WAC 16-409-015   What definitions are important to this chapter?  The following definitions are important to this chapter:

     "Badly misshapen" means the stalk is so badly flattened, crooked or otherwise so badly deformed that its appearance is seriously affected.

     "Clean" means the asparagus is free from excessive dirt, dust, residue or foreign matter.

     "Damage" means any defect or combination of defects that materially detract from the appearance, edible quality or marketing quality of the stalk.

     "Department" means the Washington state department of agriculture (WSDA).

     "Diameter" means the greatest thickness of the stalk measured at a point approximately one inch from the butt.

     "Director" means the director of the Washington state department of agriculture or the director's designee.

     "Fairly uniform in length" means the stalks within a container must not vary in length more than one and one-half inches.

     "Fairly well trimmed" means that:

     (1) At least one-third of the butt of the stalk is smoothly trimmed in a plane approximately parallel to the bottom of the container; and

     (2) The butt is not badly stringy or frayed.

     "Field container" means an open lug made of wood, plastic, or similar material that is repetitively used for field harvesting.

     "Fresh" means that the stalk is not limp or flabby.

     "Fresh asparagus" means asparagus marketed by lot for fresh consumption.

     "Green" means the portion of the stalk having green, purplish-green or greenish-purple color with purple at the tip.

     "Lot" means any number of containers of fresh asparagus offered as a unit for inspection, sale, or shipment.

     "Serious damage" means any defect or combination of defects that seriously detract from the appearance, edible quality or marketing quality of the stalk.

     "Shipment" means any number of containers of fresh asparagus transported from the production area by a single conveyance.

     "Well trimmed" means that:

     (1) At least two-thirds of the butt of the stalk is smoothly trimmed in a plane approximately parallel to the bottom of the container; and

     (2) The butt is not stringy or frayed.

     "White" means the portion of the stalk near the butt that is white or light purple over white in color. The white is measured from the extreme tip of the butt to the point where the green color begins.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.17 and 34.05 RCW. 05-10-092, § 16-409-015, filed 5/4/05, effective 6/4/05. Statutory Authority: Chapter 15.17 RCW. 85-07-028 (Order 1848), § 16-409-015, filed 3/15/85; 83-06-049 (Order 1787), § 16-409-015, filed 3/1/83.]