Commodity Specification for Dried Fruits October 2026

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service issued an updated Commodity Specification for Dried Fruit effective October 2026, with a comment deadline of December 31, 2026. The specification consolidates all dried fruit products into a single document and revises inspection language, grading standards, MIFB-D language, and nutritive sweetener information while removing raisin type distinctions.

Covered commodities include dried apples, apricot pieces, blueberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, cranberries, whole pitted dates, date pieces, whole figs, fig pieces, dried fruit mixes, whole pitted plums (prunes), prune pieces, and processed raisins. All products must be U.S. domestic origin, verified through Domestic Origin Verification audit or Domestic Origin Trace Back documentation, and meet U.S. Grade B or better unless otherwise specified. Non-nutritive sweeteners are prohibited across all dried fruit products.

Products require fumigation within 30 days of packing for raisins, plums, figs, dates, and sweet cherries under USDA Inspector observation. Packaging mandates new primary containers with heat sealing for bags and specific labeling for packages 4 pounds or less; secondary containers must be new corrugated fiberboard cases marked for cool, dry storage. Products must be palletized on 48-by-40-inch non-reversible pallets and unitized with stretch wrap or lock-and-pop. USDA Specialty Crops Inspection Division must perform inspection and certify products within 12 months of shipment, with laboratory testing requiring a 14-calendar-day turnaround.