U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
Regulations most recently checked for updates: Aug 27, 2025
Grades, Grade Requirements, and Grade Designations
| Grade | Maximum limits of—
paddy kernels and seeds | Color requirements 1 | Minimum milling
requirements 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (singly or combined)
(percent) | Objectionable seeds (percent) | |||
| U.S. No. 1 3 4 | 0.5 | 0.05 | White or Creamy | Well milled. |
| U.S. No. 2 3 4 | 1.0 | 0.1 | Slightly gray | Well milled. |
| U.S. No. 3 3 4 | 1.5 | 0.2 | Light gray or slightly rosy | Reasonably well milled. |
| U.S. No. 4 3 4 | 3.0 | 0.4 | Gray or rosy | Reasonably well milled. |
| U.S. No. 5 | 5.0 | 1.5 | Dark gray or very rosy | Reasonably well milled. |
| U.S. Sample grade: | ||||
| U.S. Sample grade shall be milled rice of this class which: (a) Does not meet the requirements for any of the grades from U.S. No. 1 to U.S. No. 5, inclusive; (b) contains more than 15.0 percent of moisture; (c) is musty or sour, or heating; (d) has any commercially objectionable foreign odor; (e) has a badly damaged or extremely red appearance; (f) contains more than 0.1 percent of foreign material; (g) contains more than 15.0 percent of broken kernels that will pass through a 2
| ||||
1 For the special grade Parboiled milled rice, see § 868.315(c).
2 For the special grade Undermilled milled rice, see § 868.315(d).
3 Grades U.S. No. 1 to U.S. No. 4, inclusive, shall contain not more than 3.0 percent of heat-damaged kernels, kernels damaged by heat and/or parboiled kernels in nonparboiled rice.
4 Grades U.S. No. 1 to U.S. No. 4, inclusive, shall contain not more than 1.0 percent of material passing through a 30 sieve. This limit does not apply to the special grade Granulated brewers milled rice.
