Quality Assurance Program (QAP) | Agricultural Marketing Service

This document is designed to give guidance to personnel of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division in the implementation of the Quality Assurance Program.

Compliance with the AMS guidelines does not excuse failure to comply with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or any other applicable Federal or State laws or regulations. The SCI Division is responsible for grading/inspection, audit, and standardization programs for fresh and/or processed fruits and vegetables and related products. The Agricultural Marketing Acts of 1936 and 1946, as amended, provide legal authority for the Division’s grading, auditing, and standardization activities.

Applicants may obtain inspections of any fresh and/or processed fruit and vegetable and related products for which they have a financial interest. The inspection service is voluntary and offered on a fee-for-service basis.