United States Standards for Beans

Source: 34 FR 7863, May 17, 1969, unless otherwise noted.

Effective November 10, 1997

Terms Defined

101 Beans
Beans shall be dry threshed field and garden beans, whole, broken, and split, commonly used for edible purposes.

102 Classes.*
* The use of a variety name in the designation of the class of beans does not imply any guarantee of varietal purity.

Beans shall be divided into classes as follows, each of which, except Mixed beans, may contain not more than 2.0 percent of beans of contrasting classes and not more than 15.0 percent of beans of other classes that blend:

Pea beans (the type as grown in the Great Lakes region known also as Navy beans)
Blackeye beans (cowpeas of the Blackeye variety)
Cranberry beans (known also as Speckled Cranberry and Horticultural Pole)
Yelloweye beans
Pinto beans (including the Mexican Pinto type but not the type known as Spotted Red Mexican)
Marrow beans (not including Red Marrow)
Great Northern beans
Small White beans (the type as grown on the Pacific coast, not including Tepary beans)
Flat Small White beans (the type as grown in northern Idaho)
White Kidney beans
Light Red Kidney beans
Dark Red Kidney beans
Small Red beans (known also as Red Mexican, California Red, and Idaho Red)
Pink beans
Black beans
Mung beans
Miscellaneous beans: Beans that are not otherwise classified in these standards shall be classified and designated according to the commonly accepted commercial name of such beans
Large Lima beans (characteristic of the Large White Pole and Burpee Bush Lima type)
Baby Lima beans (characteristic of Small White Lima beans of the Henderson Bush and similar types)
Miscellaneous Lima beans: Lima beans that do not come within the classes Large Lima or Baby Lima shall be classified and designated according to their commonly accepted commercial name
Mixed beans: Mixed beans shall be any mixture of beans not provided for in the classes listed above
[62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

103 Grades
Grades shall be the numerical grades, substandard grades, sample grades, and special grades provided for in 132 through 142.[47 FR 19310, May 5, 1982][62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

104 Sound beans
Sound beans shall be beans that are free from defects.

105 Defects
Defects for the classes Baby Lima and Miscellaneous Lima beans shall be damaged beans, contrasting classes, and foreign material. Defects for all other classes of beans shall be splits, damaged beans, contrasting classes, and foreign material.

106 Splits
Splits shall be pieces of beans that are not damaged, each of which consists of three-fourths or less of the whole bean, and shall include any sound bean the halves of which are held together loosely.

107 Damaged beans
Damaged beans shall be beans and pieces of beans that are damaged by frost, weather, disease, weevils or other insects, or other causes.

108 Badly damaged beans
Badly damaged beans shall be beans and pieces of beans that are materially damaged or discolored by frost, weather, disease, weevils or other insects, or other causes so as to materially affect the appearance and quality of the beans.

109 Foreign material
Foreign material shall be stones, dirt, weed seeds, cereal grains, lentils, peas, and all matter other than beans. [44 FR 73007, Dec. 17, 1979]

110 Stones
Stones shall be concreted earthy or mineral matter, and other substances of similar hardness that do not disintegrate readily in water.

111 Contrasting classes
Contrasting classes shall be beans of other classes that are of a different color, size, or shape from the beans of the class designated.

112 Classes that blend
Classes that blend shall be sound beans of other classes that are similar in color, size, and shape to the beans of the class designated, and shall include white beans in the class Yelloweye which are similar in size and shape to the Yelloweye beans.

113 Broken beans
Broken beans shall be sound beans with some but less than one-fourth of each bean broken off or with one-fourth or more of the seedcoat removed.

114 Blistered beans
Blistered beans shall be sound beans with badly blistered or burst seedcoats.

115 Wrinkled beans
Wrinkled beans shall be sound beans that have deeply wrinkled seedcoats and/or are badly warped or misshapen.

116 Weevily beans
Weevily beans shall be beans that are infested with live weevils or other insects injurious to stored beans or that contain weevil-bored beans.

117 Clean-cut weevil-bored beans
Clean-cut weevil-bored beans shall be beans from which weevils have emerged, leaving a clean-cut open cavity free from larvae, webbing, refuse, mold, or stain.

118 Well screened
Well screened, as applied to the general appearance of beans, shall mean that the beans are uniform in size and are practically free from such small, shriveled, underdeveloped beans, splits, broken beans, large beans, and foreign material that can be removed readily by the ordinary process of milling or screening through the proper use of sieves.

120 30/64 sieve
A 30/64 sieve shall be a metal sieve 0.0319-inch thick perforated with round holes 0.4687 (30/64) inch in diameter which are 11/16 inch from center to center. The perforations of each row shall be staggered in relation to the adjacent rows.

121 28/64 sieve.
A 28/64 sieve shall be a metal sieve 0.0319-inch thick perforated with round holes 0.4375 (28/64) inch in diameter which are 19/32 inch from center to center. The perforations of each row shall be staggered in relation to the adjacent rows. [34 FR 7863, May 17, 1969, as amended at 54 FR 51344, Dec. 14, 1989]

122 24/64 sieve
A 24/64 sieve shall be a metal sieve 0.0319-inch thick perforated with round holes 0.3750 (24/64) inch in diameter which are 17/32 inch from center to center. The perforations of each row shall be staggered in relation to the adjacent rows.

Principles Governing Application of Standards

129 Basis of determination
The determination of "color" including "off-color" shall be upon the basis of the beans after the removal of defects. All other determinations shall be upon the basis of the beans as a whole. [62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

130 Percentages
All percentages shall be determined upon the basis of weight, and shall be stated in terms of whole, tenths, and hundredths of a percent as required for individual factors. [62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

131 Moisture
Moisture shall be determined by the use of equipment and procedures prescribed by the Federal Grain Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, or determined by any method that gives equivalent results. (Information thereon may be obtained from said Service.)
[34 FR 7863, May 17, 1969, as amended at 47 FR 34516, Aug. 10, 1982][62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

Grades, Grade Requirements, Grade Designations, Special Grades And Special Grade Requirements

132 Grades, grade requirements, special grades and special grade requirements for the class Cranberry Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (Total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes splits)	Total Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	4.0 6.0 8.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

U.S. Substandard shall be beans which do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans which are not well screened shall also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans which meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade shall be beans which are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; which have any commercially objectionable odor; which contain insect webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or which are otherwise of distinctly low quality.
[62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

133 Grades, grade requirements, special grades and special grade requirements for the class Pea Beans.

		Percent Maximum Limits Of--
					Foreign Material
Special Grade and Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes, splits)	Badly Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. Choice Handpicked U.S. Prime Handpicked U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	Shall not grade off-color ____________ The special grade Off- color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	1.5 3.0 2.0 3.0	0.3 0.3 2.0 3.0	0.01 0.01 0.4 0.8	0.01 0.01 0.2 0.4	0.01 0.01 0.5 1.0	2.0 2.0 4.0 4.0

U.S. Substandard shall be beans which do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. Choice Handpicked through U.S. No. 2 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans which are not well screened shall also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans which meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade shall be beans which are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; which have any commercially objectionable odor; which contain insect webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or which are otherwise of distinctly low quality.

[1] Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded High moisture.
[2] Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded Mixed beans.
[3] Beans with more than 15.0 percent classes that blend are graded Mixed beans.
[47 FR 19310, May 5, 1982; 47 FR 20545, May 13, 1982]

134 Grades and grade requirements for the class Blackeye Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits Of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (DKT, FM, CCL, and SP)	Total Damage	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	4.0 6.0 8.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

[1] Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded High moisture.
[2] Beans with more than 2.0 percent constrasting classes are graded Mixed beans.
[3] Beans with more than 15.0 percent classes that blend are graded Mixed beans.
[47 FR 19310, May 5, 1982; 47 FR 20546, May 13, 1982; 60 FR 36030, July 13, 1995]

135 Grades and grade requirements for the classes Yelloweye Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes, splits)	Total Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]	In addition to classes that blend, white beans similar in size and shape in the class Yelloweye Beans
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	4.0 6.0 8.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0	5.0 5.0 --

[1] Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded High moisture.
[2] Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded Mixed beans.
[3] Beans with more than 15.0 percent classes that blend are graded Mixed beans.
[47 FR 19311, May 5, 1982; 47 FR 20547, May 13, 1982] [62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

136 Grades and grade requirements for the class Pinto Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes, splits)	Total Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	3.0 5.0 7.0	3.0 5.0 7.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

137 Grades and grade requirements for the classes Marrow, Great Northern, Small White, Flat Small White, White Kidney, Light Red Kidney, Dark Red Kidney, Small Red, Pink, Black, and Miscellaneous Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes, splits)	Total Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

[1] Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded High moisture.
[2] Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded Mixed beans.
[3] Beans with more than 15.0 percent classes that blend are graded Mixed beans.
[47 FR 19312, May 5, 1982; 47 FR 20549, May 13, 1982] [62 FR 52967, Oct. 10, 1997]

138 Grades and grade requirements for the class Mung Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
						Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes, splits)	Total Damaged	Clean Cut Weevil Bored [2]	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [3]	Classes that Blend [4]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	0.1 0.2 0.5	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.4 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

U.S. Substandard shall be beans which do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans which are not well screened shall also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans which meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade shall be beans which are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; which have any commercially objectionable odor; which contain insect webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or which are otherwise of distinctly low quality.

[1] Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded High moisture.
[2] Beans with more than 0.5 clean cut weevil bored beans are graded U.S. Sample grade.
[3] Beans with more than 2.0 percent constrasting classes are graded Mixed beans.
[4] Beans with more than 15.0 percent classes that blend are graded Mixed beans.
[47 FR 19312, May 5, 1982; 47 FR 20550, May 13, 1982]

139 Grades and grade requirements for the class Large Lima Beans

Percent Maximum Limits of--

Damaged
Beans

Foreign Material

Beans
through
a Sieve

Grade

General
Appearance

Moisture
[1]

Total Blistered,
Wrinkled and
Defects
(blistered,
wrinkled,
total damaged,
total foreign
material,
contrasting
classes, splits)

Total

Badly
Damaged

Total
(includes
stones)

Stones

Contrasting
Classes
[2]

Splits

Broken

Classes
that
Blend
[3]

28/64"

24/64"

U.S. No. 1
U.S. No. 2
U.S. Sub-standard
U.S. Sample grade

The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of total defects

18.0
18.0
18.0
18.0

6.0
9.0
-
-

2.0
3.0
-
-

0.5
1.0
-
-

0.2
0.3
-
-

0.5
1.0
-
-

3.0
5.0
-
-

5.0
5.0
-
-

25
40
-
-

5
5
-
-

U.S. Substandard shall be beans which do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 or U.S. No. 2 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans which are not well screened shall also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans which meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade shall be beans which are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; which have any commercially objectionable odor; which contain insect webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or which are otherwise of distinctly low quality.

140 Grades and grade requirements for the classes Baby Lima and Miscellaneous Lima Beans

		Percent Maximum Limits of--
					Foreign Material
Grade	General Appearance	Moisture [1]	Total Defects (total damaged, total foreign material, contrasting classes)	Badly Damaged	Total (includes stones)	Stones	Contrasting Classes [2]	Blistered, Wrinkled, and/or Broken	Splits	Classes that Blend [3]
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. Substandard U.S. Sample Grade	The special grade Off-Color may be applied after the removal of Total Defects	18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	1.0 1.5 2.0	0.5 1.0 1.5	0.2 0.3 0.6	0.5 1.0 2.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	2.0 4.0 6.0	5.0 10.0 15.0

141 Grade designations
The grade designation for all classes of beans shall include in the following order: (a) The letters "U.S."; (b) the name or number of the grade or the name of any applicable special grade designation as appears in 142 (a) and (b); (c) the class, and in the case of Mixed beans, the name and percentage of each class in the mixture; and (d) the special grade designations, if applicable, as appears in 142 (c) and (d). In addition, the designation for the grade "U.S. Substandard" shall include the percentage of sound beans. Mixed beans shall be graded according to the grade requirements of the class of beans which predominates in the mixture. The factors of contrasting classes, classes that blend and sieve size requirements in the class Large Lima beans shall be disregarded in Mixed beans. [47 FR 19313, May 5, 1982]

142 Special grade designations
(a) Choice handpicked. The special grade designation "Choice handpicked" shall be applicable only to the class Pea beans. The "Choice handpicked" designation shall include in the following order: (1) The letters "U.S."; (2) the words "Choice handpicked"; and (3) "Pea beans".

(b) Prime handpicked. The special grade designation "Prime handpicked" is applicable only to the class Pea beans. The "Prime handpicked" designation shall include in the following order: (1) The letters "U.S."; (2) the words "Prime handpicked"; and (3) "Pea beans".

(c) High moisture. The special grade designation "High moisture" is applicable to all classes of beans containing over 18.0 percent moisture. The words "high moisture" and the percentage of moisture shall follow the class name.

(d) Off-color. The special grade designation "Off-color" shall be applicable to all classes of beans that upon the removal of total defects, are distinctly off-color due to age or any other natural cause but are not materially weathered. The words "off-color" shall follow the name of the class. The special grades "Choice Handpicked", "Prime Handpicked", and the grade "U.S. No. 1", in the class Pea beans shall not be applied if the beans are determined to be off-color. [47 FR 19313, May 5, 1982]