Code of Federal Regulations Title 7. Agriculture § 7.51.2849 Damage

(a) Seedstems which are tough or woody, or which are more than 1/4 inch in diameter;

(b) Splits when onions with two or more hearts are not practically covered by one or more outer scales;

(c) Tops when more than 30 percent of the onions in a lot have tops 3 inches or more in length;

(d) New roots when most roots on an individual onion have grown to a length of 1 inch or more in length;

(e) Dry roots when more than 20 percent of the onions in a lot have practically all roots 2 inches or more in length;

(f) Dry sunken areas when the affected areas exceed the equivalent to that of a circle 1/2 inch in diameter on an onion 2 3/4 inches in diameter which does not have the outer papery scale covering the affected areas or when the affected areas exceed the equivalent to that of a circle 3/4 inch in diameter on an onion 2 3/4 inches in diameter which has the outer papery scale covering the affected areas. Correspondingly lesser or greater areas are allowed on smaller or larger onions;

(g) Sunburn when more than 33 percent of the onions in a lot have a medium green color on one-third of the surface;

(h) Sprouts when visible, or when concealed within the dry top and more than 3/4 inch in length on an onion 2 inches or larger in diameter, or proportionately shorter on smaller onions;

(i) Peeling when more than one-half of the thin papery skin is missing, leaving the underlying fleshy scale unprotected;

(j) Cracked fleshy scales when one or more of the fleshy scales are cracked;

(k) Watery scales when more than the equivalent of the entire outer fleshy scale is affected by an off-color, watersoaked condition. The off-color must be of some shade of brown or yellow;

(l) Dirt, staining or other foreign matter when more than 20 percent of the onions in a yellow, brown or red lot, or more than 15 percent of the onions in a white lot are appreciably stained. Onions with adhering dirt or other foreign matter shall be judged on the same basis as stained onions;

(m) Mechanical when any cut extends deeper than one fleshy scale, or when any bruise breaks a fleshy scale;  and,

(n) Translucent scales when more than the equivalent of two entire outer fleshy scales have a watersoaked condition.