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 1 ran from October 29 to December 31, 2021.
Grades and Requirements for Greenhouse Tomatoes
Application
193. (1) The grades and requirements set out in sections 194 to 198 apply to tomato varieties grown from Lycopersicum esculentum that are grown in artificial conditions under glass or other protective covering.
(2) The grades and requirements referred to in subsection (1) do not apply to tomatoes referred to as ‘tomatoes on the vine’, heirloom, or miniature tomatoes (such as cherry or grape).
Grades and Grade Names
194. The grades and grade names for greenhouse tomatoes are Canada No. 1, Canada Commercial and Canada No. 2.
Requirements for All Grades
195. (1) The following definitions apply in this section.
"clean" means that the tomato is practically free from dirt or other foreign material.
(propre)
"firm-ripe" means
- (a) a tomato has at least 75% of its surface area of a pink or red colour; and
- (b) if tomatoes are prepackaged, that
- (i) not less than 90%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are firm-ripe, and
- (ii) not more than 10%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are semi-ripe. (ferme et mûre)
"mature" means
- (a) that a tomato is fully developed, well filled out, gives a feeling of springiness and pliability when pressure is applied, is bright and waxy in appearance, has seeds that are well developed and seed cavities of a jelly-like consistency and has an external colour that shows at least a definite break from a green to a straw ground colour; and
- (b) if tomatoes are prepackaged, that
- (i) in the case of tomatoes grown in British Columbia or Manitoba,
- (A) not less than 75%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are mature, and
- (B) not more than 25%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are turning, and
- (ii) in the case of tomatoes grown other than in British Columbia or Manitoba,
- (A) not less than 90%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are mature, and
- (B) not more than 10%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are turning. (parvenue à maturité)
- (i) in the case of tomatoes grown in British Columbia or Manitoba,
"semi-ripe" means
- (a) a tomato has not less than 25% and not more than 75% of its surface area of a pink or red colour; and
- (b) if tomatoes are prepackaged, that
- (i) not less than 90%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are semi-ripe, and
- (ii) not more than 10%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are firm-ripe or turning. (demi-mûre)
"turning" means
- (a) a tomato has not more than 25% of its surface area of a pink or red colour; and
- (b) if tomatoes are prepackaged, that
- (i) not less than 90%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot have the colour described in paragraph (a), and
- (ii) not more than 10%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot are mature or semi-ripe. (mûrissante)
(2) In addition to the requirements for each grade and subject to the general tolerances set out in section 199, greenhouse tomatoes of all grades must
- (a) be properly packaged;
- (b) have similar varietal characteristics;
- (c) be clean and sound;
- (d) be free from growth cracks that are not well healed;
- (e) be free from cuts and broken skins; and
- (f) if prepackaged, have reached one of the following stages of development, namely, "mature", "turning", "semi-ripe", or "firm-ripe".
Canada No. 1 Grade Requirements
196. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 195, greenhouse tomatoes graded Canada No. 1 must
- (a) be uniformly coloured and free from blotchy ripening;
- (b) be not more than slightly kidney-shaped, lopsided, elongated or angular;
- (c) be not sharply creased or conspicuously ridged or rough;
- (d) if prepackaged, with the exception of packages with only one tomato, have a maximum variation in diameter of 25 mm (1 inch) in the case of tomatoes having a minimum diameter of 51 mm (2 inches), and a maximum variation in diameter of 13 mm (½ inch) in all other cases;
- (e) have a minimum diameter of
- (i) 38 mm (1 ½ inches), or
- (ii) 73 mm (2 ⅞ inches) if they are labelled with the size designation "Extra Large";
- (f) be free from growth cracks that are well healed but that exceed in aggregate length one-quarter of the diameter of a tomato, with the exception of growth cracks occurring entirely within 6 mm (¼ inch) of the stem scar; and
- (g) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage and defects that materially affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the tomatoes.
Canada Commercial Grade Requirements
197. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 195, greenhouse tomatoes graded Canada Commercial must
- (a) if kidney-shaped, be not so creased, ridged or rough as to affect their shipping quality or to seriously affect their saleability;
- (b) have a minimum diameter of 63 mm (2 ½ inches); and
- (c) in all other respects, meet the requirements of Canada No. 1 grade.
Canada No. 2 Grade Requirements
198. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 195, greenhouse tomatoes graded Canada No. 2 must
- (a) be free from blotchy ripening that affects more than
- (i) 15% of the surface area of a tomato, or
- (ii) 15%, by count, of the tomatoes in a lot.
- (b) be not badly misshapen;
- (c) have a minimum diameter of 38 mm (1 ½ inches);
- (d) be free from growth cracks that are well healed but that
- (i) extend beyond the shoulder of a tomato, or
- (ii) exceed in aggregate length one-half the diameter of a tomato; and
- (e) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage and defects that seriously affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the tomatoes.
General Tolerances
199. (1) In the grading of greenhouse tomatoes, the requirements set out in sections 196 to 198, as applicable, are considered to be met if
- (a) not more than 5%, by count, of the greenhouse tomatoes in a lot inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging have defects, including not more than 1% that are affected by decay;
- (b) not more than 5%, by count, of the greenhouse tomatoes in a lot inspected at a time other than at the time of shipping or repackaging have permanent defects; and
- (c) in either of the cases referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b), not more than
- (i) 5%, by count, of the tomatoes in the lot have less than the minimum diameter,
- (ii) 10%, by count, of the packages in the lot contain tomatoes that exceed the maximum diameter variation set out in paragraph 5(d), and
- (iii) 10%, by count, of the packages in a lot of greenhouse tomatoes graded Canada Commercial contains greenhouse tomatoes that do not meet the requirements for shape of the Canada Commercial grade.
(2) Condition defects apply against the grade of a lot of greenhouse tomatoes only when the lot is inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging.