Title 21

SECTION 145.135

145.135 Canned fruit cocktail.

§ 145.135 Canned fruit cocktail.

(a) Identity - (1) Ingredients. Canned fruit cocktail, canned cocktail fruits, canned fruits for cocktail, is the food prepared from the mixture of fresh, frozen, or previously canned fruit ingredients of mature fruits in the forms and proportions as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, and one of the optional packing media specified in paragraph (a)(3) of this section. Such food may also contain one, or any combination of two or more, of the following safe and suitable optional ingredients:

(i) Natural and artificial flavors.

(ii) Spice.

(iii) Vinegar, lemon juice, or organic acids.

(iv) Ascorbic acid in an amount no greater than necessary to preserve color. Such food is sealed in a container and before or after sealing is so processed by heat as to prevent spoilage.

(2) Varietal types and styles. The fruit ingredients referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the forms of each, and the percent by weight of each in the mixture of drained fruit from the finished canned fruit cocktail are as follows:

(i) Peaches. Any firm yellow variety of the species Prunus persica L., excluding nectarine varieties, which are pitted, peeled, and diced, not less than 30 percent and not more than 50 percent.

(ii) Pears. Any variety, of the species Pyrus communis L. or Pyrus sinensis L., which are peeled, cored, and diced, not less than 25 percent and not more than 45 percent.

(iii) Pineapples. Any variety, of the species Ananas comosus L., which are peeled, cored, and cut into sectors or into dice, not less than 6 percent and not more than 16 percent.

(iv) Grapes. Any seedless variety, of the species Vitis vinifera L., or Vitis labrusca L., not less than 6 percent and not more than 20 percent.

(v) Cherries. Approximate halves or whole pitted cherries of the species Prunus cerasus L., not less than 2 percent and not more than 6 percent, of the following types:

(a) Cherries of any light, sweet variety;

(b) Cherries artificially colored red; or

(c) Cherries artificially colored red and flavored, natural or artificial.

Provided, That each 127.5 grams (4 1/2 ounces avoirdupois) of the finished canned fruit cocktail and each fraction thereof greater than 56.7 grams (2 ounces avoirdupois) contain not less than 2 sectors or 3 dice of pineapple and not less than 1 approximate half of the optional cherry ingredient.

(3) Packing media. (i) The optional packing media referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, as defined in § 145.3 are:

(a) Water.

(b) Fruit juice(s) and water.

(c) Fruit juice(s).

Such packing media may be used as such or any one or any combination of two or more safe and suitable nutritive carbohydrate sweetener(s) may be added. Sweeteners defined in § 145.3 shall be as defined therein, except that a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener for which a standard of identity has been established in part 168 of this chapter shall comply with such standard in lieu of any definition that may appear in § 145.3.

(ii) When a sweetener is added as a part of any such liquid packing medium, the density range of the resulting packing medium expressed as percent by weight of sucrose (degrees Brix) as determined by the procedure prescribed in § 145.3(m) shall be designated by the appropriate name for the respective density ranges, namely:

(a) When the density of the solution is 10 percent or more, but less than 14 percent, the medium shall be designated as “slightly sweetened water”; or “extra light sirup”; “slightly sweetened fruit juice(s) and water”; or “slightly sweetened fruit juice(s)”, as the case may be.

(b) When the density of the solution is 14 percent or more but less than 18 percent, the medium shall be designated as “light sirup”; “lightly sweetened fruit juice(s) and water”; or “lightly sweetened fruit juice(s)”, as the case may be.

(c) When the density of the solution is 18 percent or more but less than 22 percent, the medium shall be designated as “heavy sirup”; “heavily sweetened fruit juice(s) and water”; or “heavily sweetened fruit juice(s)”, as the case may be.

(d) When the density of the solution is 22 percent or more but not more than 35 percent, the medium shall be designated as “extra heavy sirup”; “extra heavily sweetened fruit juice(s) and water”; or “extra heavily sweetened fruit juice(s)”, as the case may be.

(4) Labeling requirements. (i) The name of the food is “fruit cocktail”, “cocktail fruits”, or “fruits for cocktail”. The name of the food shall also include a declaration of any flavoring that characterizes the product as specified in § 101.22 of this chapter and a declaration of any spice or seasoning that characterizes the product; for example, “Spice added”, or in lieu of the word “Spice”, the common name of the spice, “Seasoned with vinegar” or “Seasoned with lemon juice”. When two or more of the optional ingredients specified in paragraphs (a)(1) (ii) and (iii) of this section are used, such words may be combined as for example, “Seasoned with cider vinegar, cloves, cinnamon oil and lemon juice”.

(ii) The name of the packing medium as used in paragraphs (a)(3) (i) and (ii) of this section, preceded by “In” or “Packed in” shall be included as part of the name or in close proximity to the name of the food. When the packing medium is prepared with a sweetener(s) which imparts a taste, flavor or other characteristic to the finished food in addition to sweetness, the name of the packing medium shall be accompanied by the name of such sweetener(s), as for example, in the case of a mixture of brown sugar and honey, an appropriate statement would be “___ sirup of brown sugar and honey” the blank to be filled in with the word “light”, “heavy”, or “extra heavy” as the case may be. When the liquid portion of the packing media provided for in paragraphs (a)(3) (i) and (ii) of this section consists of fruit juice(s), such juice(s) shall be designated in the packing medium as:

(a) In the case of a single fruit juice, the name of the juice shall be used in lieu of the word “fruit”;

(b) In the case of a combination of two or more fruit juices, the names of the juices in the order of predominance by weight shall either be used in lieu of the word “fruit” in the name of the packing medium, or be declared on the label as specified in paragraph (a)(4)(iii) of this section; and

(c) In the case of a single fruit juice or a combination of two or more fruit juices any of which are made from concentrate(s), the words “from concentrate(s)” shall follow the word “juice(s)” in the name of the packing medium and in the name(s) of such juice(s) when declared as specified in paragraph (a)(4)(iii) of this section.

(iii) Whenever the names of the fruit juices used do not appear in the name of the packing medium as provided in paragraph (a)(4)(ii)(b) of this section, such names and the words “from concentrate”, as specified in paragraph (a)(4)(ii)(c) of this section, shall appear in an ingredient statement pursuant to the requirements of § 101.3(d) of this chapter.

(iv) Label declaration. Each of the ingredients used in the food shall be declared on the label as required by the applicable sections of parts 101 and 130 of this chapter.

(b) Quality. (1) The standard of quality for canned fruit cocktail is as follows:

(i) Not more than 20 percent by weight of the units in the container of peach or pear, or of pineapple if the units thereof are diced, are more than 3/4 inch in greatest edge dimension, or pass through the meshes of a sieve designated as 5/16 inch that complies with the specifications for such cloth set forth in the “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” 13th Ed. (1980), Table 1, “Nominal Dimensions of Standard Test Sieves (U.S.A. Standard Series),” under the heading “Definitions of Terms and Explanatory Notes,” which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. If the units of pineapple are in the form of sectors, not more than 20 percent of such sectors in the container fail to conform to the following dimensions: The length of the outside arc is not more than 3/4 inch but is more than 3/8 inch; the thickness is not more than 1/2 inch but is more than 5/16 inch; the length (measured along the radius from the inside arc to the outside arc) is not more than 1 1/4 inches but is more than 3/4 inch.

(ii) Not more than 10 percent of the grapes in a container containing 10 grapes or more, and not more than 1 grape in a container containing less than 10 grapes, are cracked to the extent of being severed into two parts or are crushed to the extent that their normal shape is destroyed.

(iii) Not more than 10 percent of the grapes in a container containing 10 grapes or more, and not more than a grape in a container containing less than 10 grapes, have the cap stem attached.

(iv) There is present in the finished canned fruit cocktail not more than 1 square inch of pear peel per each 1 pound of drained weight of units of pear plus the weight of a proportion of the packing medium which is the same proportion as the drained weight of the units of pear bears to the drained weight of the entire contents of the can. Such drained weights shall be determined by the method prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

(v) There is present in the finished canned fruit cocktail not more than 1 square inch of peach peel per each 1 pound of drained weight of units of peach plus the weight of a proportion of the packing medium which is the same proportion as the drained weight of units of peach bears to the drained weight of the entire contents of the can. Such drained weights shall be determined by the method prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

(vi) Not more than 15 percent of the units of cherry ingredient, and not more than 20 percent of the units of peach, pear, or grape, in the container are blemished with scab, hail injury, scar tissue or other abnormality.

(vii) If the cherry ingredient is artificially colored, the color of not more than 15 percent of the units thereof in a container containing more than six units and of not more than one unit in a container containing six units or less, is other than evenly distributed in the unit or other than uniform with the color of the other units of the cherry ingredient.

(2) If the quality of canned fruit cocktail falls below the standard prescribed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the label shall bear the general statement of substandard quality specified in § 130.14(a) of this chapter, in the manner and form therein specified.

(c) Fill of container. (1) The standard of fill of container for canned fruit cocktail is a fill such that the total weight of drained fruit is not less than 65 percent of the water capacity of the container, as determined by the general method for water capacity of containers prescribed in § 130.12(a) of this chapter. Such total weight of drained fruit is determined by the following method: Tilt the opened container so as to distribute the contents evenly over the meshes of a circular sieve which has been previously weighed. The diameter of the sieve is 8 inches if the quantity of contents of the container is less than 3 pounds, and 12 inches if such quantity is 3 pounds or more. The bottom of the sieve is woven-wire cloth that complies with the specifications for such cloth set forth under “2.38 mm (No. 8)” in Table 1, “Nominal Dimensions of Standard Test Sieves (U.S.A. Standard Series),” prescribed in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, which is incorporated by reference. The availability of this incorporation by reference is given in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. Without shifting the material on the sieve so incline the sieve as to facilitate drainage. Two minutes from the time drainage begins, weigh the sieve and drained fruit. The weight so found, less the weight of the sieve, shall be considered to be the total weight of drained fruit.

(2) If canned fruit cocktail falls below the standard of fill of container prescribed in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the label shall bear the general statement of substandard fill specified in § 130.14(b) of this chapter, in the manner and form therein prescribed.

[42 FR 14414, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 11829, Mar. 19, 1982; 49 FR 10100, Mar. 19, 1984; 54 FR 24895, June 12, 1989; 58 FR 2880, Jan. 6, 1993; 63 FR 14035, Mar. 24, 1998]