A-A-20193 Onions, Dry, Ready-To-UseThis Commercial Item Description (CID) covers ready-to-use dry onions, packed in commercially acceptable containers, suitable for use by the Federal Government.

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A-A-20193A

Styles.

Style 1 – Whole (Whole onions shall be mature, single bulbs, well or fairly well-shaped, and free from splits)

Style 2 – Sliced (Onions shall be sliced perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The slices shall be 3/16 ± 1/16 inch [0.080 ± 0.026 cm] thick)

Style 3 – Diced (Diced onions shall be pieces 1/4 ± 1/8 inch [0.635 ± 0.318 cm] in each dimension.)

Style 4 – Chopped (Chopped onions shall be pieces 1/8 ± 1/16 inch [0.318 ± 0.159 cm] in each dimension)

3. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

3.1 Raw materials; The dry onions shall be U.S. No. 1 Grade of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions, Creole Onions, or Onions (Other Than Bermuda-Granex-Grano and Creole Types), as appropriate.

3.2 Preparation; Onions shall be prepared in accordance with good commercial practice.

3.3 Finished product:

3.3.1 Flavor and odor: Ready-to-use dry onions of any style shall possess characteristics flavor and odor. The onions shall be free from objectionable flavors and odors.

3.3.2 Color: Ready-to-use dry onions shall possess good exterior bright characteristics orange-yellow, red, or white color. Ready-to-use dry onions shall be free from green, white or orange-brown units which more than slightly affect the appearance of the product.

3.3.3 Texture: The ready-to-use dry onions shall be firm, but not tough, fibrous, or mushy. The prepared onions shall possess a practically uniform texture.

3.3.4 Temperatures: The ready-to-use dry onions shall be kept under refrigeration to maintain quality. Unless otherwise recommended, preparation, storage, and delivery temperature greater than 32^OF (0^OC) but not more than 40^OC) are recommended.

3.3.5 Defects: The prepared ready-to-use dry onions shall be free from defects which materially detract from their appearance or edibility. Presence of any decay, off-odor, off-color, or foreign material (e.g., metal, glass, wood, paint, or insect parts) shall be cause for rejection of the lot. The prepared ready-to-use dry onions shall be free from outer dry scales, tops, roots, disease, insect injury, seed stems which are tough or woody or more than 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) in diameter, stains or discoloration, sprouts, cracked fleshy scales (on whole onions), and shall not be soft, mushy, or sticky.