[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 52266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25095]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 187 / Tuesday, September 28, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 52266]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[FV-99-328]
United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra
Agency
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
Action
Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on its proposal to change the United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra. Specifically, USDA is proposing to provide for the ``individual attributes'' procedure for product grading with sample sizes, acceptable quality levels (AQL's), tolerances and acceptance numbers (number of allowable defects); replace dual grade nomenclature with single letter grade designations; and make minor editorial changes. These changes have been requested by the industry in order to improve use of the standards.
Dates
Comments must be received on or before November 29, 1999.
Addresses
Written comments may be submitted to Harold A. Machias, Processed Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 0709, South Building, STOP 0247, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-4693; faxed to (202) 690-1087; or e-mailed to Harold.Machias@usda.gov. Comments should reference the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register and will be made available for public inspection in the Office of the Branch Chief during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and on the Internet. The current U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra, along with the proposed changes, are available either through the above address or by accessing the AMS website on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/ standards. The United States Standards for Grades do not appear in the Code of Federal Regulations.
For Further Information Contact
Harold A. Machias at (202) 720-5021 or www.Harold.Machias@usda.gov.
Supplementary Information
Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, 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. AMS is proposing to change the United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra using the procedures that appear in Part 36 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR Part 36). The grade standards were last revised in September 1996. AMS received a petition from the American Frozen Food Institute to change the U.S. grade standards for frozen okra to a new grading system. The current standards are based on cumulative scorepoints. It is proposed that the standards be modified to convert them to a statistically-based individual attribute grading system, similar to the U.S. grade standards for canned green and wax beans (58 FR 4295; January 14, 1993). This change would bring the standards in line with current marketing practices and innovations in processing techniques. This change would replace dual grade nomenclature with single letter designations. ``U.S. Grade A'' (or ``U.S. Fancy'') and ``U.S. Grade B (or ``U.S. Extra Standard'') would become ``U.S. Grade A,'' and ``U.S. Grade B,'' respectively. This revision also includes minor editorial changes. These changes provide a uniform format consistent with recent revisions of other U.S. grade standards. This format has been designed to provide industry personnel and agricultural commodity graders with simpler and more comprehensive standards. Definitions of terms and easy-to-read tables have been incorporated to assure a better understanding and uniform application of the standards. AMS is publishing this notice with a 60-day comment period which will provide a sufficient amount of time for interested persons to comment on the changes.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Dated: September 21, 1999. Robert C. Keeney, Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable Programs. [FR Doc. 99-25095 Filed 9-27-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-02-P