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. 

# Notices Federal Register 

### 49279

Vol. 79, No. 161

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Agricultural Marketing Service**

**[Document No. AMS–FV–14–0025, FV–14– 327]** 

**United States Standard of Identity for Honey** 

**AGENCY :**  Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting
comments on how a Federal standard of identity for honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry, and U.S. agriculture.

**DATES :**  Comments must be received by September 19, 2014.

**ADDRESSES :**  Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments via
the Internet at http:// www.regulations.gov or to Brian E. Griffin, Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection 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; telephone (202) 720–5021; fax (202) 690–1527, email brian.griffin@ams.usda.gov. Comments
should make reference to the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register and will be made available for public inspection at the above office during regular business hours.

Please be advised that all comments submitted in response to this notice will
be included in the record and will be made available to the public on the

Internet via http://www.regulations.gov. Also, the identity of the individuals or entities submitting the comments will be made public.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Brian E. Griffin, Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, telephone (202) 720–5021or fax (202)

690–1527.

Background

Section 10012 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113–79), the 2014 Farm Bill, charged the Secretary with developing a report describing how a Federal standard of identity for honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry, and U.S. agriculture. Section 10012 specifically states, ‘‘In preparing the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the March 2006, Standard of Identity citizens petition filed with the Food and Drug Administration, including any current industry amendments or clarifications necessary to update that petition.’’

In 2006, members of the honey producing, packing, and importing industries petitioned the FDA to develop a standard of identity for honey. A copy of the petitioner’s request is available as a supporting document
for this notice at-http:// www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=FDA-2006-P-0207-

0008.

The FDA is the agency responsible for developing a standard of identity for commodities such as honey. The Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) directs
the FDA to establish definitions and standards for food (21 U.S.C. § 341). In an effort to promote honesty and fair dealing for the benefit of consumers, the FDA is authorized to establish, by regulation, a common or usual name, a
reasonable definition and standard of identity, a reasonable standard of quality, and reasonable standards of fill of the container for any food. The petitioners contended that ‘‘the proposed standard will promote honesty and fair dealing not only in the interest of consumers, but in the interest of the honey industry as well.’’ The petitioners also stated that ‘‘a compositional standard for honey will serve as a tool to help combat the economic adulteration of honey.’’ The petitioners requested that the Commissioner of Food and Drugs adopt certain provisions of the Codex Standard for Honey (CODEX STAN 12–1981, Rev.2 (2001)).

On October 5, 2011, FDA denied the petition concluding that no standard of identity for honey was necessary (http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=FDA-2006-P-0207-

0007). The FDA recently published draft guidance for industry on proper labeling of honey and honey products in the April 9, 2014 Federal Register Docket No. FDA–2006–P–0207. In this notice, the FDA addresses the 2006 petition by the American Beekeeping Federation and several other honey-related
associations. The FDA believes that the petitioners’ goals can be achieved by FDA’s existing authorities and that a standard of identity for honey would not promote honesty and fair dealing in
the interest of consumers. To address the labeling issues relevant to the petition, the FDA developed the draft guidance to advise the regulated food industry on the proper labeling of honey and honey products to help ensure that honey and honey products are not
adulterated or misbranded under
sections 402 and 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 342 and 343, respectively).

There are currently several standards for the inspection and grading of honey.
The U.S. Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey, effective date May 23, 1985, and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Comb Honey, effective date May 24, 1967, are voluntary U.S. grade standards issued under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (Act). The Act provides for the development of official U.S. grades to designate different levels of quality. These grade standards are available for use by producers, suppliers, buyers, and consumers. Like all standards for grades of fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops, these standards are designed to facilitate orderly marketing by providing a convenient basis for buying and selling, for establishing quality control programs, and for determining loan values. The standards also serve as a basis for the inspection and grading of commodities by the Federal inspection service. Copies of the current U.S. grade standards for extracted honey and comb honey are on
the USDA Web site at www.ams.usda .gov/scihome.

To provide an acceptable amount of guidance to help prevent the economic adulteration of honey at some level, many states have adopted, and/or are proposing to adopt, state-level standards of identity for honey. While some are


### 49280 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 161 / Wednesday, August 20, 2014 / Notices

following the 2006 honey industry petition and using an amended version of the Codex Standard for Honey, CODEX standard 12–1981, Rev. 2 (2001), variations in the state standards of identity for honey are inevitable. The
end result could lead to an assortment of standards that vary from state to state and impede interstate commerce.

AMS is seeking comments on the petitioner’s request for a standard of identity for honey and, specifically, the adoption of deviations as defined in the petitioner’s request, and draft proposal. This notice provides for a 30 day period for interested parties to comment on the petitioners’ request, and on how an appropriate Federal standard for the identity of honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry, and United States agriculture.

Authority: Section 10012 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113–79).

Dated: August 15, 2014.

Rex A. Barnes, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.

[FR Doc. 2014–19770 Filed 8–19–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–02–P**

**UNITED STATES ARCTIC RESEARCH**
**COMMISSION**

**102nd Commission Meeting**

Notice is hereby given that the U.S.
Arctic Research Commission will hold its 102nd meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, on September 15–16, 2014. The business sessions, open to the public, will convene at 1:30 p.m. on September 15 and 8:30 a.m. on September 16.

The Agenda items include: (1) Call to order and approval of the agenda (2) Approval of the minutes from the 101st meeting (3) Commissioners and staff reports (4) Discussion and presentations concerning Arctic research

activities The focus of the meeting will be Arctic research activities in Anchorage, as well as reports and updates on other programs and research projects affecting
the Arctic.

If you plan to attend this meeting, please notify us via the contact information below. Any person planning to attend who requires special accessibility features and/or auxiliary aids, such as sign language interpreters,
must inform the Commission of those needs in advance of the meeting.

Contact person for further information: John Farrell, Executive Director, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, 703–525–0111 or TDD

703–306–0090.

Dated: August 13, 2014.
John Farrell,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 2014–19643 Filed 8–19–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 7555–01–M**

**COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS**

**Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting of the California Advisory Committee** 

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which a meeting of the California Advisory Committee (Committee) to the Commission will convene on Friday, September 12, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. and adjourn at approximately 2:30 p.m. The meeting will be held by teleconference. The purpose of the meeting is for the Committee to plan its project for the 2015 program year.

This meeting is available to the public through the following toll-free call-in number: 877–446–3914, conference ID: 8563590. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meeting. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they
initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1–800–977– 8339 and providing the Service with the
conference call number and conference
ID number.

Members of the public are entitled to
submit written comments. The
comments must be received in the Western Regional Office by October 12, 2014. The mailing address is Western Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 300 N. Los Angeles St., Suite 2010, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Persons wishing to email their comments may do so to atrevino@

usccr.gov. Persons that desire additional information should contact Angelica Trevino, Civil Rights Analyst, Western Regional Office, at (213) 894–3437.

Hearing-impaired persons who will attend the meeting and require the services of a sign language interpreter should contact the Regional Office at least ten (10) working days before the scheduled date of the meeting.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Western Regional Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are advised to go to the Commission’s Web site,

www.usccr.gov, or to contact the Western Regional Office at the above
email or street address.

The meeting will be conducted pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the Commission and

FACA.

Dated August 15, 2014.

David Mussatt, Chief, Regional Programs Unit.

[FR Doc. 2014–19726 Filed 8–19–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6335–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE**

**Bureau of the Census**

**Census Scientific Advisory Committee**

**AGENCY :**  Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

**ACTION :**  Notice of public meeting.

**SUMMARY :**  The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (C–SAC). The C– SAC will meet in a plenary session from September 18–19, 2014. The Committee will address policy, research, and technical issues relating to a full range of Census Bureau programs and activities, including communications, decennial, demographic, economic, field operations, geographic, information technology, and statistics. Last minute changes to the agenda are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

**DATES :**  September 18–19, 2014. On September 18, the C–SAC meeting will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at approximately 5:15 p.m. On September 19, the meeting will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at approximately 12:30 p.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  The meeting will be held at the U.S. Census Bureau Auditorium, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Jeri Green, Committee Liaison Officer, Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 8H182, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233, telephone 301–763–6590. For TTY callers, please use the Federal Relay Service 1–800– 877–8339. For further information by email, please use the following address: census.scientific.advisory.committee@

census.gov.