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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2946-2947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00600]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document Number AMS-FV-09-0028, FV-11-327]

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Vegetables

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise eight United States Standards for 
Grades of Frozen Vegetables. AMS is proposing to replace the dual grade 
nomenclature with single letter grade designations. ``U.S. Grade A'' 
(or ``U.S. Fancy''), ``U.S. Grade B'' (or ``U.S. Extra Standard''), and 
``U.S. Grade C'' (or ``U.S. Standard'') would become ``U.S. Grade A,'' 
``U.S. Grade B,'' and ``U.S. Grade C,'' respectively. This would 
conform to recent changes in other grade standards. AMS is also 
proposing to provide updated contact information in order to obtain 
copies of the grade standards and color standards. These changes would 
bring these grade standards in line with the present quality levels 
being marketed today and would provide guidance in the effective 
utilization of these products. The grade standards covered by these 
proposed revisions are: frozen asparagus, frozen lima beans, frozen 
speckled butter beans, frozen cooked squash, frozen summer squash, 
frozen sweet potatoes, frozen turnip greens with turnips, and frozen 
mixed vegetables.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 18, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted via the Internet: http://www.regulations.gov; by email brian.griffin@ams.usda.gov; or by mail 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; fax: (202) 690-
1527. Copies of the proposed revised United States Standards for Grades 
are available at the addresses cited above and at the AMS Web site at: 
http://www.ams.usda.gov/processedinspection. All comments should 
reference the document number, date, and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. All comments will be posted without change, 
including any personal information provided. All comments submitted in 
response to this notice will be included in the public record and will 
be made available to the public on the Internet via http://www.regulations.gov. Comments will be made available for public 
inspection at the above address during regular business hours or can be 
viewed at: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Brian E. Griffin, at the 
address above, or phone (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 standards available upon request. Those United States 
Standards for Grades of Fruits and Vegetables no longer appear in the 
Code of Federal Regulations but are maintained by USDA, AMS, Fruit and 
Vegetable Program at the following Web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/processedinspection. AMS is proposing revisions to these U.S. Standards 
for Grades using the procedures that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations.
    Background: AMS periodically reviews the processed fruit and 
vegetable grade standards for usefulness in serving the industry. AMS 
has identified eighteen grade standards covering various frozen 
vegetables for possible revision. More recently developed grade 
standards use a single term, such as ``U.S. Grade A'' or ``U.S. Grade 
B'' to describe each level of quality within a grade standard. Older 
standards used a dual system, such as ``U.S. Grade A'' and ``U.S. 
Fancy'' to describe the same level of quality within a grade standard. 
Prior to undertaking detailed work developing the proposed revisions to 
these grade standards, AMS published a notice in the Federal Register 
on July 23, 2010 [7 FR 43141] soliciting comments on the possible 
changes and any other comments regarding these grade standards to 
better serve the industry. A 60 day period was provided for interested 
persons to submit comments. In response to its request, AMS received 
one comment which was submitted by the American Frozen Food Institute 
(AFFI). AFFI is

[[Page 2947]]

the national trade association representing the interests of U.S. 
frozen food processors and their suppliers. AFFI's more than 500 member 
companies are responsible for approximately 90 percent of the frozen 
food processed annually in the United States. AFFI's comment was in 
support of the proposed revisions to the U.S. grade standards because 
its membership believes ``moving to a one-term system of grading (e.g., 
referring to ``Grade A'' solely, instead of allowing the use of ``Grade 
A'' and/or ``Extra Fancy'' to describe the same degree of quality) will 
help to improve consistency between new and old standards and minimize 
any confusion that might arise in the marketplace in interpreting or 
understanding the grading terminology used on packaging.''
    This notice proposes to revise eight of the eighteen grade 
standards identified in the notice published July 23, 2010 [7 FR 
43141]. The changes to each of the grade standards are as follows:

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Asparagus

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.''

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Cooked Squash

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.'' Correct typographical error to read: ``U.S. Grade B 
is the quality of frozen cooked squash * * * that possesses reasonably 
good flavor and odor.'' This would ensure that these requirements are 
consistent throughout the document.

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Lima Beans

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.'' Change ``U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard'' to ``U.S. 
Grade C.'' Update contact information to obtain color standards for 
frozen lima beans.

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Mixed Vegetables

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.'' Change ``U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard'' to ``U.S. 
Grade C.'' Update references to color standard and definitions to 
eliminate conflict with current U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen 
Lima Beans (remove reference to Maerz and Paul's Dictionary of Color 
and replace with current USDA Color Standards for Frozen Lima Beans). 
Update definition for color to ``Green means that not less than 50 
percent of the surface area of the individual lima bean possesses as 
much or more green color than U.S.D.A. lima bean green color standard 
for frozen lima beans.'' Update definition to ``White means that more 
than 50 percent of the surface area of the individual lima bean is 
lighter in color than U.S.D.A. lima bean white color standard for 
frozen lima beans.'' Add ``Information regarding these color standards 
may be obtained by contacting the Specialty Crops Inspection 
Division.'' These changes would eliminate the inconsistency in 
evaluating color of frozen lima beans when they are a component in 
frozen mixed vegetables.

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Speckled Butter (Lima) 
Beans

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.''

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Squash (Summer Type)

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.''

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Sweet Potatoes

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.''

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Turnip Greens With Turnips

    Update address for AMS. Change ``U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy'' to 
``U.S. Grade A.'' Change ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to 
``U.S. Grade B.'' Change references for ``flavor'' to ``flavor and 
odor'' to ensure that these requirements are consistent throughout the 
document.
    The remaining grade standards identified in the Federal Register 
notice published July 23, 2010 [7 FR 43141), frozen carrots, frozen 
whole kernel corn, frozen corn on the cob, frozen breaded onion rings, 
frozen peas, frozen peas and carrots, frozen French fried potatoes, 
frozen sweet peppers, frozen succotash, and frozen tomato juice and 
tomato juice from concentrate will be revised at a later date. The 
Department has determined that these grade standards require additional 
revisions to take into account, i.e., U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration's Standards of Identity, new styles and pack types, and 
new commercial cultivated varieties (such as supersweet corn) which 
possess unique characteristics. AMS will seek additional guidance from 
the industry to update these grade standards so that they reflect 
current marketing practices and serve the needs of the industry.
    The proposed revisions to these frozen vegetable grade standards 
would provide a common language for trade and better reflect the 
current marketing of frozen vegetables.

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

    Dated: January 9, 2013.
Rex A. Barnes,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-00600 Filed 1-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
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