclusive of any encircling discoloured ring,
- (iii) pear psylla residue that affects more than 5% of the surface area of a pear, or
- (iv) scale and from scale spots that
  - (A) exceed two per pear, or
  - (B) affect more than 5%, by count, of the pears in a lot;
(l) be free from stony pit that exceeds one spot per pear;
(m) be free from freckled pit that affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter;
(n) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs (c) to (m) and 68(2)(d) that individually do not exceed their respective tolerances but that in combination exceed the greatest area tolerance set out in any of those paragraphs; and
(o) be free from any other damage or defect or combination of damage and defects that materially affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the pears.

(2) Pears graded Canada Fancy may be alternatively designated "Canada No. 1".

Canada Commercial Grade Requirements

71. (1) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 68, pears graded Canada Commercial must

(a) be reasonably clean;
(b) be a minimum diameter of 51 mm (2 inch);
(c) have no more than 15% of their surface area of an abnormal shape or on which the abnormal shape causes a depression greater than 6 mm (¼ inch);
(d) be free from bruises that individually exceed 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter;
(e) be free from skin punctures that
- (i) in the case of pears of
  - (A) any variety other than Anjou, exceed one per pear, and
  - (B) the Anjou variety, exceed two per pear, or
- (ii) individually measure more than 5 mm (3/16 inch) in diameter;
(f) be free from hail damage that has
- (i) not broken the skin but affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 19 mm (¾ inch) in diameter,
- (ii) broken the skin and is not well healed,
- (iii) broken the skin and is well healed but affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter, or
- (iv) noticeably depressed the affected areas or seriously affects the appearance of a pear;
(g) be free from limb rub or leaf mark
- (i) if the affected area is seriously depressed, or
- (ii) that affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter;
(h) be free from rough russeting that is
- (i) rough exceeding 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter,
- (ii) smooth but not characteristic of the variety and that affects more than 50% of the surface area of a pear; or
- (iii) fine but not characteristic of the variety and that affects the entire surface area of a pear;
(i) be free from scab spots that affect an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch);
(j) be free from drought spots that
- (i) exceed three per pear, or
- (ii) have noticeably depressed or discoloured the affected areas;
(k) be free from sunscald or sprayburn that
- (i) is soft or has caused blistering or cracking of the skin, or
- (ii) affects more than 15% of the surface area of a pear and does not blend with the normal colour of the pear;
(l) be free from insect damage of any of the following types, namely,
- (i) leaf roller damage that affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter,
- (ii) stings that are not well healed,
- (iii) stings that are well healed but affect an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter, inclusive of any encircling discoloured ring,
- (iv) pear psylla residue that affects more than 15% of the surface area of a pear, or
- (v) scale and scale spots that exceed 10 per pear;
(m) be free from stony pit that affects an aggregate area per pear exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter;
(n) be free from freckled pit that affects more than 15% of the surface area of a pear or discolours a pear;
(o) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs (c) to (n) and 68(2)(d) that individually do not exceed their respective tolerances but that in combination exceed the greatest area tolerance set out in any of those paragraphs; and
(p) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage or defects that seriously affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the pears.

(2) Pears graded Canada Commercial may be alternatively designated "Canada Cee", "Canada "C" or "Canada Domestic".

General Tolerances

72. (1) In the grading of pears, the requirements set out in sections 69 to 71, as applicable, are considered to be met in the case of a lot of pears if not more than

(a) 5%, by count, of the pears in the lot have less than the minimum diameter;
(b) in the case of a lot of tiered pears, 10% of the packages contain more than 10%, by count, of pears that exceed the maximum diameter variation set out in subsection 68(1); and
(c) in the case of a lot of pears inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging, 10%, by count, of the pears in the lot have defects other than those referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b), including not more than
- (i) 3% that are affected by decay, and
- (ii) 5% that have the same defect other than decay; and
(d) in the case of a lot of pears inspected at a time other than at the time of shipping or repackaging, 10%, by count, of the pears in the lot have permanent defects other than those referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b), including not more than 5% that have the same permanent defect.

(2) Condition defects apply against the grade of a lot of pears only when the lot is inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging.