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 Plums and Prunes
Application
75. The grades and requirements set out in sections 76 to 79 apply to plums and prunes of varieties grown from Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia or Prunus salicina and their hybrids.
Grades and Grade Names
76. The grades and grade names for plums and prunes are Canada No. 1 and Canada Domestic.
Requirements for All Grades
77. In addition to the requirements for each grade and subject to the general tolerances set out in section 80, plums and prunes of all grades must
- (a) be properly packaged;
- (b) be of one variety;
- (c) be well formed, mature, and sound;
- (d) be free from skin tears outside of the stem cavity;
- (e) be free from insects and insect larvae; and
- (f) be free from disease, purple spot and plum rot.
Canada No. 1 Grade Requirements
78. (1) The following definitions apply in this section.
"Italian type", with respect to prunes, means prunes that are "free-stone". (du type italien)
"of good colour", with respect to plums and prunes, means that
- (a) in the case of Italian type prunes, not less than 75% of the surface area of a prune is of a colour characteristic of the variety when mature; and
- (b) in the case of plums and other varieties of prunes, the fruit is of a colour characteristic of the variety when mature. (d'une bonne couleur)
(2) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 77, plums and prunes graded Canada No. 1
- (a) be fairly clean;
- (b) be of good colour;
- (c) conform to the minimum diameter size requirements set out in column 2 of the Table of Diameter Size Requirements for Plum and Prune Varieties to this section;
- (d) be free from bruises that individually exceed 10 mm (3/8 inch) in diameter;
- (e) be free from skin breaks outside of the stem cavity;
- (f) be free from growth cracks
- (i) in the case of plums of any variety other than Peach plums, and
- (ii) in the case of Peach plums, that
- (A) are not at the calyx end,
- (B) expose the flesh, or
- (C) exceed 6 mm (¼ inch) in length;
- (g) be free from drought spot and sunscald;
- (h) be free from hail marks;
- (i) be free from limb rub and leaf mark;
- (j) be free from insect damage;
- (k) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs d) to j) and 77(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 materially affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the plums or prunes.
| Item | Column 1 Variety |
Column 2 Minimum diameter |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Burbank, Ozark, Premier, Vanier | 41 mm (1 ⅝ inches) |
| 2. | Shiro | 38 mm (1 ½ inches) |
| 3. | Bradshaw, Early Golden, all varieties commonly known as Early Blues | 32 mm (1 ¼ inches) |
| 4. | All prune type varieties | 25 mm (1 inch) |
| 5. | All other varieties | Characteristic of the variety when mature |
Canada Domestic Grade Requirements
79. (1) The following definitions apply in this section.
"Italian type" has the same meaning as in subsection 78(1). (du type italien)
"of fair colour", with respect to plums and prunes, means that
- (a) in the case of Italian type prunes, not less than 50% of the surface area of a prune is of a colour characteristic of the variety when mature; and
- (b) in the case of plums and other varieties of prunes, not less than 75%, by count, of the plums or prunes in a lot are of a colour characteristic of the variety when mature. (d'une couleur passable)
(2) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 77, plums and prunes graded Canada Domestic must
- (a) be reasonably clean;
- (b) be of fair colour;
- (c) be free from bruises that individually exceed 13 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter;
- (d) be free from growth cracks that
- (i) are not well healed,
- (ii) exceed one per plum or prune, or
- (iii) are shallow and well healed but exceed 6 mm (1/4 inch) in length;
- (e) be free from hail damage that
- (i) is not well healed,
- (ii) has broken the skin and exceeds 3 mm (⅛ inch) in diameter,
- (iii) has broken the skin, causing marks that exceed three per plum or prune, or
- (iv) affects an aggregate area per plum or prune exceeding 13 mm (½ inch) in diameter;
- (f) be free from limb rub or leaf mark that affects more than 15% of the surface area of a plum or prune;
- (g) be free from sunscald that does not blend with the normal colour of a plum or prune or has caused blistering or cracking of the skin;
- (h) be free from drought spot that affects more than 10% of the surface area of a plum or prune;
- (i) be free from insect stings that
- (i) exceed three per plum or prune,
- (ii) extend into the flesh, or
- (iii) affect an aggregate area per plum or prune exceeding 6 mm (¼ inch) in diameter;
- (j) be free from a combination of two or more defects referred to in paragraphs c) to i) and 77(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
- (k) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage and defects that seriously affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the plums or prunes.
General Tolerances
80. (1) In the grading of plums and prunes, the requirements set out in sections 78 and 79, as applicable, are considered to be met if
- (a) not more than 10%, by count, of the plums or prunes in a lot inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging 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 plums or prunes 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), not more than 5%, by count, of the plums or prunes in the lot have less than the minimum diameter set out in column 2 the Table of Diameter Size Requirements for Plum and Prune Varieties to section 78.
(2) Condition defects apply against the grade of a lot of plums or prunes only when the lot is inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging.