Frozen Leafy Greens Grades and Standards

Grades of Frozen Leafy Greens

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

Inspection Aid

  • IA #30A Area Measurement Guide, 8 x 10 in Metric Units

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: