HAR §4-4l-43. Standards for Hawaii-grown ginger roots

(a) As used in this section: "Clean" means practically free from dirt or other foreign material, and there are no caked dirt on the rhizome. "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 marketing quality of the ginger root: (l) Cuts, breaks, or tears, when ragged or more than three-eighths inch deep; (2) Cuts, breaks, or tears, excluding points of mother plant and shoot attachments, when: (A) More than one defect is present per two ounces of rhizome; or (B) More than fifteen defects are present per rhizome (excluding inconspicuous tears where roots were attached); or (C) Large, conspicuous, and materially affecting the appearance or marketing quality; or (D) Obviously not at the end of a segment and exceeds an area three-fourths inch in diameter; or (E) Any single tear exceeds one-half inch in diameter; or (F) An aggregate of tears exceeds an area one inch in diameter; (3) Discolored flesh, when removal of the discolored area causes a loss of more than five per cent of the total weight of the rhizome; (4) Insects, when there is more than one small, shallow feeding depression per one-half ounce of rhizome, or any feeding depression exceeds three-eighths inch in diameter or three- sixteenths inch in depth; (5) Rootlets, when more that two short rootlets are present per ounce of rhizome; (6) Shriveling, when: (A) Area not adjacent to cuts, tears, breaks, or bruises are more than slightly shriveled; or (B) Areas adjacent to cuts, tears, breaks, §4-41- 41-73 or bruises are more than materially shriveled; or (7) Sprouts, when any sprout exceeds three- fourths inch in length. "Dry" means the ginger roots are free from external moisture, but dampness due to condensation shall be allowed. "Fairly clean" means reasonably free from dirt or other foreign matter and there is no caked dirt on the rhizome. "Fairly well matured" means the skin of the ginger root is tight and more than one-half of the surface of the rhizome is of a silvery tan color. The remaining surface of the rhizome may show slight tints of yellow or brown color. "Firm" means the ginger root is not shriveled or flabby and is unyielding to moderately heavy pressure. "Immature" means the skin of the ginger root has the yellow or brown color characteristic of immature ginger root, and the ginger root has a stem attached. "Injury" 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 appreciably detracts from the appearance, or the edible or marketing quality of the ginger root: (1) Cuts, breaks, or tears, when ragged or more than one-fourth inch deep; (2) Cuts, breaks, or tears, excluding points of mother plant and shoot attachments, when: (A) More than one defect is present per four ounces of rhizome; or (B) More than three defects are present per rhizome (excluding inconspicuous tears where roots were attached); or (C) Large, conspicuous, and more than slightly affecting the appearance or marketing quality; or (D) Obviously not at the end of a segment and exceeds an area one-half inch in diameter; or (E) Any single tear exceeds one-fourth inch in diameter; or (F) An aggregate of tears exceeds an area one-half inch in diameter; (3) Discolored flesh, when removal of the discolored area causes a loss of more than §4-41- 41-74 three per cent of the total weight of the rhizome; (4) Insects, when there is more than one small, shallow feeding depression per one ounce of rhizome, or any feeding depression exceeds one-fourth inch in diameter or one-eighth inch in depth; (5) Rootlets, when more than one short rootlet is present per ounce of rhizome; (6) Shriveling, when: (A) Occurring in areas not adjacent to cuts, tears, breaks, or bruises; or (B) Areas adjacent to cuts, tears, breaks, or bruises are more than slightly shriveled; (7) Skin cracks, when prominent or numerous and affecting more than fifty per cent of the rhizome surface; or (8) Sprouts, when any sprout exceeds three- eighths inch in length. "Mature" means the skins of the ginger root is tight and more than three-fourths of the surface of the rhizome is of a silvery tan color. The remaining surface of the rhizome may show slight tints of yellow or brown color. "Reasonable size" means all segments of the rhizome shall be at least seven-eighths inch wide as measured from the side, except that terminal segments which have no attached buds longer than three-fourths inch may be less than seven-eighths inch in width. "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 marketing quality of the ginger root: (1) Cuts, breaks, or tears, when very ragged or more than one-half inch deep; (2) Cuts, breaks, or tears, excluding points of mother plant and shoot attachments, when: (A) More than one defect is present per one ounce of rhizome; or (B) More than twenty-five defects are present per rhizome (excluding inconspicuous tears where roots were attached); or (C) Large, conspicuous, and seriously affecting the appearance or marketing quality; or §4-41- 41-75 (D) Obviously not at the end of a segment and exceeds are area one inch in diameter; or (E) Any single tear exceeds three-fourths inch in diameter; or (F) An aggregate of tears exceeds an area one and one-half inches in diameter; (3) Discolored flesh, when removal of the discolored area causes a loss of more than ten per cent of the total weight of the rhizome; (4) Insects, when there is more than one small shallow feeding depression per one-fourth ounce of rhizome, or any feeding depression exceeds one-half inch in diameter or three- eighths inch in depth; or (5) Rootlets, when more than three short rootlets are present per ounce of rhizome. "Similar varietal characteristics" means the ginger roots are of the same general type with similar flesh color, flavor, and fiber content. "Skin cracks" means shallow cracks of the epidermis, which usually occur on well matured rhizomes and are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the segment. "Soft rot" means any soft, mushy, or leaky condition of the tissue. "Wet breakdown" means the leaky condition of ginger root tissue following freezing. (b) Hawaii No. l (Hawaii Grade A) ginger root consists of Hawaii-grown ginger roots of similar varietal characteristics which are fairly well matured, dry, clean, firm, and of reasonable size; and which are free from soft rot or other decay, wet breakdown, wormholes, and sunscald and from injury caused by cuts, breaks, or tears, insects, rootlets, disease, skin cracks, growth cracks, discolored flesh, shriveling, sprouts, or mechanical or other means. Each ginger root shall weigh not less than four ounces. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on weight, are provided: (l) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the ginger roots 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 ginger roots with damage by any cause, §4-41- 41-76 including not more than one per cent affected by soft rot; and (2) For off-size, not more than five per cent of the ginger roots in any lot may be below the specified minimum weight. (c) Hawaii Commercial ginger root consists of Hawaii-grown ginger roots of similar varietal characteristics which are fairly well matured, dry, fairly clean, firm; and which are free from soft rot or other decay, wet breakdown, wormholes, and sunscald and from damage caused by cuts, breaks, or tears, insects, rootlets, disease, growth cracks, discolored flesh, shriveling, sprouts, or mechanical or other means. Each ginger root shall weigh not less than two ounces. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading, sizing, and handling, the following tolerances, based on weight, are provided: (1) For defects, not more than a total of ten per cent of the ginger roots 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 ginger roots with serious damage by any cause, including not more than one per cent affected by soft rot; and (2) For off-size, not more than five per cent of the ginger roots in any lot may be below the specified minimum weight. (d) Hawaii Young Ginger ginger root consists of Hawaii-grown ginger roots of similar varietal characteristics which are immature, dry, fairly clean, firm; and which are free from soft rot or other decay, wet breakdown, wormholes, and sunscald and from damage caused by cuts, breaks, or tears, insects, rootlets, disease, growth cracks, discolored flesh, shriveling, or mechanical or other means. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than a total of ten per cent, by weight, of the ginger roots 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 ginger roots with serious damage by any cause, including not more than one per cent affected by soft rot. [Eff 5/29/81; am and comp 8/18/83; am and comp 3/24/86; am 8/6/90; am 5/26/92] (Auth: HRS §l47-4) (Imp: HRS §147-4) §4-41- 41-77