Proposed changes to grades and requirements for nectarines

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 Nectarines New

207. The grades and requirements set out in sections 208 to 211 apply to nectarines of varieties grown from Prunus persica.

208. The grades and grade names for nectarines are Canada No. 1 and Canada Domestic.

209. In addition to the requirements for each grade and subject to the general tolerances set out in section 212, nectarines of all grades must

210. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 209, nectarines graded Canada No. 1 must

(a) be fairly clean;
(b) be well formed
(c) be free from growth cracks and split pits;
(d) be free from hail marks;
(e) be free from skin breaks and cuts;
(f) be free from bruises that individually exceed 19 mm (3/4 inch) in diameter;
(g) be free from marks that are caused by leaf or limb rub and that affect an aggregate area per peach exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter;
(h) be free from insect damage and be free from disease;
(i) be free from gum spot or cold damage;
(j) be free from sunburn;
(k) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs (f) to (h) 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 materially affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the nectarines.

211. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 209 nectarines graded Canada Domestic must

(a) be reasonably clean;
(b) be fairly well formed and of a shape characteristic of the variety;
(c) be free from bruises that individually exceed 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter;
(d) be free from skin punctures or breaks of any kind, including growth cracks or suture cracks/open seams/seam cracks;
(e) be free from hail damage that
- (i) is not well healed,
- (ii) has broken the skin and exceeds 5 mm (3/16 inch) in diameter or 2 mm (1/16 inch) in depth,
- (iii) has broken the skin, causing marks that exceed three per nectarine,
- (iv) affects more than 10% of surface area of a nectarine, or
- (v) has noticeably depressed the affected areas;
(f) be free from split pits exceeding 3 mm (⅛ inch) in width;
(g) be free from ink spot, oak bug damage, leaf or limb rub or scab that affects more than 5% of the surface area of a nectarine;
(h) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs (c) to (g) 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
(i) be free from any other damage or defect or combination of damage and defects that seriously affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the nectarines.

212. (1) In the grading of nectarines, the requirements set out in sections 210 to 211, as applicable, are considered to be met when

(a) not more than 10%, by count, of the nectarines in a lot inspected at the time of shipping or repacking have defects, including not more than
- (i) 3% that are affected by decay, and
- (ii) 5% that have the same defect other than decay;
(b) not more than 10%, by count, of the nectarines in a lot inspected at a time other than at the time of shipping or repackaging have defects, including not more than 5% that have the same permanent defect; and
(c) in either of the cases referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b), up to 5%, by count, of the nectarines in the lot have less than the minimum diameter set out in paragraph 209(d).

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