USDA Standards
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses quality standards that describe the value and effectiveness of a product. Standards are based on measurable attributes that describe the entire range of quality for a product, and number grades are used for each commodity.
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Dairy
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USDA standards for dairy products include general specification for dairy plants, milk for manufacturing purposes, and judging and scoring milk and cheese. Whipped butter, Colby cheese and ice cream have USDA standards as well. Dairy products are classified according to certain characteristics such as flavor, body, smell, color and ingredients.
Fruits/Vegetables
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Standards for fruit and vegetables are used to give the produce industry a uniform way to describe the quality and conditions of commodities in the marketplace. Standards for many fruits and vegetables involve characteristics such as how the vegetable is grown, its size, how it looks, and if the fruit is free from decay or insect diseases. Each fruit and vegetable might also have its own specific standard, such as broccoli using "crown size" as a part of its rating.
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Livestock
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USDA livestock standards are applied to animals that are used for food such as cattle and pigs. Standards for cattle grades include frame size, thickness and thriftiness (or animal health). Other characteristics such as weight and appearance also are a part of livestock standards. Slaughter and feeder are terms used in livestock standards to determine if a livestock animal will be immediately slain or slaughtered after a period of feeding.
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