Section 16-445-025 - Damage and serious damage standards(1)"Damage" means any injury or defect that materially affects the prune's appearance, or its edible or shipping quality. Internal growth cracks, cavities or gum spots are not considered damage. Any one of the following defects or any combination of defects, the seriousness of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one defect is damage: (a)Broken skins that are unhealed. Broken skins caused by pulled stems where the skin is not torn beyond the stem basin are not damage. Broken skins that have healed are considered scars.(b)Heat injury that is extensive or not light in color.(c)External growth cracks when there are more than one on a fruit, or when any growth crack is deep, not well healed or more than one-fourth inch in length.(d)Sunburn which has materially changed the normal color of the fruit, or has caused the skin to blister or crack.(e)Split pit which causes a readily apparent crack at the stem end, or which affects the shape to the extent that the fruit is not well-formed.(f)Hail marks or other similar depressions or scars that are not shallow or superficial, or which aggregate more than three-eighths inch in diameter, or when the skin has been broken.(g)Drought spots or external gum spots that are more than one-fourth inch in diameter.(h)Russeting that is not excessively rough when aggregating more than ten percent of the fruit surface, or that is excessively rough when aggregating more than one-fourth inch in diameter.(i)Scars: Dark, rough, or depressed scars which aggregate more than one-fourth inch in diameter. Fairly smooth, superficial scars, including fairly light discoloration such as is caused by handling or packing or by prunes rubbing against each other while on the tree, which aggregate more than one-half inch in diameter.(2)"Serious damage" means any injury or defect that seriously affects the prune's appearance, or its edible or shipping quality. Any one of the following defects, or any combination of defects, the seriousness of which exceeds the maximum allowed for any one defect, is serious damage:(a)Broken skins that are unhealed and more than one-eighth inch in diameter or depth, except those caused by pulled stems where the skin is not torn beyond the stem basin. Broken skins that have healed are considered scars.(b)Heat injury that causes any softening or dark discoloration of the flesh. Heat injury may cause internal or external discoloration, and may or may not be serious. It should not be confused with sunscald, which causes softening or collapse of the tissue and which is always classed as serious damage.(c)External growth cracks that are not well healed, or which are more than three-sixteenths inch in depth, or more than one-half inch in length.(d)Sunburn that causes decided flattening of the fruit, or causes blistering, cracking, or noticeable brownish discoloration of the skin.(e)Split pit that causes a crack at the stem end more than three-sixteenths inch in length, including any part which may be covered by the stem, or which affects the shape to the extent that the fruit is badly misshapen.(f)Hail marks that are more than three-sixteenths inch in depth, or which aggregate more than one-half inch in diameter.(g)Drought spots or external gum spots that total more than one-half inch in diameter.(h)Russeting that is not excessively rough when aggregating more than one-third of the fruit surface, or that is excessively rough when aggregating more than one-half inch in diameter.(i)Scars that are very dark or excessively rough and aggregate more than one-half inch in diameter, or which are more than three-sixteenths inch in depth.Wash. Admin. Code § 16-445-025
Amended by WSR 14-19-004, Filed 9/4/2014, effective 10/5/2014Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.17 and 34.05 RCW. 05-10-093, § 16-445-025, filed 5/4/05, effective 6/4/05.