Frozen Leafy Greens Grades and Standards

  1. U.S. Grade A is the quality of frozen leafy greens that:
a. Meets the following prerequisites in which the leafy greens:
i. Have similar varietal characteristics;
ii. Have a good overall brightness as a mass;
iii. Have a normal flavor and odor;
iv. Have a good character (other than pureed style);
v. May have stem material (leaf style spinach only) that does not exceed an AQL of 20.0;
vi. May have stem material (chopped style spinach only) that slightly affects the appearance or eating quality;
vii. May have blemished areas that do not exceed an AQL of 20.0.
b. Is within the limits for defects as classified in Table I and specified in Table II.
  1. U.S. Grade B is the quality of frozen leafy greens that:
a. Meets the following prerequisites in which the leafy greens:
i. Have similar varietal characteristics;
ii. Have a fairly good overall brightness as a mass;
iii. Have a normal flavor and odor;
iv. Have a reasonably good character (other than pureed style);
v. May have stem material (leaf style spinach only) that does not exceed an AQL of 25.0;
vi. May have stem material (chopped style spinach only) that materially affects the appearance or eating quality;
vii. May have blemished areas that do not exceed an AQL of 40.0.
b. Is within the limits for defects as classified in Table I and specified in Table II.
  1. Substandard is the quality of frozen leafy greens that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade B.

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: