- Are discolored oat groats caused by weathering or frost considering damage?
ANSWER. No, current visual references/standards address discolorations associated with heating/respiration (O-2.0/3.0) and badly ground or weather conditions (O-1.0). Unless the discoloration of the groat meets the minimum criteria of one of these slides, the oat is considered sound.
- Do the U.S. Standards for Oats include Black Oats?
ANSWER. No. The standards only cover the white, yellow, and red oats. As such, a sample of Black oats (Avena strigosa) would be certified “Not Standardized Grain.” If found in a sample of white or red oats, black oats function as Foreign Material.
Contact
FGISBoardofAppealsandReviewSubjectiveAnalysisGroup@usda.gov