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LOT COMPLIANCE

Sec.

52.6132 Ascertaining the grade of a lot.

SCORE SHEET

52.6133 Score sheet for grapefruit juice.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 52 issued under secs. 202-208, 60 Stat. 1087, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Subpart-Regulations Governing
Inspection and Certification

SOURCE: §§ 52.1 to 52.87 appear at 22 F.R. 8535, May 22, 1957, unless otherwise noted. § 52.1 Administration of regulations.

The Administrator, Consumer and Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture is charged with the administration of the regulations in this part except that he may delegate any or all of such functions to any offcer or employee of the Consumer and Marketing Service of the Department, in his discretion.

DEFINITIONS

§ 52.2 Terms defined.

Words in the regulations in this part in the singular form shall be deemed to import the plural and vice versa, as the case may demand. For the purposes of the regulations in this part, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Acceptance number. "Acceptance number" means the number in a sampling plan that indicates the maximum number of deviants permitted in a sample of a lot that meets a specific requirement.

Act. "Act" means the applicable provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 1087 et seq., as amended; 7 U. S. C. 1621 et seq.), or any other act of Congress conferring like authority.

Administrator. "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Consumer and Marketing Service.

Applicant. "Applicant" means any interested party who requests inspection service under the regulations in this part.

Case. "Case" means the number of containers (cased or uncased) which, by the particular industry are ordinarily packed in a shipping container.

Certificate of loading. "Certificate of loading" means a statement, either written or printed, issued pursuant to the

regulations in this part, relative to checkloading of a processed product subsequent to inspection thereof.

Certificate of sampling. "Certificate of sampling” means a statement, either written or printed issued pursuant to the regulations in this part, identifying officially drawn samples and may include a description of condition of containers and the condition under which the processed product is stored.

Class. "Class" means a grade or rank of quality.

Condition. "Condition" means the degree of soundness of the product which may affect its merchantability and includes, but is not limited to those factors which are subject to change as a result of age, improper preparation and processing, improper packaging, improper storage or improper handling.

Department. "Department" means the United States Department of Agriculture.

Deviant. "Deviant" means a sample unit affected by one or more deviations or a sample unit that varies in a specifically defined manner from the requirements of a standard, specification, or other inspection document.

Deviation. "Deviation" means any specifically defined variation from a particular requirement.

Inspection certificate. "Inspection certificate" means a statement, either written or printed, issued pursuant to the regulations in this part, setting forth in addition to appropriate descriptive information relative to a processed product, and the container thereof, the quality and condition, or any part thereof, of the product and may include a description of the conditions under which the product is stored.

Inspection service. "Inspection service" means:

(a) The sampling pursuant to the regulations in this part;

(b) The determination pursuant to the regulations in this part of:

(1) Essential characteristics such as style, type, size, sirup density or identity of any processed product which differentiates between major groups of the same kind;

(2) The class, quality and condition of any processed product, including the condition of the container thereof by the examination of appropriate samples;

(c) The issuance of any certificate of sampling, inspection certificates, or certificates of loading of a processed product, or any report relative to any of the foregoing; or

(d) Performance by an inspector of any related services such as assigning an inspector in a processing plant to observe the preparation of the product from its raw state through each step in the entire process, or observe conditions under which the product is being prepared, processed, and packed, or observe plant sanitation as a prerequisite to the inspection of the processed product, either on a continuous or periodic basis, or checkload the inspected processed product in connection with the marketing of the processed product.

any

Inspector. "Inspector" means employee of the Department authorized by the Secretary or any other person licensed by the Secretary to investigate, sample, inspect, and certify in accordance with the regulations in this part to any interested party the class, quality and condition of processed products covered in this part and to perform related duties in connection with the inspection service.

Interested party. "Interested party” means any person who has a financial interest in the commodity involved.

Licensed sampler. "Licensed sampler" means any person who is authorized by the Secretary to draw samples of processed products for inspection service, to inspect for identification and condition of containers in a lot, and may, when authorized by the Administrator, perform related services under the act and the regulations in this part.

Lot. "Lot" means any number of containers of the same size and type which contain a processed product of the same type and style located in the same warehouse or conveyance, or which, under inplant (in-process) inspection, results from consecutive production within a plant, and which is available for inspection service at any one time: Provided, That (a) if the applicant requests a separate inspection certificate covering a specific portion of a lot, such portion must be separately marked or otherwise identified in such a manner as to permit sampling, inspection, and certification of such portion as a separate lot; and (b) under in-plant (in-process) inspection, the inspector is authorized to limit the number of containers of a processed

product that may be included in a lot to the production of a single working shift when such production is not in compliance with specified requirements.

Officially drawn sample. "Officially drawn sample" means any sample that has been selected from a particular lot by an inspector, licensed sampler, or by any other person authorized by the Administrator pursuant to the regulations in this part. Person.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, association, business trust, corporation, any organized group of persons (whether incorporated or not), the United States (including, but not limited to, any corporate agencies thereof), any State, county, or municipal government, any common carrier, and any authorized agent of any of the foregoing.

Plant. "Plant" means the premises, buildings, structures, and equipment (including, but not being limited to, machines, utensils, and fixtures) employed or used with respect to the manufacture or production of processed products.

Processed product. "Processed product" means any fruit, vegetable, or other food product covered under the regulations in this part which has been preserved by any recognized commercial process, including, but not limited to, canning, freezing, dehydrating, drying, the addition of chemical substances, or by fermentation.

Quality. "Quality” means the inherent properties of any processed product which determine the relative degree of excellence of such product, and includes the effects of preparation and processing, and may or may not include the effects of packing media, or added ingredients.

Rejection number. "Rejection number" means the number in a sampling plan that indicates the minimum number of deviants in a sample that will cause a lot to fail a specific requirement.

Sample. "Sample” means any number of sample units to be used for inspection.

Sample unit. "Sample unit" means a container and/or its entire contents, a portion of the contents of a container or other unit of commodity, or a composite mixture of a product to be used for inspection.

Sampling. "Sampling" means the act of selecting samples of processed products for the purpose of inspection under the regulations in this part.

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Secretary. "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department or any other officer or employee of the Department authorized to exercise the powers and to perform the duties of the Secretary in respect to the matters covered by the regulations in this part.

Shipping container. "Shipping container" means an individual container designed for shipping a number of packages or cans ordinarily packed in a container for shipping or designed for packing unpackaged processed products for shipping.

Unofficially drawn sample. "Unofficially drawn sample" means any sample that has been selected by any person other than an inspector or licensed sampler, or by any other person not authorized by the Administrator pursuant to the regulations in this part.

[22 F.R. 3535, May 22, 1957, as amended at 33 F.R. 9582, July 2, 1968]

§ 52.3 Designation of official certificates, memoranda, marks, other identifications, and devices for purposes of the Agricultural Marketing Act.

Sub-section 203 (h) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended by Public Law 272, 84th Congress, provides criminal penalties for various specified offenses relating to official certificates, memoranda, marks or other identifications, and devices for making such marks or identifications, issued or authorized under section 203 of said act, and certain misrepresentations concerning the inspection or grading of agricultural products under said section. For the purposes of said subsection and the provisions in this part, the terms listed below shall have the respective meanings specified:

Official certificate. "Official certificate" means any form of certification, either written or printed, including those defined in § 52.2, used under this part to certify with respect to the inspection, class, grade, quality, size, quantity, or condition of products (including the compliance of products with applicable specifications).

Official device. "Official device" means a stamping appliance, branding device, stencil, printed label, or any other mechanically or manually operated tool

that is approved by the Administrator for the purpose of applying any official mark or other identification to any product or the packaging material thereof; or any device approved and designated by the Administrator as a USDA official device for use as a color standard, defect guide, or other similar aid to interpret the United States Department of Agriculture grade standards and to facilitate conduct of the inspection service.

Official identification. "Official identification" means any United States (U. S.) standard designation of class, grade, quality, size, quantity, or condition specified in this part or any symbol, stamp, label, or seal indicating that the product has been graded or inspected and/or indicating the class, grade, quality, size, quantity, or condition of the product approved by the Administrator and authorized to be affixed to any product, or affixed to or printed on the packaging material of any product.

Oficial mark. "Official mark" means the grade mark, inspection mark, combined form of inspection and grade mark, and any other mark, or any variations in such marks, including those prescribed in § 52.53 approved by the Administrator and authorized to be affixed to any product, or affixed to or printed on the packaging material of any product, stating that the product was graded or inspected or both, or indicating the appropriate U. S. Grade or condition of the product, or for the purpose of maintaining the identity of products graded or inspected or both under this part.

Official memorandum. "Official memorandum" means any initial record of findings made by an authorized person in the process of grading, inspecting, or sampling pursuant to this part, any processing or plant-operation report made by an authorized person in connection with grading, inspecting, or sampling under this part, and any report made by an authorized person of services performed pursuant to this part.

[22 F. R. 3535, May 22, 1957, as amended at 23 F. R. 4999, July 1, 1958]

INSPECTION SERVICE

§ 52.4 Where inspection service is offered.

Inspection service may be furnished wherever any inspector or licensed sam

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§ 52.6

How to make application.

An application for inspection service may be made to the office of inspection or to any inspector, at or nearest the place where the service is desired. An up-todate list of the Inspection Field Offices of the Department may be obtained upon request to the Administrator. Satisfactory proof that the applicant is an interested party shall be furnished. § 52.7

Information required in connection with application.

Application for inspection service shall be made in the English language and may be made orally (in person or by telephone), in writing, or by telegraph. If an application for inspection service is made orally, such application shall be confirmed promptly in writing. In connection with each application for inspection service, there shall be furnished such information as may be necessary to perform an inspection on the processed product for which application for inspection is made, including but not limited to, the name of the product, name and address of the packer or plant where such product was packed, the location of the product, its lot or car number, codes or other identification marks, the number of containers, the type and size of the containers, the interest of the applicant in the product, whether the lot has been inspected previously to the application by any Federal agency and the purpose for which inspection is desired.

§ 52.8 Filing of application.

An application for inspection service shall be regarded as filed only when made in accordance with the regulations in this part.

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§ 52.10

When application may be rejected.

An application for inspection service may be rejected by the Administrator (a) for non-compliance by the applicant with the regulations in this part, (b) for non-payment for previous inspection services rendered, (c) when the product is not properly identifiable by code or other marks, or (d) when it appears that to perform the inspection service would not be to the best interests of the Government. Such applicant shall be promptly notified of the reason for such rejection.

§ 52.11 When application may be withdrawn.

An application for inspection service may be withdrawn by the applicant at any time before the inspection is performed: Provided, That, the applicant shall pay at the hourly rate prescribed in § 52.48 for the time incurred by the inspector in connection with such application, any travel expenses, telephone, telegraph or other expenses which have been incurred by the inspection service in connection with such application. § 52.12 Disposition of inspected sample.

Any sample of a processed product that has been used for inspection may be returned to the applicant, at his request and expense; otherwise it shall be destroyed, or disposed of to a charitable institution.

§ 52.13 Basis of inspection and grade or compliance determination.

(a) Inspection service shall be performed on the basis of the appropriate United States standards for grades of processed products, Federal, Military, Veterans Administration or other government agency specifications, written contract specifications, or any written specification or instruction which is approved by the Administrator.

(b) Unless otherwise approved by the Administrator, compliance with such grade standards, specifications, or instructions shall be determined by evaluating the product, or sample, in accord

ance with the requirements of such standards, specifications or instructions: Provided, That when inspection for quality is based on any U.S. grade standard which contains a scoring system, the grade to be assigned to a lot is the grade indicated by the average of the total of the scores of the respective sample units: Provided further, That—

(1) Such sample complies with the applicable standards of quality promulgated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act;

(2) Such sample complies with the product description;

(3) Such sample meets the indicated grade with respect to factors of quality which are not rated by score points; and

(4) With respect to those factors of quality which are rated by score points, each of the following requirements is met:

(i) None of the sample units falls more than one grade below the indicated grade because of any quality factor to which a limiting rule applies;

(ii) None of the sample units falls more than 4 score points below the minimum total score for the indicated grade;

(iii) The number of deviants does not exceed the applicable acceptance number indicated in the sampling plans contained in § 52.38 ("deviants", as used in this paragraph, means sample units that fall into the next grade below the indicated grade but do not score more than 4 points below the minimum total score for the indicated grade);

(5) If any of the provisions contained in subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph (b) are not met, the grade is determined by considering such provisions in connection with succeedingly lower grades until the grade of the lot, if assignable, is established; and

(6) When it is determined that a portion of a lot bearing a particular identification mark is of lower quality or deficient in other factors, the grade or compliance of the lot shall be no higher than that of the portion bearing the particular identification mark.

[22 F.R. 3535, May 22, 1957, as amended at 33 F.R. 9582, July 2, 1968]

§ 52.14 Order of inspection service.

Inspection service shall be performed, insofar as practicable, in the order in which applications therefor are made except that precedence may be given to any such applications which are made by

the United States (including, but not being limited to, any instrumentality or agency thereof) and to any application for an appeal inspection.

§ 52.15

Postponing inspection service.

If the inspector determines that it is not possible to accurately ascertain the quality or condition of a processed product immediately after processing because the product has not reached equilibrium in color, sirup density, or drained weight, or for any other substantial reason, he may postpone inspection service for such period as may be necessary. § 52.16 Financial interest of inspector.

No inspector shall inspect any processed product in which he is directly or indirectly financially interested.

§ 52.17 Forms of certificates.

Inspection certificates, certificates of sampling or loading, and other memoranda concerning inspection service shall be issued on forms approved by the Administrator.

§ 52.18 Issuance of certificates.

(a) An inspection certificate may be issued only by an inspector: Provided, That, another employee of the inspection service may sign any such certificate covering any processed product inspected by an inspector when given power of attorney by such inspector and authorized by the Administrator, to affix the inspector's signature to an inspection certificate which has been prepared in accordance with the facts set forth in the notes, made by the inspector, in connection with the inspection.

(b) A certificate of loading shall be issued and signed by the inspector or licensed sampler authorized to check the loading of a specific lot of processed products: Provided, That, another employee of the inspection service may sign such certificate of loading covering any processed product checkloaded by an inspector or licensed sampler when given power of attorney by such inspector or licensed sampler and authorized by the Administrator to affix the inspector's or licensed sampler's signature to a certificate of loading which has been prepared in accordance with the facts set forth in the notes made by the inspector or licensed sampler in connection with the checkloading of a specific lot of processed products.

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