CUCUMBERS agmark

Grade designations

Grade requirements

Grade tolerances

1

2

3

Extra class

Cucumbers must be of superior quality. They must be characteristic of the variety and/or commercial type in shape, external appearance, development and colour. They must be free of defects, with the exception of very slight superficial defects provided they do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package. Cucumbers must be uniform in colour. They must be:

–       well developed;

–       well shaped and straight (maximum height of the arc: 10 mm per 10 cm of length of the cucumber);

–       have a typical colour for the variety; and

–       free of defects including all deformations and particularly those caused by seed formation.

5 % by number or weight of cucumbers not satisfying the requirements of the grade, but meeting those of Class I grade                     or,

exceptionally, coming    within    the tolerances    of    that grade.

Class I

Cucumbers must be of good quality. They must be characteristics of the variety and/or commercial type. They must be ;

–   reasonably developed;

–  reasonably well shaped and straight (maximum height of the arc: 10 mm per 10 cm of the length of cucumber).

The following do not amount to defect if they do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package which have –

–       a slight deformation, but excluding that caused by seed formation;

–       a slight   defect   in   colour   especially   the   light

coloured part of the cucumber where it touched the ground during growth; and

10 % by number or weight of cucumbers not     satisfying    the requirements of the grade, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming    within    the tolerances    of    that grade.

–     slight skin blemishes due to rubbing and handling or low temperatures not to exceed 2 percent of the total surface area, provided that such blemishes have healed and do not affect the keeping quality.

The defect must not affect the pulp.

Class II

This class includes cucumbers which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements: Provided that the following do not amount to defect, namely:-

-deformation other than seed development;

–       defects in colour up to one-tenth of the surface but does not include considerable defects in colour in the affected part;

–       healed cracks provided not affecting the pulp;

–       slight damage caused by rubbing and handling not to exceed 4 percent of the total surface area, provided which does not seriously affect the keeping quality and appearance.

The defects must not affect the pulp.

The defects are allowed for straight cucumbers.

Crooked cucumbers are allowed only if they have no more than slight defects in colour and have no defects or deformation other than crookedness.

Slightly crooked cucumbers may have a maximum height of the arc of 20 mm per 10 cm of length of the cucumber.

10% by number or weight of cucumber not satisfying the requirements of the grade, but meeting the               minimum requirements.