§ 996.31 - Outgoing quality standards.

§ 996.31 Outgoing quality standards.

(a) Shelled peanuts: No handler or importer shall ship or otherwise dispose of shelled peanuts for human consumption unless such peanuts are positive lot identified, chemically analyzed by a USDA laboratory or USDA-approved laboratory and certified “negative” as to aflatoxin, and certified by the Inspection Service as meeting the following quality standards:

Minimum Quality Standards - Peanuts for Human Consumption

[Whole kernels and splits: Maximum limitations]

Type and grade category	Unshelled peanuts and damaged kernels and minor defects (percent)	Total fall through sound whole kernels and/or sound split and broken kernels	Foreign materials (percent)	Moisture (percent)
Excluding Lots of “splits”
Runner	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Virginia (except No. 2)	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Spanish and Valencia	3.50	6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
No. 2 Virginia	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Runner with splits (not more than 15% sound splits)	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Virginia with splits (not more than 15% sound splits)	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Spanish and Valencia with splits (not more than 15% sound splits)	3.50	6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Lots of “splits”
Runner (not less than 90% splits)	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Virginia (not less than 90% splits)	3.50	6.00%; 17/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00
Spanish and Valencia (not less than 90% splits)	3.50	6.00%; 16/64 inch round screen	.20	9.00

(b) Cleaned-inshell peanuts: No handler or importer shall ship or otherwise dispose of cleaned-inshell peanuts for human consumption unless such peanuts are Positive lot identified and are determined by the Inspection Service to contain:

(1) Not more than l.00 percent kernels with mold unless a sample of such peanuts, drawn by an inspector of the Inspection Service, is analyzed chemically by a USDA laboratory or a USDA-approved laboratory and certified “negative” as to aflatoxin;

(2) Not more than 3.50 percent peanuts with damaged or defective kernels;

(3) Not more than 10.00 percent moisture; or

(4) Not more than 0.50 percent foreign material.

[67 FR 57140, Sept. 9, 2002; 67 FR 63503, Oct. 11, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 46924, Aug. 7, 2003; 68 FR 53490, Sept. 11, 2003; 81 FR 50288, Aug. 1, 2016]