80 FR 53021 - U.S. Standards for Grades of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Fruits and Vegetables for Processing, Nuts, and Specialty Crops

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 170 (September 2, 2015)

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes revising 46 U.S. Standards for Grades of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables for processing, nuts, and specialty crops by removing the ``Unclassified'' category from each standard. This would bring these grade standards in line with other recently amended standards and current terminology. This revision would update the standards to more accurately represent today's marketing practices and provide the industry with greater flexibility.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 53021]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21836]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 51

[Doc. Number AMS-FV-14-0090, FV-15-327]


U.S. Standards for Grades of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Fruits 
and Vegetables for Processing, Nuts, and Specialty Crops

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes revising 46 U.S. Standards 
for Grades of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables for 
processing, nuts, and specialty crops by removing the ``Unclassified'' 
category from each standard. This would bring these grade standards in 
line with other recently amended standards and current terminology. 
This revision would update the standards to more accurately represent 
today's marketing practices and provide the industry with greater 
flexibility.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 2, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
the Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, Fruit 
and Vegetable Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, National Training and Development Center, Riverside 
Business Park, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 
22406; Fax: (540) 361-1199, or on the web at: www.regulations.gov. The 
current U.S. Grade Standards for the 46 affected commodities are 
available on the AMS Web site at www.ams.usda.gov/scistandardization. 
Comments should reference the dates and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. Comments will be made available for public 
inspection in the above office during regular business hours and can 
also be viewed, as submitted, with any personal information provided, 
on the www.regulations.gov Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Olivia Vernon, Standardization Branch, 
Specialty Crops Inspection Division, at the address above or by 
telephone at (540) 361-2743; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email 
[email protected]. The current U.S. Standards for Grades are 
available on the AMS Web site at www.ams.usda.gov/scistandardization.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing 
Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627), as amended, directs and authorizes 
the Secretary of Agriculture ``to develop and improve standards of 
quality, condition, quantity, grade and packaging, and recommend and 
demonstrate such standards in order to encourage uniformity and 
consistency in commercial practices.'' AMS is committed to carrying out 
this authority in a manner that facilitates the marketing of 
agricultural commodities and makes copies of official grade standards 
available upon request. The U.S. Standards for Grades of Fruits and 
Vegetables not connected with Federal Marketing Orders or U.S. import 
requirements no longer appear in the Code of Federal Regulations, but 
are maintained by USDA, AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Program, and are 
available on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/scihome.
    AMS is revising these voluntary U.S. standards for grades using the 
procedures in Part 36, Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 
CFR part 36).

Background

    AMS proposes to eliminate the ``Unclassified'' section in 46 U.S. 
grade standards that were issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act 
of 1946.
    The fresh fruit and vegetable grade standards covered by these 
proposed changes are: Sweet anise, lima beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, 
cabbage, celery, cucumbers, endive, garlic, collard greens or broccoli 
greens, mustard greens and turnip greens, honey dew and honey ball type 
melons, horseradish roots, greenhouse leaf lettuce, mushrooms, common 
green onions, onion sets, parsnips, fresh peas, southern peas, rhubarb, 
romaine, bunched shallots, spinach plants, summer squash, turnips or 
rutabagas, dewberries and blackberries, American grapes, juice grapes, 
Persian limes, summer and fall pears, winter pears, and raspberries.
    The fresh fruit and vegetable for processing grade standards 
covered by these proposed changes are spinach, berries, blueberries, 
red sour cherries for manufacture, sweet cherries for canning or 
freezing, cranberries for processing, currants, raspberries, growers' 
stock strawberries for manufacture, and washed and sorted strawberries 
for freezing.
    The nut and specialty crops grade standards covered by these 
proposed changes are: Brazil nuts in the shell, cut peonies in the bud, 
and tomato plants.
    AMS continually reviews all fruit, vegetable, nut and specialty 
crop grade standards to ensure their usefulness to the industry. AMS 
has identified that the ``Unclassified'' section needs to be eliminated 
from the 46 aforementioned U.S. Standards for Grade. The 
``Unclassified'' category is not a grade and only serves to show that 
no grade has been applied to the lot. It is no longer considered 
necessary.
    This notice provides for a 60-day comment period for interested 
parties to comment on the proposed revisions in the standards.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

    Dated: August 28, 2015.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-21836 Filed 9-1-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P