HAR §4-41-53. Standards for Hawaii-grown sweet pepper

(a) As used in this section: "Clean" means free from staining and dirt or other foreign material. "Damage" means any of the following specific defects, 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 sweet peppers: (1) Scars, when excessively prominent or aggregating an area more than one-half inch in diameter; or (2) Sunburn, when the appearance of the pepper is materially affected. "Diameter" means the greatest dimension measured at right angles to the longitudinal axis. §4-41- 41-108 "Fairly clean" means reasonably free from staining and dirt or other foreign material. "Fairly well shaped" means the pepper is indented or curved but not badly misshapen. A badly misshapen pepper is of the type commonly known as "button", or is decidedly crooked, constricted, or otherwise so seriously deformed that its appearance is seriously affected. "Firm" means the pepper is not soft, shriveled, limp, or pliable, although it may yield to slight pressure. "Injury" means any defect or any combination of defects which appreciably detracts from the appearance, or the edible or shipping quality of the sweet peppers. Peppers with scars aggregating an area more than one- fourth inch in diameter shall be scored as affected by injury. "Length" means the greatest overall length of the pepper, exclusive of the stem, measured in a straight line. "Mature green" means the seeds are fully developed and the pepper has reached the stage of maturity which will insure a proper completion of the ripening process. "Serious damage" means any of the following specific defects, 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 sweet peppers: (1) Scars, when aggregating an area more than fifteen per cent of the surface; or (2) Sunburn, when the appearance of the pepper is seriously affected. "Similar varietal characteristics" means the peppers are alike as to general type; i.e., thin walled (soft type) peppers shall not be mixed with thick walled (hard type) peppers. "Well shaped" means not more than slightly curved or dented. (b) Hawaii Fancy (Hawaii Grade AA) sweet pepper consists of Hawaii-grown sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics which are mature green, firm, clean, and well shaped; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, weevils, weevil injury, sunscald, unhealed skin breaks, and sunburn and from injury caused by scars, bruises, insects, disease, or mechanical or other means. Unless otherwise specified, the individual pepper shall be not less than three §4-41- 41-109 inches in length nor less than three inches in diameter. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are provided: (1) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, provided not more than one-half of this amount, or five per cent, shall be allowed for peppers damaged by any cause, including not more than one per cent affected by decay; and (2) For off-size, not more than ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the specified minimum length or minimum diameter. (c) Hawaii No. 1 (Hawaii Grade A) sweet pepper consists of Hawaii-grown sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics which are mature green, firm, clean, and well shaped; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, weevils, weevil injury, sunscald, and unhealed skin breaks and from damage caused by scars, bruises, insects, disease, sunburn, or mechanical or other means. Unless otherwise specified, the individual pepper shall be not less than two and one- half inches in length nor less than two and one-half inches in diameter. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are provided: (1) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, provided not more than one-half of this amount, or five per cent, shall be allowed for peppers which are seriously damaged by any cause, including not more than one per cent affected by decay; and (2) For off-size, not more than ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the specified minimum length or minimum diameter. (d) Hawaii No. 2 (Hawaii Grade B) sweet pepper consists of Hawaii-grown sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics which are mature green, firm, fairly clean, and fairly well shaped; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, weevils, weevil injury, sunscald, and unhealed skin breaks and from serious damage caused by scars, bruises, insects, sunburn, or mechanical or other means. Unless §4-41- 41-110 otherwise specified, the individual pepper shall be not less than two and one-fourth inches in length nor less than two and one-fourth inches in diameter. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are specified: (1) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, provided not more than one-half of this amount, or five per cent, shall be allowed for peppers affected by sunscald and not more than one per cent for peppers affected by decay; and (2) For off-size, not more than ten per cent of the peppers in any lot may fail to meet the specified minimum length or minimum diameter. (e) Peppers which conform to the requirements of the respective grades except as to color or type, may be designated in accordance with the following color or type classifications: (1) When uniformly red or turning red, the peppers may be designated "Hawaii Fancy Red", "Hawaii No. 1 Red", or "Hawaii No. 2 Red". When red and green peppers are mixed, the peppers may be designated "Hawaii Fancy Mixed Color", "Hawaii No. 1 Mixed Color", or "Hawaii No. 2 Mixed Color"; or (2) When peppers do not have similar varietal characteristics, the peppers may be designated "Hawaii Fancy Mixed Types", "Hawaii No. 1 Mixed Types", or "Hawaii No. 2 Mixed Types". [Eff 5/29/81; am and comp 8/18/83; am and comp 3/24/86] (Auth: HRS §147-4) (Imp: HRS §147-4)