Grades and Requirements for Carrots
Application
118. The grades and requirements set out in sections 119 to 122 apply to carrots of varieties grown
from Daucus carota, carrots with tops being excluded.
Grades and Grade Names
119. The grades and grade names for carrots are Canada No. 1 and Canada No. 2.
Requirements for All Grades
120. In addition to the requirements for each grade and subject to the general tolerances set out in
sections 123 and 124, carrots of all grades must
• (a) be properly packaged;
• (b) have similar varietal characteristics, or be in accordance with the variety or color labelled
on the package;
• (c) be not forked;
• (d) be not trimmed into the crown;
• (e) be not soft, flabby, shrivelled or woody in texture;
• (f) be free from decay; and
• (g) have a minimum length of 114 mm (4 ½ inches).
Canada No. 1 Grade Requirements
121. (1) In this section, “reasonably clean” means the carrots are
• (a) practically free from caked dirt, mould or decayed matter, and
• (b) reasonably free from staining or clinging dirt. (raisonnablement propres)
(2) In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 120, carrots graded
Canada No. 1 must
• (a) be reasonably clean;
• (b) be not materially rough, misshapen or affected by secondary rootlets;
• (c) be trimmed so that the length of the tops of 75% by weight of the carrots in a lot does not
exceed 13 mm (½ inch) and the length of the tops of the other carrots does not exceed 25
mm (1 inch);
• (d) meet the following requirements in respect of diameter, namely,
o (i) have a minimum diameter of 25 mm (1 inch) and a maximum diameter of 44 mm
(1 ¾ inches),
o (ii) have a minimum diameter of 19 ¾mm (¾ inch) and
▪ (A) conform to the diameter size range labelled on the package or on a label
attached to the package,
▪ (B) be packaged in a transparent package, or
▪ (C) be in a bulk display in a retail store, or
o (iii) have a minimum diameter of 38 mm (1 ½ inches) or greater and be prepackaged
in a package on which is labelled, or indicated on a label attached to the package, the
size designation “38mm and up” or “1 ½ inches and up”, or the greater minimum size
designation that may be applicable;
• (e) be free from crown damage caused by mechanical injury that
o (i) exceeds 13 mm (½ inch) in depth,
o (ii) has become noticeably discoloured, or
o (iii) affects an aggregate area exceeding two-thirds the diameter of the carrot;
• (f) be free from broken carrots
o (i) that do not conform to the general shape of a carrot,
o (ii) that,
▪ (A) in the case of cylindrical types of carrots, are less than 152 mm (6 inches)
in length, and
▪ (B) in the case of other types of carrots, are less than 152 mm (6 inches) in
length and have a tip diameter greater than half the diameter of the carrot,
or
o (iii) that have a rough or jagged cut or break;
• (g) be free from fresh cracks that
o (i) are not clean,
o (ii) are more than 3 mm (⅛ inch) in width,
o (iii) are more than 6 mm (¼ inch) in depth, or
o (iv) exceed one-third of the length of the carrot;
• (h) be free from sunburn that
o (i) extends more than 13 mm (½ inch) below the outer edge of the crown, or
o (ii) affects more than 10%, by weight, of the carrots in a lot, with the exception of
sunburn affecting only the crown and not extending below the outer edge of the
crown; and
• (i) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage and defects that
o (i) materially affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the carrots, or
o (ii) cannot be removed without a loss of more than 5% of the total weight of a carrot.
Canada No. 2 Grade Requirements
122. In addition to meeting the requirements for all grades set out in section 120, carrots graded
Canada No. 2 must
• (a) be not so deformed that the appearance of the carrots is seriously affected;
• (b) be trimmed so that the tops do not exceed 25 mm (1 inch) in length;
• (c) have a minimum diameter of 19 mm (¾ inch);
• (d) be free from sunburn that extends more than 25 mm (1 inch) below the outer edge of the
crown; and
• (e) be free from any other damage, defect or combination of damage and defects that
o (i) seriously affects the appearance, edibility or shipping quality of the carrots, or
o (ii) cannot be removed without the loss of more than 10% of the total weight of a
carrot.
General Tolerances
123. In the grading of carrots, the requirements set out in sections 121 and 122, as applicable, are
considered to be met if,
• (a) in the case of a lot of carrots inspected at the time of shipping or repackaging, not more
than 10%, by weight, of the carrots in the lot have defects, including not more than
o (i) 4% that have less than the minimum diameter or length,
o (ii) 8% that exceed the maximum diameter,
o (iii) 5% that have the same defect other than a defect referred to in subparagraphs (i)
or (ii), and
o (iv) 2% that are affected by decay; and
• (b) in the case of a lot of carrots inspected at a time other than at the time of shipping or
repackaging, not more than 10%, by weight, of the carrots in the lot have permanent defects,
including not more than
o (i) 4% that have less than the minimum diameter or length,
o (ii) 8% that exceed the maximum diameter, and
o (iii) 5% that have the same permanent defect other than a defect referred to in
subparagraphs (i) or (ii).
124. Condition defects apply against the grade of a lot of carrots only when the lot is inspected at the
time of shipping or repackaging.
