Sweet Peppers Grades and Standards

Grades of Sweet Peppers 

  1. U.S. Fancy consists of mature green sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics (except when more than one variety and/or color are marked on the container), which are firm, well shaped, and free from sunscald, freezing injury, decay affecting calyxes and/or walls, decay affecting stems, and from injury caused by scars, hail, sunburn, disease, insects, mechanical or other means.
    1. Size. The diameter of each pepper shall be not less than 3 inches and the length of each pepper shall be not less than 3-1/2 inches.
    2. Color. Any lot of peppers which meets all the requirements of this grade, except those relating to green color, may be designated as “U.S. Fancy” with the characteristic color specified in connection with this grade, provided that at least 90 percent of the peppers show any amount of the specified characteristic color, and provided further, that if the peppers fail to meet the color requirements of either “U.S. Fancy” or “U.S. Fancy (color specified),” they may, when requested, be designated as “U.S. Fancy Mixed Color” (See Tolerances, §51.3274).
  2. U.S. No. 1 consists of mature green sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics (except when more than one variety and/or color are marked on the container), which are firm, fairly well shaped, and free from sunscald and decay affecting calyxes and/or walls, decay affecting stems, and free from damage caused by freezing injury, hail, scars, sunburn, disease, insects, mechanical or other means.
    1. Size. Unless otherwise specified, the diameter of each pepper shall be not less than 2-1/2 inches and the length of each pepper shall be not less than 2-1/2 inches.
    2. Color. Any lot of peppers which meet all the requirements of this grade, except those relating to green color, may be designated as “U.S. No. 1” with the characteristic color specified in connection with this grade, provided that at least 90 percent of the peppers show any amount of the specified characteristic color, and provided further, that if the peppers fail to meet the color requirements of either “U.S. No. 1” or “U.S. No. 1 (color specified),” they may, when requested, be designated as “U.S. No. 1 Mixed Color” (See Tolerances, §51.3274).
  3. U.S. No. 2 consists of mature green sweet peppers of similar varietal characteristics (except when more than one variety and/or color are marked on the container), which are firm, not seriously misshapen, and free from sunscald and decay affecting calyxes and/or walls, decay affecting stems, and free from serious damage caused by freezing injury, hail, scars, sunburn, disease, insects, mechanical or other means.
    1. Color. Any lot of peppers which meet all the requirements of this grade, except those relating to green color, may be designated as “U.S. No. 2” with the characteristic color specified in connection with this grade, provided that at least 90 percent of the peppers show any amount of the specified characteristic color, and provided further that if the peppers fail to meet the color requirements of either “U.S. No. 2” or “U.S. No. 2 (color specified),” they may, when requested, be designated as “U.S. No. 2 Mixed Color” (See Tolerances, §51.3274).

Visual Aids

  • Photo No. 1
  • Photo No. 1A
  • Photo No. 2
  • Photo No. 2A
  • Photo No. 3
  • Photo No. 3A

Visual Aids may be found in the Official Inventory of Inspection Aids (pdf)  

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: