Nova Scotia Apples Apple Grades

Marketing Information

Apple Grades

Making Good Grades

Apples retailed in Canada are subject to Federal and/or Provincial Grade

Standards. Apples that are exported from one province to another province

or country fall under the mandate of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and

are inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). In 1987 the

Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, with the support of the Nova Scotia

Department of Agriculture and Marketing, hired an inspector to perform random inspections at apple packinghouses. The purpose of the inspection program was to ensure that apples sold within Nova Scotia met the declared grades. This demonstrates the commitment that Nova Scotia apple growers and packers have to providing quality Nova Scotian apples. Nova Scotia apple packers have consistently met the grade, over and over again.

In an effort to ensure that the quality of Nova Scotian apples remains high, a number of changes have occurred at storage facilities and packinghouses in Nova Scotia. More apples than ever before are being stored in controlled atmosphere storage; more packers are using water flotation to remove apples from the bins on their packing lines; some packers have switched to plastic master cartons, which means that apples on the lower layers of a pallet do not bear the weight of the rest of the pallet; and bubble packing is used by most packers in the master cartons as further insurance against bruising. These steps ensure year-round availability of crisp, crunchy Nova Scotia apples.

Nova Scotia's apple growers and packers get an 'A' for effort. Make sure you get good grades by selling graded apples, packed by a reputable packer whose quality you are familiar and happy with. Don't go out on a limb and leave your customers hanging. Offer consistently good quality apples week after week and keep sales up.