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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 51343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20787]

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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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2011 / 
Notices

[[Page 51343]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-FV-11-0050, FV-11-326]

United States Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), prior to undertaking 
research and other work associated with revising official U.S. grade 
standards, is soliciting comments on a request to revise the United 
States Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice. AMS received a 
petition from the Florida Citrus Processors Association asking AMS to 
consider revising the current U.S. grade standards for grapefruit juice 
to account for advances in industry processing technology.

DATES: Comments must be received by October 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or to Brian E. Griffin, 
Inspection and Standardization Section, Processed Products Branch, 
Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 0709, 
South Building; STOP 0247, Washington, DC 20250; telephone (202) 720-
4693; fax (202) 690-1527, e-mail 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. The U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice 
identified in this notice are available either at the above address or 
by accessing the AMS Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/processedinspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian E. Griffin, Inspection and 
Standardization Section, Processed Products Branch, Agricultural 
Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, telephone (202) 720-
5021; or fax (202) 690-1527.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    AMS received a petition from the Florida Citrus Processors 
Association, an association of citrus producers, requesting revisions 
to the United States Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice. These 
standards are issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 
U.S.C. 1621-1627). The petitioners are requesting 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 current grade standards, effective since September 12, 1983, 
provide 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, 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 petitioners believe 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 
petitioners are requesting that AMS revise the U.S. Standards for 
Grades of Grapefruit Juice by removing any parameters for maximum free 
and suspended pulp.
    The petitioners believe 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. The 
petitioners have submitted research data covering a six-season period 
which illustrates levels of sinking pulp vs. naringin, and levels of 
sinking pulp vs. limonin using various extractor setups. The 
petitioners have 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. A copy of the 
petitioner's request and supporting documentation is located on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov along with the current U.S. 
Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice.

Agricultural Marketing Service

    AMS is soliciting comments on the proposed revision of the U.S. 
Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice. In particular, AMS would 
welcome comments and information regarding the probable impact on 
processors and growers. Further details are provided in the petition 
and are available from Brian E. Griffin at the previously mentioned 
address in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section or can be found 
on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. This notice provides for 
a 60-day comment period for interested parties to comment on the 
proposed revision of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit Juice.

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

    Dated: August 10, 2011.
David R. Shipman,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-20787 Filed 8-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
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