Wash. Admin. Code § 16-403-164 - Defects - Injury, damage and serious damage

(1) "Injury" means any specific defect defined in this section, or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects which more than slightly detracts from the appearance or the edible or shipping quality of the apple. The following specific defects are considered as injury:

(a) Russeting.

(i) Russeting in the stem cavity or calyx basin which cannot be seen when the apple is placed stem end or calyx end down on a flat surface is not considered in determining whether or not an apple is injured by russeting.

(ii) Smooth net-like russeting when an aggregate area of more than ten percent of the surface is covered for red, partial red and blushed varieties and five percent of the surface for green and yellow varieties, and when the color of the russeting shows no very pronounced contrast with the background color of the apple.

(iii) Lesser amounts of more conspicuous net-like russeting when the appearance is affected to a greater extent than the above amount permitted is considered injury.

(iv) Smooth solid russeting when the aggregate area in the green and yellow varieties exceeds more than one-quarter inch in diameter and in the red and partial red varieties when the aggregate area exceeds three-eighths inch in diameter is also considered as injury.

(b) Sunburn or sprayburn, when the discolored area does not blend into the normal color of the fruit.

(c) Dark brown or black limb rubs which affect an aggregate area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter for red, partial red or blushed varieties and one-eighth inch for green or yellow varieties. However, light brown limb rubs of a russet character are considered injury by russeting under definition in (a) of this subsection.

(d) Hail marks, drought spots, other similar depressions or scars:

(i) When the skin is broken, whether healed or unhealed;

(ii) When there is appreciable discoloration of the surface;

(iii) When any surface indentation exceeds one-sixteenth inch in depth;

(iv) When any surface indentation exceeds one-eighth inch in diameter; or

(v) When the aggregate affected area of such spots exceeds one-half inch in diameter for red, partial red and blushed varieties or one-quarter inch for green or yellow varieties.

(e) Disease:

(i) Cedar rust infection which affects an aggregate area of more than three-sixteenths inch in diameter.

(ii) Sooty blotch or fly speck which is thinly scattered over more than five percent of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated areas which affect an area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter.

(iii) Red skin spots which are thinly scattered over more than one-tenth of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated spots which affect an area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter.

(f) Insects:

(i) Any healed sting or healed stings which affect an aggregate area of more than one-eighth inch in diameter including any encircling discolored rings.

(ii) Worm holes.

(g) Stem cavity or calyx basin cracks.

(i) Which more than slightly detract from the appearance or the edible or shipping quality of the apple;

(ii) Are not well healed; or

(iii) Are well healed which exceed an aggregate length of one-eighth inch.

(2) "Damage" means any specific defect defined in this subsection or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect or any combination of defects which materially detracts from the appearance or the edible or shipping quality of the apple. The following specific defects are considered damage:

(a) Russeting. Russeting in the stem cavity or calyx basin which cannot be seen when the apple is placed stem end or calyx end down on a flat surface is not considered in determining whether or not an apple is damaged by russeting: Provided, that excessively rough or bark-like russeting in the stem cavity or calyx basin are considered damage when the appearance of the apple is materially affected. The following types and amounts of russeting outside of the stem cavity or calyx basin are considered damage:

(i) Russeting which is excessively rough or rough on green and yellow varieties.

(ii) Smooth net-like russeting when an aggregate area of more than fifteen percent of the surface is covered and the color of the russeting shows no very pronounced contrast with the background color of the apple;

(iii) Smooth solid russeting when an aggregate area of more than five percent of the surface is covered and the pattern and color of the russeting shows no very pronounced contrast with the background color of the apple;

(iv) Lesser amounts of smooth net-like or smooth solid russeting when more conspicuous and the appearance is affected to a greater extent than the amount permitted in this section;

(v) Slightly rough russeting which covers an aggregate area of more than one-half inch in diameter; or

(vi) Rough russeting in the red and partial red varieties which covers an aggregate area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter.

(b) Sunburn or sprayburn which has caused blistering or cracking of the skin or when the discolored area does not blend into the normal color of the fruit unless the injury can be classed as russeting under the definition in (a) of this subsection.

(c) Limb rubs which affect an aggregate area of more than one-half inch in diameter. However, light brown limb rubs of a russet character are considered damage by russeting under the definition in (a) of this subsection.

(d) Hail marks, drought spots, other similar depressions or scars when:

(i) Any unhealed mark is present;

(ii) Any surface indentation exceeds one-eighth inch in depth;

(iii) The skin has not been broken and the aggregate affected area exceeds one-half inch in diameter; or

(iv) The skin has been broken and well healed and the aggregate area exceeds one-quarter inch in diameter.

(e) Stem cavity or calyx basin cracks which are not well healed or well healed stem cavity or calyx basin cracks which exceed an aggregate length of one-quarter inch.

(f) Disease:

(i) Scab spots which affect an aggregate area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter;

(ii) Cedar rust infection which affects an aggregate area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter;

(iii) Sooty blotch or fly speck which is thinly scattered over more than one-tenth of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated areas which affect an area of more than one-half inch in diameter;

(iv) Red skin spots which are thinly scattered over more than one-tenth of the surface, or dark, heavily concentrated spots which affect an area of more than one-half inch in diameter;

(v) Bitter pit or Jonathan spot when one or more spots affects the surface of the apple.

(g) Insects:

(i) Any healed sting or healed stings which affect an aggregate area of more than three-sixteenths inch in diameter including any encircling discolored rings; or

(ii) Worm holes.

(3) "Serious damage" means any specific defect defined in this subsection or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects which seriously detracts from the appearance or the edible or shipping quality of the apple. The following specific defects are considered as serious damage:

(a) Russeting. The following types and amounts of russeting are considered as serious damage:

(i) Smooth solid russeting, when more than one-half of the surface in the aggregate is covered, including any russeting in the stem cavity or calyx basin; or

(ii) Slightly rough, excessively rough or bark-like russeting which detracts from the appearance of the fruit to a greater extent than the amount of smooth solid russeting permitted in (a)(i) of this subsection.

(b) Sunburn or sprayburn which seriously detracts from the appearance of the fruit.

(c) Limb rubs which affect more than one-tenth of the surface in the aggregate.

(d) Hail marks, drought spots, or scars, if they materially deform or disfigure the fruit, or if such defects affect more than one-tenth of the surface in the aggregate. However; no hail marks which are unhealed are permitted and not more than an aggregate area of one-half inch is allowed for well healed hail marks where the skin has been broken.

(e) Stem or calyx cracks which are not well healed or well healed stem or calyx cracks which exceed an aggregate length of one-half inch.

(f) Visible water core which affects an area of more than one-half inch in diameter.

(g) Disease:

(i) Scab spots which affect a total area of more than three-fourths inch in diameter;

(ii) Cedar rust infection which affects a total area of more than three-fourths inch in diameter;

(iii) Sooty blotch or fly speck which affects more than one-third of the surface;

(iv) Red skin spots which affect more than one-third of the surface;

(v) Bitter pit or Jonathan spot which is thinly scattered over more than one-tenth of the surface and does not materially deform or disfigure the fruit.

(h) Insects:

(i) Healed stings which affect an aggregate area of more than one-quarter inch in diameter including any encircling discolored rings; or

(ii) Worm holes.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 16-403-164

Adopted by WSR 17-03-002, Filed 1/4/2017, effective 2/4/2017