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Video Transcript

When a harvest leaves the field, not all the crops are equally ready for market; agricultural graders and sorters evaluate unprocessed foods to classify or rate them by size, weight, color, or condition. Graders and sorters categorize products that are of differing quality and color, such as different types of apples, and pick out any defective products, typically, rotten fruit, foreign matter, leaves, or pieces of wood. They also load products in containers before sending them on for further processing, whether to ship to market or to be manufactured for prepared foodstuffs. Graders and sorters typically spend almost all their time standing and moving about, using their hands, bending, and lifting objects. The work can be fast-paced and repetitive. There are no formal education requirements for graders and sorters, and on-the-job training can be completed quickly.