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Article: Helping raisins make the grade: rapid analysis of acidity and water and sugar content would augment visual grading.
- Article from:
- Agricultural Research
- Article date:
- June 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Oatmeal cookies, bread pudding, cinnamon rolls - plump, juicy raisins add a sweet touch to these and other favorite desserts.
To ensure consumers always get the best fruit, Agricultural Research Service scientists are developing new tools to evaluate raisin quality.
Most U.S. raisin grapes are grown and dried near Fresno, California. Between 300,000 and 400,000 tons of raisins are produced annually, with a farm value around $400 million.
Inspectors with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) grade each 1,000-pound bin of raisins as it enters the processing plant.
Raisins are graded A, B, C, or substandard based on visual characteristics like ...