Tomato Grades and Standards | Agricultural Marketing Service (2024)

FAQs

What are the US standards for grades of fresh tomatoes? ›

§51.1857 U.S. No.

''U.S. No. 2'' consists of tomatoes which meet the following requirements: (a) Basic requirements: (1) Similar varietal characteristics; (2) Mature; (3) Not overripe or soft; (4) Clean; (5) Well developed; (6) Reasonably well formed; and, (7) Not more than slightly rough.

The grades are mostly based on the condition and the quality of the fruits and not specifically on their size. However, on the basis of the size of the fruits three grades are formed: small (<100 g), medium (100-255 g) and large (> 255 g).

Fresh market tomato

Fruit also needs to be clean and clear of blemishes such as decay or disease. They should be of uniform shape, symmetry and size. Tomatoes need to be bright and uniform in color, without green shoulders or immature green spots or blotches.

Tomato Standards

Have a fruit diameter that varies from 4.5 to 6 cm. Be glossy yellow or red in color. Be round in shape or oblong depending on the variety. Be free of foreign matter such as dust, debris, and leaves.

Not overripe or soft; Clean; Well developed; and, May be misshapen.

These tomatoes must be mature, clean, well developed, and uniform in color. They must not be overripe, but they can be slightly rough in texture. They must not be seriously damaged and must specifically show no signs of decay, sunscald, or freezing damage.

Standard tomatoes usually are smooth and round, and are larger in size than salad tomatoes but smaller than beefsteak types. Also called slicing or main season tomatoes, standard tomatoes are the most common tomato type. This group includes well known cultivars like Better Boy, Celebrity, Early Girl, and Rutgers.

Our recent report predicts that the Tomatoes Market size is expected to be worth around USD 328.9 Bn by 2032 from USD 167 Bn in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032.

Why are tomatoes so expensive in the US? ›

o In the past 3 months, there has been a significant and sustained SHORTAGE of tomatoes in the market, resulting in some of the highest prices recorded for tomatoes on the shelf if the consumer could even find them. o The FTE's issues are the result of bad weather affecting their crop production this season.

The grades are mostly based on the condition and the quality of the fruits and not specifically on their size. However, on the basis of the size of the fruits three grades are formed: small (<100 g), medium (100-255 g) and large (> 255 g).

Tomatoes progress from completely green in the first stage of maturity to more than 90% of the tomato surface being red in the sixth and final stage of maturity. Tomato harvest begins in the second stage when there is a break of color from green to tannish-yellow covering less than 10% of the tomato surface.

Soil Requirements

Tomato plants will grow well in well-drained sites that receive full sun for most of the day. The soil pH should be slightly acidic (6.2 to 6.8). Excess nitrogen can result in plants with lush, vigorous foliage but little fruit production.

2 consists of tomatoes on the vine of similar varietal characteristics (except when marked as mixed type or mixed variety), which are mature but not overripe or soft, clean, reasonably well formed; which are free from decay, sunscald, and freezing injury, and free from serious damage caused by cuts, shriveling, ...

- free of any foreign smell and/or taste; - fresh in appearance. In the case of trusses of tomatoes, the stalks must be fresh, healthy, clean and free of all leaves and any visible foreign matter.

For example, tomatoes, avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, and others are classified as fruits by botanists because they are the fleshy plant part surrounding its seeds. However, for nutritional and culinary purposes, these foods are considered to be vegetables rather than fruits.

What are U.S. Grades? Grade marks for fruits and vegetables and certain other food products are single, sequential letters for processed commodities such as—A, B, C, D, and Substandard, and descriptive terminology and sequential numbers for fresh commodities such as—Extra Fancy, Fancy, No. 1, Combination, No.