82 FR 24095 - United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 100 (May 25, 2017)

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower. The revision amends the color requirement to allow all colors of cauliflower to be certified to a U.S. grade. In addition, AMS is amending the size requirement to allow curds less than 4 inches in diameter to be certified to a grade, adding marking requirements for curd sizes less than 4 inches in diameter, and removing references to an unclassified category of cauliflower.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 100 (Thursday, May 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24095-24096]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10674]


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 100 / Thursday, May 25, 2017 / 
Notices

[[Page 24095]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. Number AMS-FV-10-0047, FV-16-330]


United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising the 
United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower. The revision amends 
the color requirement to allow all colors of cauliflower to be 
certified to a U.S. grade. In addition, AMS is amending the size 
requirement to allow curds less than 4 inches in diameter to be 
certified to a grade, adding marking requirements for curd sizes less 
than 4 inches in diameter, and removing references to an unclassified 
category of cauliflower.

DATES: Effective June 26, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, 
Specialty Crops 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Dave Horner at the address 
above, or at phone (540) 361-1128; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email 
[email protected]. The current U.S. Standards for Grades of 
Cauliflower are available on the Specialty Crops Inspection Division 
Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cauliflower-grades-and-standards.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) (7 U.S.C. 1622(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 
standards available upon request. The United States 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, Specialty Crops 
Program, and are available on the Internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards.
    AMS is revising the voluntary United States Standards for Grades of 
Cauliflower using the procedures that appear in Part 36, Title 7 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36). The cauliflower grade 
standards in Sec. Sec.  51.540 to 51.556 were last revised March 15, 
1968.

Background and Comments

    On February 9, 2012, AMS published a notice in the Federal Register 
(77 FR 6772) soliciting comments on proposed revisions to the United 
States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower. The industry expressed some 
confusion about the meaning of some of the proposed revisions and 
requested clarification. Following the comment period, AMS determined 
it would not proceed with the revisions as proposed.
    On May 9, 2016, AMS addressed the industry concerns and clarified 
the issues from the previous notice by publishing in the Federal 
Register (81 FR 28046) a second notice soliciting comments on proposed 
revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower. No 
comments were received on this second proposal.
    Based on the information gathered from the industry, AMS is 
revising the U.S. No. 1 cauliflower color standards by adding the 
phrase ``unless otherwise specified'' to the basic requirement for 
color in Sec.  51.540(a)(3). The phrase ``unless otherwise specified'' 
in regards to color will be interpreted as follows: When colors other 
than white, creamy white, or cream color are specified, cauliflower 
heads of those colors may be certified to a grade. Likewise, when 
designated as a mixed-color pack, one grade may be applied to all the 
cauliflower colors in the pack, not just to the curds that are white, 
creamy white, or cream color. For example, a grade may be applied to a 
pack containing a green, an orange, a purple, and a white cauliflower 
curd when specified as a mixed-color pack.
    AMS is also revising the U.S. No. 1 size provisions in Sec.  
51.540(a)(4) for cauliflower heads to read as follows: ``Size--not less 
than 4 inches in diameter, unless marked to a maximum diameter of less 
than 4 inches. Cauliflower curds marked less than four inches may not 
be comingled with cauliflower curds packed to be 4 inches and larger. 
For marking requirements see Sec.  51.556.''
    To explain the marking requirements, AMS is adding ``Sec.  51.556 
Marking Requirements,'' which reads as follows: ``When the product is 
packed to be less than 4 inches in maximum diameter, 90 percent or more 
of the master containers shall be plainly stamped, printed, labeled, or 
otherwise marked with the maximum diameter. The term `maximum' or its 
recognized abbreviation, when following a diameter size marking, means 
that the curds are of the size marked or smaller.'' The current Sec.  
51.556, Metric Conversion Table, is redesignated as Sec.  51.557.
    Furthermore, curds that are specified to be less than 4 inches in 
maximum diameter do not include cauliflower florets, since florets are 
pieces of curd and not considered small heads of cauliflower. 
Therefore, florets cannot be certified to a grade.
    Revisions to the cauliflower color and size requirements also apply 
to the U.S. Commercial grade. The U.S. Commercial grade consists of 
heads of cauliflower which meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade 
except for increased defect tolerances.
    In addition, AMS is removing the ``Unclassified'' cauliflower 
category from the standards. The unclassified section is being removed 
from all standards as they are otherwise revised. This 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.
    AMS believes that permitting all colors, mixed-color packs, and 
smaller sizes of cauliflower to be certified to a grade reflects 
current marketing practices and consumer demand, and

[[Page 24096]]

will facilitate the marketing of cauliflower by providing the industry 
with more flexibility.
    The official grade of a lot of cauliflower covered by these 
standards will be determined by the procedures set forth in the 
Regulations Governing Inspection, Certification, and Standards of Fresh 
Fruits, Vegetables and Other Products (7 CFR 51.1, 7 CFR 51.61).
    The United States Standards for Grades of Cauliflower will be 
effective 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

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

    Dated: May 19, 2017.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-10674 Filed 5-24-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P