Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2012 / Notices 6773 

Standards for Grades of Okra for 

possible revisions. AMS would remove 

the ‘‘Unclassified’’ category from the 

standards. AMS is seeking comments 

regarding this change as well as any 

other possible revisions that may be 

necessary to better serve the industry. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

April 9, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

the Standardization and Training 

Branch, Fresh Products Division, Fruit 

and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, National Training and 

Development Center, Riverside Business 

Park, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, 

Fredericksburg, VA 22406; Fax (540) 

361–1199, or on the Web at: 

www.regulations.gov. Comments should 

make reference to the dates and page 

number of this issue of the Federal 

Register and will be made available for 

public inspection in the above office 

during regular business hours. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Dr. Carl Newell, 

Standardization and Training Branch, 

Fresh Products Division, (540) 361– 

1120. The United States Standards for 

Grades of Okra are available by 

accessing the Fresh Products Branch 

Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/ 

freshinspection. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

203(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. 

AMS 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, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs. 

AMS is revising the United States 

Standards for Grades of Okra using the 

procedures that appear in Part 36, Title 

7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 

CFR Part 36). These standards were last 

revised December 18, 1928. 

Background and Proposed Notice: 

AMS has been reviewing the fresh fruit 

and vegetable grade standards for 

usefulness in serving the industry and 

has identified that the ‘‘Unclassified’’ 

section needs to be eliminated from the 

United States Standards for Grades of 

Okra. AMS is removing this section in 

all standards as they are 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. Therefore, AMS is soliciting 

comments on this proposed revision 

and any other comments regarding 

revisions to the United States Standards 

for Grades of Okra. 

This notice provides for a 60 day 

comment period for interested parties to 

comment on the proposed revisions in 

the standard. Should AMS go forward 

with the revisions, it will develop the 

proposed revised standards that will be 

published in the Federal Register with 

a request for comments in accordance 

with 7 CFR part 36. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627. 

Dated: February 3, 2012. 

Robert C. Keeney, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3029 Filed 2–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Document No. AMS–FV–11–0050, FV–12– 

327] 

United States Standards for Grades of 

Grapefruit Juice 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) of the Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting 

comments on the proposed revision to 

the United States Standards for Grades 

of Grapefruit Juice. The proposal 

includes changes to the grade standards 

for grapefruit juice to remove the 

parameters for maximum ‘‘free and 

suspended pulp’’ to account for 

advances in industry processing 

technology. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before April 9, 2012. 

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 

Branch, Processed Products Division, 

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, 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. 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 Branch, Processed 

Products Division, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, telephone (202) 720–5021; 

or fax (202) 690–1527. 

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 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 petitioners 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. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

6774 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2012 / Notices 

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, ‘‘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 also 

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. 

Processing technologies used in the 

early 1940’s 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 petitioners 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 petitioners 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 

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 is soliciting comments on the 

proposed revision of the U.S. Standards 

for Grades of Grapefruit Juice. 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: February 3, 2012. 

Robert C. Keeney, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–2970 Filed 2–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. # AMS–FV–11–0052] 

United States Standards for Grades of 

Eggplant 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), of the Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), is soliciting 

comments on the proposed revision to 

the United States Standards for Grades 

of Eggplant. AMS is reviewing the fresh 

fruit and vegetable grade standards for 

usefulness in serving the industry. As a 

result, AMS has noted the current grade 

standards do not have provisions for 

mixed or specialty packs. Therefore, 

AMS is proposing to amend the similar 

varietal characteristic requirement in 

the U.S. Fancy and No. 1 grades to allow 

mixed colors and/or types of eggplant 

when designated as a mixed or specialty 

pack. In addition, AMS proposes to 

remove the unclassified section. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

April 9, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

the Standardization and Training 

Branch, Fresh Products Division, Fruit 

and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, National Training and 

Development Center, Riverside Business 

Park, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, 

Fredericksburg, VA 22406: Fax (540) 

361–1199, or on the Web at: 

www.regulations.gov. Comments should 

make reference to the dates and page 

number of this issue of the Federal 

Register and will be made available for 

public inspection in the above office 

during regular business hours. 

Comments can also be viewed on the 

www.regulations.gov Web site. The 

current United States Standards for 

Grades of Eggplant will be available 

either through the address cited above 

or by accessing the AMS, Fresh 

Products Division Web site at 

www.ams.usda.gov/freshinspection. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Carl Newell, at the above address or call 

(540) 361–1120. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

203(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, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs. 

AMS is proposing to revise the 

voluntary United States Standards for 

Grades of Eggplant using procedures 

that appear in Part 36, Title 7 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 

36). 

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