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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 166 (Monday, August 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51750-51751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21054]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-FV-11-0050, FV-12-328]

United States Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) has revised the United States Standards for Grades 
of Grapefruit Juice. The grade standards for grapefruit juice have been 
changed to remove the parameters for maximum ``free and suspended 
pulp'' to account for advances in industry processing technology.

DATES: Effective Date: September 26, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian E. Griffin, Inspection and 
Standardization Branch, Processed Products Division, Fruit and 
Vegetable Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 0709, South Building; 
STOP 0247, Washington, DC 20250; fax: (202) 690-1527; or Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov. The U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit 
Juice are available through the address cited above and on the AMS Web 
site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/processedinspection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing 
Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1624-1627), 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. Those voluntary 
U.S. Standards for Grades of Fruits and Vegetables no longer appear in 
the Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR part 52, but are maintained by 
USDA, AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Programs. AMS is revising the U.S. 
Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice using the procedures that 
appear in part 36 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR 
part 36).

Background

    AMS received a petition from the Florida Citrus Processors 
Association, an association of citrus producers, requesting revisions 
to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice. The petitioner 
requested the removal of the maximum limit for ``free and suspended 
pulp'' (referred to in the industry as ``sinking pulp'') from the U.S. 
grade standards for all forms of grapefruit juice.
    The grade standards, effective since September 12, 1983, provided 
that grapefruit juice from concentrate, grapefruit juice, and frozen 
concentrated grapefruit juice establish limits for maximum free and 
suspended pulp as follows: ``Grade A''--10 percent by volume, and 
``Grade B''--15 percent by volume. Concentrated grapefruit juice for 
manufacturing requirements for maximum free and suspended pulp are as 
follows: ``Grade A''--10 percent by volume, and ``Grade B''--12 percent 
by volume.
    The petitioner believes that, with respect to maximum values for 
``free and suspended pulp'', the existing U.S. Standards for Grades of 
Grapefruit Juice do not take into account modern extraction and 
finishing technologies, nor are they supported by evidence of a 
correlation between these criteria and acceptable flavor. The 
petitioner also believes that removing the ``free and suspended pulp'' 
values from the grade standards would allow processors to process the 
entire grapefruit crop without resorting to expensive technologies that 
increase the cost of juice with no concomitant benefit. More mature 
grapefruit tends to be sweeter, but when juiced, tends to cause the 
product to exceed maximum free and suspended pulp values.
    Processing technologies used in the early 1940s were considerably 
different than the technologies in place today. In the developmental 
stages of the citrus industry, the amount of sinking pulp was an 
indication of excessive pressures used in extraction and finishing of 
citrus juice, resulting in bitter flavor. It was noted that sinking 
pulp levels could be correlated to bitter flavor. The bitter flavors 
are due to the naturally occurring naringin and limonin components 
found in grapefruit juice. Although bitterness is an inherent 
contributor to what we know as ``grapefruit flavor,'' an excessive 
amount of bitterness can be objectionable to some consumers.
    Current industry practices have shown us that sinking pulp levels 
can be greatly influenced by modern processing techniques, which 
eliminate the correlation between sinking pulp and excessive 
bitterness.
    The petitioner submitted research data covering a six season period 
which illustrates levels of sinking pulp vs. naringin, and levels of 
sinking pulp vs. limonin using variations in extractor settings. The 
petitioner also submitted data on a sensory evaluation performed by the 
University of Florida on consumer acceptability of grapefruit juice 
with two free and suspended pulp levels. The petitioner's research data 
supports the premise that modern extraction and finishing technologies 
produce a product where there is no correlation between grapefruit 
juice flavor components associated with bitter and off flavor i.e., 
naringin and limonin, and free and suspended pulp levels.
    Prior to undertaking research and other work associated with 
revising the

[[Page 51751]]

grade standards, AMS sought public comments on the petition (see 76 FR 
51343).
    Two comments were received regarding this petition. One comment was 
from a trade association with international membership; and one comment 
was from a trade association in the U.S. representing over 8,000 citrus 
growers. Both comments were in support of the petition to remove the 
maximum limit for ``free and suspended pulp'' from the U.S. Standards 
for Grades of Grapefruit Juice.
    AMS sought public comments a second time on the petition (see 77 FR 
6773). One comment was received regarding this petition from a trade 
association with international membership in support of the petition to 
remove the maximum limit for ``free and suspended pulp'' from the U.S. 
Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice.
    This revision of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice 
better reflects the current industry processing technology for 
grapefruit juice.

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

    Dated: August 21, 2012.
David R. Shipman,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-21054 Filed 8-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
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