Canned Sauerkraut Grades and Standards

Canned Sauerkraut Grades & Standards

Canned (or packaged) sauerkraut hereinafter referred to as canned kraut, is prepared from clean, sound, well matured heads of the cabbage plant (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) which have been properly trimmed and cut; to which salt is added and which is cured by natural fermentation. The product may or may not be packed with pickled peppers, pimentos, tomatoes, or contain other flavoring ingredients to give the product specific flavor characteristics. The product (1) may be canned by processing sufficiently by heat to assure preservation in hermetically sealed containers; or (2) may be packaged in sealed containers and preserved with or without the addition of benzoate of soda or any other ingredient permissible under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or applicable State laws or regulations.

Grades of Canned Sauerkraut

  1. U.S. Grade A is the quality of canned kraut that possesses a good color; that is well cut; that is practically free from defects; that possesses a good character; that possesses a good flavor; and that for those factors which are scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart the total score is not less than 90 points: Provided, That the canned kraut may possess a reasonably good color, scoring not less than 25 points, may be reasonably well cut, may possess a reasonably good character, and may be reasonably free from minor defects, if the total score is not less than 90 points.
  2. U.S. Grade B is the quality of canned kraut that possesses a reasonably good color; that is reasonably well cut; that is reasonably free from defects; that possesses a reasonably good character; that possesses a reasonably good flavor; and that for those factors which are scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart the total score is not less than 80 points: Provided, That the canned kraut may be fairly well cut, if the total score is not less than 80 points..
  3. U.S. Grade C is the quality of canned kraut that possesses a fairly good color; that is fairly well cut; that is fairly free from defects; that possesses a fairly good character; that possesses a fairly good flavor; and that for those factors which are scored in accordance with the scoring system outlined in this subpart the total score is not less than 70 points.
  4. Substandard is the quality of canned kraut that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

Inspection Aids

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