FAQs
What are Growing Regions?
A growing region is an area suited by climate and soil conditions to the cultivation of a certain type of crop or plant group. Most crops are cultivated not in one place only, but in several distinct regions in diverse parts of the world. Cultivation in these areas may be enabled by a large-scale regional climate, or by a unique microclimate. Growing regions, because of the need for climate consistency, are usually oriented along a general latitude, and in the United States these are often called "belts". In the cooler areas of North America, specifically the Northern regions of the United States and Canada, the growing season is observed between around April or May through October. This period is longer in the southern regions of the United States, where the growing season can start as early as February or March and continue all the way through November or December. These rough timetables vary significantly by areas that are in higher elevations and also closer proximity to the ocean.
Because of relatively long growth requirements of several crops grown in the United States, growing season extension practices are commonly used as well. These include various types of row covering techniques such as using cold frames and garden fabric over crops. Greenhouses are also a common season extension practice, particularly in higher elevation regions that only enjoy 90 day growing seasons. In California, there are 3 to 4 seasons, depending on your location, in which vegetables can be grown. Some items that are year round from California are but not limited to: Beets, Carrots, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Lettuce and radishes.
What are USDA Grades?
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) develops descriptions for fresh produce quality and condition called U.S. Grade Standards. U.S. Grade Standards provide the produce industry with a uniform language for describing the quality and condition of commodities in the marketplace. In partnership with industry members, Agricultural Marketing Service develops and revises these documents so that they always reflect modern business practices. Here are most grades, U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. #1, U.S. #2, U.S. #3, U.S. Utility, Combination Grade, and Unclassified. Grades will be product specific and not all product will have all grades attached.
Why does Grade Matter?
Grade provides specification with the language to get what you want. Grade provides the receiving staff quality and conditions descriptions on what produce to accept and what to reject.
Defects: Defects is a term used to identify issues with product. Quality and Condition defects are the two types of defects. Quality defects, Shape Texture, Scars, Color, Growth Cracks, Bruising, Condition defects, Sunken Discolored Areas, Shriveling, Service Discoloration, Decay.
Tolerances: Tolerances are best described as, the maximum total percentage of damage and defects allowable for the commodity to meet U.S. Grade #1 standards. The tolerances are measured as, Total, including serious and decay. For example 15-8-3 on a tolerance means 15% total damage, including 8% serious damage, not including more than 3% decay. This is item specific and may change per item, Example, raspberries Grade Standards US#1 for defects are 10% total including 5% serious including 1% mold or decay. Grade defects #2 is 10% serious including 2% mold or decay.
Quality Factors: There are a number of ways of studying the quality attributes of food products. One way is to look at the occurrence of the characteristics as the product is encountered and consumed. Using this system, quality attributes are often classified as external, internal, or hidden.
External quality attributes are those that are observed when the product is first encountered, appearance, feel and smell.
Internal quality characteristics are generally not perceived until the product is cut or bitten. Acceptable levels of these attributes often affects the consumer’s decision to repurchase a product. These internal attributes are related to aroma, taste, and feel (for example, mouthfeel and toughness).
The combination of external and internal attributes determine the acceptability of a product.
The third quality attributes, “Hidden Attributes” are more difficult for most consumers to measure or differentiate but the perception of these contribute for most consumers decision could help sell or not based on wholesomeness, nutritive value and safety.
What are Inspections? (Fresh Produce)
To begin with the explanation of inspections, you first must know common terms used when talking about fresh produce inspections. Certain terms actually mean something within inspections. Following are the terms and their definitions you may see.
Practically All 95 to 100%
Generally 90 to 100%
Most (Mostly) 55 to 89%
Approximately Half 46 to 54%
Many 26 to 45%
Some 11 to 25%
Few 5 to 10%
Occasionally 1 to 10%
These terms are used in inspections to see if the product is “out of grade”. These grading will help determining the final outcome of the purchase agreement.
Shippers of fresh produce can have their commodities graded for quality and condition at shipping point locations to establish the quality of the product. Receivers use the grading services to determine whether a shipment meets contract terms and to help select the best use for a particular shipment. Institutional buyers and government agencies use services to ensure deliveries meet required specifications. Processors have their raw commodity deliveries inspected using grading services to determine payment to growers. Industry members also find grade reports useful in determining produce storage life and choosing the best use for particular lots.
Specifications (Specs):
This is defined as requirement product specified agreed on by the buyer and the seller. The Specs under the USDA terms are ones defined as when is an acceptable product. A product specification is a document that provides critical defining information about a product and can include labels, rules, standards that may apply along with a visual illustration.
What Is FSMA and the Produce Rule?
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law Jan 4, 2011, requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to write standards for produce safety (Produce Rule). This proposed proactive approach to food safety instead of a reactionary approach as in the past. As a key element of this preventive approach, FDA was mandated under FSMA to establish science-based, minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce on farms to minimize contamination that could cause serious adverse health consequences or death. This proposed Produce Safety Rule is anticipated to be final October 2015.
What are Allergens?
Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by your body's immune system. Allergic reactions to food can sometimes cause serious illness and death. Although nearly any food is capable of causing an allergic reaction, only eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions in the United States. These foods are: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy, Fish, Shellfish. Proper labeling of products to inform the public of safe product handling is essential and if products prepared were in contact with any Allergens.
What is HACCP?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. In the 1960’s, the Pillsbury Corp, developed the HACCP control system with NASA to ensure food safety for the first manned space missions. The control process has been set up by the European Union to make sure the production of food entails as little hazards as possible for consumers. HACCP is a preventative food safety system in which every step in the manufacture, storage and distribution of a food product is scientifically analyzed for microbiological, physical and chemical hazards.