Agricultural Marketing Service
 
   Browse by Subject
Grading, Certification and Verification
 
 
 
Processed Fruit and Vegetable Inspection and Certification Services  
AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program’s Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division offers a broad range of product certification and acceptance services for canned, frozen, and dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and related products. These services can be tailored to meet specific requirements and can include quality assurance monitoring as well as expert product grading and certification. Evaluations can be based on official U.S. grade standards, Commercial Item Descriptions (CID), or on processor or buyer quality and condition requirements. These user fee services are available upon request to anyone who has a financial interest in these commodities.

 
For Processors
The service can check overall production quality, augmenting a processor’s quality control programs. We can also provide an impartial evaluation of final product quality. Several approved grade and inspection marks can be included on the processor’s label. Processors must meet certain contract requirements before this service is implemented and the use of approved grade marks can be authorized.

 
For Buyers
The service can be used to determine if final products or production operations meet the buyer’s requirements. This can be done by officially sampling and grading the final product and issuing an inspection certificate recognized as prima facie evidence in U.S. courts, or by monitoring and evaluating the supplier’s quality assurance and production operations.

 
To Apply for Services
An Applicant should complete the Application for Inspection (form FV-356) and submit the document to their local USDA, AMS, FV, Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division Office.

 
The Application for Inspection can be found here (PDF).

 

 
Information on SCI Division services is continued on the next page.

 
Page: 1 2

 
I Want To
 
  Contact a SCI Division Office  
 
  Find a Standard or CID  
 
  Find Federal Rulemaking  
 
  Import Fruits or Vegetables  
 
  Return to SCI Home Page  
 
Additional Information
 
  Audit, Survey, and Verification Services  
 
  Grading and Inspection Resources  
 
  Export Certification  
 
  Federal Regulations CFR Title 7 Section 52  
 
  Job Opportunities  
 
Contact Us
 
  Email the Division Director  
 
  Email the Webmaster  
 
Media Help
 
  Download Adobe Acrobat  
 
 
  Last Modified Date: 01/21/2014