HAR §4-4l-42. Standards for Hawaii-grown eggplants

(a) As used in this section: "Badly misshapen" means the eggplant varies decidedly from the normal shape and is seriously deformed. A long type eggplant eight inches in length is badly misshapen when the distance between the inner curvature and a straight line extending from one end of the eggplant to the other, exclusive of the attached stem, exceeds two and one-fourth inches at any one point. Shorter eggplants shall have a proportionately lesser curvature and longer eggplants may have greater curvatures, provided such curvatures do not affect the appearance of the eggplants to a greater extent than the curvature permitted on an eight-inch eggplant. "Bruises" means bruising injuries other than those that are slight and incident to proper packing and handling. §4-41- 41-68 "Clean" means practically free from dirt or other foreign material, and from staining. "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 eggplants: (l) Cracks, when unhealed or affecting appearance to a greater extent than permitted for scars; (2) Scars on long type eggplant, when smooth and aggregating an area more than three-fourths inch in diameter, or rough and aggregating an area more than one-half inch in diameter, or excessively rough and affecting shape; or (3) Scars on thick, chunky, and intermediate type eggplant, when smooth and aggregating an area more than one inch in diameter, or rough and aggregating an area more than three-fourths inch in diameter, or excessively rough and affecting shape. "Fairly smooth" means the eggplant is not materially ridged or rough. "Fairly well colored" means: (1) For thick, chunky, and intermediate types of purple eggplant, at least ninety per cent of the surface is a deep purple or purplish black color; (2) For long type purple eggplant, at least sixty per cent of the surface is of purple color and the remainder of the surface is not yellow or otherwise abnormally colored; and (3) For eggplants that are of other than purple type, the color is fairly bright and typical of the variety. "Fairly well shaped" means the eggplants do not vary more than moderately from the normal shape. Long type eggplants may be no more than moderately curved, curled, or twisted. A long type eggplant eight inches in length is more than moderately curved when the distance between the inner curvature of the eggplant and a straight line extending from one end of the eggplant to the other, exclusive of the attached stem, exceeds one and one-half inches at any one point. Shorter eggplants shall have a proportionately lesser curvature and longer eggplants may have greater curvatures, provided such curvatures do not affect the appearance of the eggplants to a greater extent than the curvature permitted on an eight-inch eggplant. §4-41- 41-69 Intermediate type eggplants shall be no more than slightly curved, but may be cylindrical. "Firm" means not soft, flabby, or shriveled. "Injury" means any defect or combination of defects which appreciably detracts from the appearance, or the edible or shipping quality of the eggplant. Smooth, blossom-end scars shall be permitted on thick, chunky, or intermediate type eggplants, provided the scars do not aggregate an area more than three-fourths inch in diameter. "Intermediate types" means oval, cylindrical, or pear shaped, or similar types of eggplants that appear elongated as compared to thick, chunky type eggplants. "Length" means the measurement along the entire outer curvature of a long type eggplant, exclusive of the attached stem. "Overgrown" means the eggplant has passed the best stage for eating, indicated by a spongy flesh and seeds that are tough or dark brown. "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 eggplants: (l) Cracks, when unhealed or affecting appearance to a greater extent than permitted for scars; (2) Scars, when smooth and aggregating an area more than fifteen per cent of the surface, or rough and aggregating an area more than five per cent of the surface; or (3) Yellowing, when any yellow color or any abnormal color seriously affects appearance. "Similar varietal characteristics" means the eggplants are alike as to shape, color, and other general characteristics. "Smooth" means free from cracks, rough areas, or rough scars. "Well colored" means: (1) For purple type eggplant, the individual eggplant is uniformly colored with a deep purple or purplish black color, the color is bright, and the eggplants in any container are reasonably uniform in color; and (2) For all other types of eggplant, the color of the eggplant is bright and typical of the §4-41- 41-70 variety, and the eggplants in any container are reasonably uniform in color. "Well shaped" means the eggplant is well proportioned and has the normal shape for the variety. Long type eggplants may be no more than very slightly curved. A long type eggplant eight inches in length is more than very slightly curved when the distance between the inner curvature of the eggplant and a straight line extending from one end of the eggplant to the other, exclusive of the attached stem, exceeds three-fourths inch at any one point. Shorter eggplants shall have a proportionately lesser curvature and longer eggplants may have greater curvatures, provided such curvatures do not affect the appearance of the eggplants to a greater extent than the curvature permitted on an eight-inch eggplant. "Well trimmed" means the stem is not longer than one and one-half inches; is cut off neatly; and is not sharp or frayed. (b) Hawaii Fancy (Hawaii Grade AA) eggplant consists of Hawaii-grown eggplants of similar varietal characteristics which are clean, firm, well trimmed, well colored, well shaped, smooth, and not overgrown; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, wormholes, and bruises and from injury caused by scars, disease, insects, or mechanical or other means. Thick, chunky, and intermediate type eggplants shall be one- half to one and three-fourths pounds in weight. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are provided: (l) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the eggplants 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 eggplants 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 eggplants in any lot may vary from the size requirements of the grade. (c) Hawaii No. l (Hawaii Grade A) eggplant consists of Hawaii-grown eggplants of similar varietal characteristics which are clean, firm, well trimmed, fairly well colored, fairly well shaped, fairly smooth, and not overgrown; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, wormholes, and bruises and from damage caused by scars, disease, insects, cracks, or mechanical or other means. Unless otherwise specified, §4-41- 41-71 thick, chunky, or intermediate type eggplants shall be not less than three-eighths pound in weight. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are provided: (l) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the eggplants 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 eggplants 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 eggplants in any lot may vary from the size specified. (d) Hawaii No. 2 (Hawaii Grade B) eggplant consists of Hawaii-grown eggplants of similar varietal characteristics which are clean, firm, well trimmed, not badly misshapen, and not overgrown; and which are free from decay, freezing injury, and wormholes and from serious damage caused by scars, disease, insects, cracks, yellowing, bruises, or mechanical or other means. There is no size requirement for this grade but an optional size designation may be used. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on count, are provided: (l) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the eggplants in any lot may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, provided not more than one-tenth of this amount, or one per cent, may be affected by decay; and (2) For off-size, not more than ten per cent of the eggplants in any lot may vary from the size specified. (e) Size of eggplants in any container or any lot may be specified in connection with the grade in terms of count, or minimum weight, or minimum and maximum weights. If designated in terms of count, eggplants in individual containers shall be fairly uniform in size; i.e., the weight of the smallest eggplant in any container shall be not less than one- half the weight of the largest eggplant, provided that one eggplant which does not meet this requirement shall be permitted in any container. [Eff 5/29/81; am and comp 8/18/83; am and comp 3/24/86] (Auth: HRS §147-4) (Imp: HRS §l47-4) §4-41- 41-72