Pasteurized Orange Juice Grades and Standards

Grades of Pasteurized Orange Juice 

1. U.S. Grade A is the quality of orange juice that meets the applicable requirements of Table VII.
2. U.S. Grade B is the quality of orange juice that meets the applicable requirements of Table VII.
3. Substandard is the quality of orange juice that fails to meet the requirements for Grade B. 

Inspection Aids 

• Headspace Gauge
• Color Standards for Canned Orange Juice - The USDA colors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent processed orange juice points of reference corresponding to the color scores 40 points through 32 points, respectively. The six tubes are available as a set in the 1983 edition.
• Inspection Aid 81 - Scoring Guide for Color in Various Processed Orange Juices
• Inspection Aid 82 - Guide for scoring Hesperidin in Citrus Concentrate
• Inspection Aid 90 - Guide for scoring Dark Specks in Citrus Juices 

See How to Purchase Inspection Aids for more details. 

Detailed Standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: 

• U.S. Grade Standards for Pasteurized Orange Juice (pdf) 
• Orange Juice Colorimeter and Spectrophotometer Studies 
• 21 CFR §146.140 - Pasteurized orange juice
• A-492 Fortification of Standardized Juices
• AOAC Official Method 970.72 Filth in Citrus and Pineapple Juices (Canned)
• AOAC Official Method 970.75 Mold in Citrus and Pineapple Juices (Canned)
• Certification Manual
• Condition of Container Manual
• Domestic Origin Verification (DOV) Program Manual
• FDA Food Defect Action Levels
• Foreign Material Manual
• General Procedures Manual 
• Safety Manual
• Sampling Manual
• Sanitation Manual
• SC 364-44E Score Sheet for:  Canned Orange Juice – Orange Juice from Concentrate – Pasteurized Orange Juice
• Technical Procedures Manual
• USDA Purchases Manual