WAC 16-414-005   Definitions.  "Clean" means cherries are practically free from dirt, dust, spray residue, or other foreign material. For example, clean means the product is practically free from leaves, fruit spurs, bark, twigs, dirt or foreign material.

     "Condition defects" means defects that may develop or change during shipment or storage. Condition defects include, but are not limited to, decayed or soft cherries and such other factors as pitting, shriveling, sunken areas, brown discoloration and bruising that, because of its location appears to have occurred after packing.

     "Damage" means any injury or specific defect described in WAC 16-414-045 or any equally objectionable variation of those defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects, which materially detracts from the appearance, or the edible quality or marketing quality of the fruit.

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

     "Diameter" means the greatest dimension measured at right angles to a line from the stem to the blossom end of the cherry.

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

     "Face packed" means the cherries in the top layer of any container are placed so the stem ends are pointing downward toward the bottom of the container.

     "Fairly well colored" means that at least ninety-five percent of the surface of the cherry shows characteristic color for mature cherries of the variety.

     "Firm" means the cherries:

     (1) Possess a firm, fleshy texture;

     (2) Retain their approximate original shape;

     (3) Are not shriveled; and

     (4) Do not show more than slight collapsed areas of flesh.

     "Mature" means cherries have reached the stage of growth that will insure the proper completion of the ripening process. Rainier cherries or other varieties of "light colored sweet cherries" shall meet a minimum of seventeen percent soluble solids as determined from a composite sample by refractometer prior to packing, at time of packing, or at time of shipment; provided that individual lots shall not be combined with other lots to meet soluble solids requirements.

     "Permanent defects" means defects that are not subject to change during shipping or storage. Permanent defects include, but are not limited to, factors of shape, scarring, skin breaks, injury caused by hail or insects, and mechanical injury that, because of its location, appears to have occurred before shipment.

     "Off-size" means a cherry whose diameter fails to meet a designated size when measured at right angles to a line from its stem to its blossom end.

     "Serious damage" means any specific defect described in WAC 16-414-065 or an equally objectionable variation of any one of these defects, any other defect, or any combination of defects that seriously detracts from the appearance, edible quality or marketing quality of cherries.

     "Shipping point" means:

     (1) The point of origin of the shipment in the producing area or at the port of loading; or

     (2) The port of entry into the United States in the case of shipments from outside the continental United States.

     "Similar varietal characteristics" means the cherries in any container are similar in color and shape.

     "Well formed" means a cherry has the normal shape characteristic of the variety. Mature well-developed doubles are considered well formed if the halves are approximately evenly formed with a variation of no more than 2/64 of an inch.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.17 and 34.05 RCW. 07-12-076, § 16-414-005, filed 6/5/07, effective 7/6/07; 06-12-116, § 16-414-005, filed 6/7/06, effective 7/8/06; 05-12-037, § 16-414-005, filed 5/25/05, effective 6/25/05.]