(1) Faded brown stripes may not be considered as color.

(2) The color requirements for any variety may not be less than those required under the United States standards for the varieties and the respective variety grades of apples under 7 C.F.R. Sec. 51.305 (effective December 19, 2002), which color standards are incorporated by reference.

(3) Solid red varieties: The color percentage requirement stated below refers to the area of the surface which must be covered with a good shade of solid red characteristic of the variety. However, an apple having color of a lighter shade of solid red or striped red than that considered as a good shade of red characteristic of the variety may be admitted to a grade provided it has sufficient additional area covered so that the apple has as good an appearance as one with the minimum percentage of good red characteristic of the variety required for the grade, subject to the limitations set forth below.

Color shade percentages for solid red varieties.  

(4) Striped red varieties:

The percentage stated refers to the area of the surface in which stripes of a good shade of red characteristic of the variety predominate over stripes of lighter red, green or yellow. However, an apple having color of a lighter shade than that considered as a good shade of red characteristic of the variety may be admitted to a grade provided it has sufficient additional area covered so that the apple has as good an appearance as one with the minimum percentage of good red characteristic of the variety required for the grade, subject to the limitations set forth below.

Color requirements for striped or partial red varieties.

(5) Red cheeked or blushed varieties.

(a) Blush cheek means at least ten percent of the surface has blush color characteristic of the variety.

(b) Tinge of color means the apples has any amount of the surface area of blush type color which predominates over the background color of the apple.

(c) Color requirements for red cheeked or blushed varieties: