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Grades | Frequently Asked
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Apple
Grades
Making
Good Grades
Apples retailed
in Canada are subject to Federal and/or Provincial Grade
Standards. Apples that are exported from one province to
another province or country fall under the mandate of Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada and are inspected by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA). In 1987 the Nova Scotia
Fruit Growers' Association, with the support of the Nova
Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing, hired an
inspector to perform random inspections at apple packinghouses.
The purpose of the inspection program was to ensure that
apples sold within Nova Scotia met the declared grades.
This demonstrates the commitment that Nova Scotia apple
growers and packers have to providing quality Nova Scotian
apples. Nova Scotia apple packers have consistently met
the grade, over and over again.
In an effort
to ensure that the quality of Nova Scotian apples remains
high, a number of changes have occurred at storage facilities
and packinghouses in Nova Scotia. More apples than ever
before are being stored in controlled atmosphere storage;
more packers are using water flotation to remove apples
from the bins on their packing lines; some packers have
switched to plastic master cartons, which means that apples
on the lower layers of a pallet do not bear the weight of
the rest of the pallet; and bubble packing is used by most
packers in the master cartons as further insurance against
bruising. These steps ensure year-round availability of
crisp, crunchy Nova Scotia apples.
Nova Scotia's
apple growers and packers get an 'A' for effort. Make sure
you get good grades by selling graded apples, packed by
a reputable packer whose quality you are familiar and happy
with. Don't go out on a limb and leave your customers hanging.
Offer consistently good quality apples week after week and
keep sales up.
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