26200 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 88 / Wednesday, May 7, 2014 / Notices 

submission(s) may be obtained by 

calling (202) 720–8681. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Rural Housing Service 

Title: 7 CFR Part 1902–A, Supervised 

Bank Accounts. 

OMB Control Number: 0575–0158. 

Summary of Collection: 7 CFR Part 

1902–A, Supervised Bank Accounts 

(SBA), prescribes the policies and 

procedures for disbursing loan and grant 

funds, establishing and closing 

supervised accounts, and placing MultiFamily housing reserve accounts in 

supervised accounts. The Rural 

Business Service extends financial 

assistance to applicants that do not 

qualify for loans under commercial rates 

and terms. The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS) is the credit agency for 

agriculture and rural development in 

USDA. RHS is the lender of last resort, 

providing financial support for housing 

in rural America. Supervised accounts 

are accounts with a financial institution 

in the names of a borrower and the 

United States Government, represented 

by Rural Housing Service, Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, Rural 

Utilities Service (Agency). Section 339 

of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act, 7 U.S.C. 1989 and 

Section 510 of the Housing Act of 1949, 

as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1480) is the 

legislative authorities requiring the use 

of supervised accounts. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

agency’s state and field offices will 

collect information from borrowers and 

financial institutions. The Agency use 

SBA’s as a mechanism to (1) ensure 

correct disbursement and expenditure of 

all funds designated for a project; (2) 

help a borrower properly manage its 

financial affairs; (3) ensure that the 

Government’s security is protected 

adequately from fraud, waste and abuse. 

The consequence to Federal program 

and policy activities if the collection of 

information was not conducted would 

be detrimental to both the Government 

and to borrowers. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 15,192. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 26,169. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2014–10479 Filed 5–6–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Document Number AMS–FV–14–0040; FV– 

14–328] 

United States Standards for Grades of 

Maple Sirup 

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 public 

comments on a proposed revision to the 

United States Standards for Grades of 

Maple Sirup (Syrup). AMS received a 

petition from the International Maple 

Syrup Institute (IMSI) requesting a 

revision of the U.S. grade standards. 

IMSI stated it is interested in developing 

harmonized grade standards for maple 

syrup producers in the United States 

and Canada, and asked AMS to replace 

the current grade classification 

requirements with new color and flavor 

descriptors, and revise Grade A 

requirements to be free from damage. 

AMS is also proposing to change the 

spelling from ‘‘sirup’’ to the more 

commonly used term ‘‘syrup.’’ The 

proposed grade standards would revise 

the existing federal grade standards for 

maple sirup (syrup). The purpose of 

these proposed revisions would be to 

foster or assist in the development of 

new or expanded markets, and improve 

the marketing of maple syrup in the U.S. 

and internationally. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before July 7, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

submitted via the Internet: http://

www.regulations.gov; or email 

richard.peterson@ams.usda.gov; or by 

mail to Richard E. Peterson, 

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. 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 

Richard E. Peterson, Agricultural 

Marketing Specialist, 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; or, email 

richard.peterson@ams.usda.gov. Copies 

of the proposed revised grade standards 

are on the Internet at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/scihome or http://

www.regulations.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AMS is 

proposing to revise the U.S. Standards 

for Grades of Maple Sirup using the 

procedures that appear in Title 7 part 36 

of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 

CFR part 36). Section 203(c) of the 

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (Act) 

(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 Program, and are available on 

the Internet at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/scihome. 

Background 

Maple syrup is the liquid food 

derived by concentration and heat 

treatment of the sap of the maple tree 

(Acer). Maple syrup contains an 

abundant amount of naturally occurring 

minerals such as calcium, manganese, 

potassium and magnesium. Maple syrup 

is a natural source of beneficial 

antioxidants. The North American 

maple syrup industry sells an estimated 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 88 / Wednesday, May 7, 2014 / Notices 26201 

$400 million of product annually, but 

the maple crop can vary significantly 

from year to year depending on weather 

and other factors. An example of this is 

reflected in the 2013 National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 

report for 2013, the report states: 

Nationally, maple syrup production in 

2013 totaled 3.25 million gallons, up 70 

percent from 2012. In 2012, prevailing 

high temperatures limited sap flow. The 

number of taps is estimated at 10.6 

million, 8 percent above the 2012 total 

of 9.77 million. Yield per tap is 

estimated to be 0.308 gallons, up 58 

percent from the previous season’s 

revised yield. All States showed an 

increase in production from the 

previous year. Cool temperatures in the 

early spring months delayed budding of 

maple trees which contributed to a 

longer season of sap flow than last year. 

The earliest sap flow reported was 

January 1 in New York. The latest sap 

flow reported to open the season was 

February 15 in Wisconsin. On average, 

the season lasted 37 days, compared 

with 24 days in 2012. The 2012 U.S. 

average price per gallon was $39.10, up 

$1.20 from the 2011 price of $37.90. The 

U.S. value of production, at $74.6 

million for 2012, was down 30 percent 

from the previous season. 

In 2002, IMSI, which represents 

maple producers, state governments, 

vendors, maple equipment 

manufacturers, organizations, and 

others in both Canada and the United 

States, established a committee to 

review existing regulations for pure 

maple syrup in Canada and the United 

States. The committee recommended 

establishing harmonized and standard 

definitions, grades, and nomenclature 

for pure maple syrup in the United 

States and Canada for the benefit of the 

maple industry. IMSI is seeking to 

eliminate inconsistent grade names and 

nomenclature, which vary from 

jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and 

emphasize the taste of the syrup by 

including flavor descriptors as well as 

new color descriptors on the labels for 

the different classes of syrup. 

In September 2011, AMS received a 

petition to revise the U.S. Standards for 

Grades of Maple Sirup from IMSI. 

Petitioner IMSI stated that consumers 

currently face a patchwork of grading 

systems in the United States that are 

confusing, and fail to define the grades 

of maple syrup in meaningful terms. 

The petitioner stated its overall goal as 

providing uniform definitions of maple 

syrup in North America and the world 

marketplace. In addition to proposing 

modifications to the standards, as 

proposed by IMSI, AMS is proposing to 

change the spelling from ‘‘sirup’’ to the 

more commonly used term ‘‘syrup.’’ 

The table below illustrates the 

variation of grade standards 

requirements among the maple 

producing states and Canada in 2013 

and the proposed revision. The current 

U.S. grade standardsdo not recognize 

percent light transmittance (%Tc) as a 

means of ascertaining color, but at the 

state level, some states use this method 

to determine the color of maple syrup. 

COMPARISON OF 2013 USDA, STATE STANDARDS, AND PROPOSED MAPLE SYRUP GRADES AND NOMENCLATURE

Current U.S. 

standard 1

Vermont 2 and 

Ohio 1 New Hampshire 1 New York 1 Maine 2 Canada all provinces 2 Proposed option 2

U.S Grade A Light 

Amber.

Vermont Fancy 

≥75.0% Tc Ohio 

Light.

Grade A Light 

Amber.

Grade A Light 

Amber.

Grade A Light 

Amber ≥75.0% 

Tc.

Canada No. 1 

Extra Light 

≥75.0% Tc.

Grade A Golden 

Delicate Taste 

≥75.0% Tc. 

U.S. Grade A Medium Amber.Grade A Medium 

Amber 60.5– 

74.9% Tc.

Grade A Medium 

Amber.

Grade A Medium 

Amber.

Grade A Medium 

Amber 60.5– 

74.9% Tc.

Canada No. 1 

Light 60.5– 

74.9% Tc.

Grade A Amber 

Rich Taste 50– 

74.9% Tc. 

U.S. Grade A Dark 

Amber.

Grade A Dark 

Amber 44.0– 

60.4% Tc.

Grade A Dark 

Amber.

Grade A Dark 

Amber.

Grade A Dark 

Amber 44.0– 

60.4% Tc.

Canada No. 1 

Medium 44.0– 

60.4% Tc.

Grade A Dark Robust Taste 25– 

49.9% Tc. 

U.S. Grade B For 

Reprocessing.

Grade B 27.0– 

43.9% Tc.

Grade B ............... Extra Dark for 

Cooking or 

Grade B for Reprocessing.

Grade A Extra 

Dark Amber 

27.0–43.9% Tc.

Canada No. 2 

Amber 27.0– 

43.9% Tc.

Grade A Very 

Dark Strong 

Taste <25.0% 

Tc. 

U.S. Grade B For 

Reprocessing.

Commercial 

Grade <27.0% 

Tc.

Grade B ............... Extra Dark for 

Cooking or 

Grade B for Reprocessing.

Commercial 

Grade <27.0% 

Tc.

Canada No. 3 

Dark <27.0% Tc.

Processing Grade 

any Color 

Class, any offflavored syrup. 

Substandard 3 ......... Substandard 3 ...... Substandard 3 ...... Substandard 3 ...... Substandard 3 ...... N/A ...................... N/A. 

1 Color determined using USDA Color Standards for Maple Syrup. 

2Percent light transmission measured with a spectrophotometer using matched square optical cells having a 10mm light path at a wavelength 

of 560 nm, with the color values expressed in percent of light transmission as compared to analytical reagent glycerol fixed at one hundred percent transmission. Percent transmission determined in this way is symbolized ‘‘%Tc’’. 3Fails Other Grade Requirements. 

Currently, there are both Federal 

standards and separate state standards 

for maple syrup. The existing Federal 

standards and 2013 state standards are 

referenced in the above table. Vermont 

and New York have moved forward 

with new regulations for labeling maple 

syrup with full implementation on 

January 1, 2015. 

The U.S. Standards for Grades of 

Maple Sirup, effective date January 14, 

1980, are voluntary U.S. grade standards 

issued under the authority of the Act 

which 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. The 

standards serve as a basis for the 

inspection and grading of commodities 

by the Federal inspection service as 

provided under the Act. As in the case 

of other standards for grades of fresh 

and processed fruits, vegetables, and 

specialty crops, these standards are 

designed to facilitate marketing by 

providing a convenient basis for buying 

and selling maple syrup, and 

identification of product value. 

While the petitioner’s overall goal is 

to provide universal definitions, and 

standardized grading and labeling 

requirements for maple syrup in the 

North American and world marketplace, 

the revisions proposed in this action 

apply only to the voluntary U.S. 

standards for maple syrup authorized 

under the Act. 


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26202 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 88 / Wednesday, May 7, 2014 / Notices 

Under current U.S. standards, 

producers include a grade statement and 

color descriptor on labels of maple 

syrup. Syrup with a rich bold flavor is 

currently labeled as Grade B syrup, 

which is not intended for retail sale. 

However, consumers are increasingly 

seeking the darkest color class of maple 

syrup for cooking and table use. The 

proposed revisions to the U.S. standards 

would categorize Grade B syrup 

(containing no damage or off flavors/

odors) as Grade A to allow the darker 

syrup to be sold at the retail level. 

According to the petitioner, a basic 

description of taste intensity on the 

product label would help consumers 

and ingredient users more consistently 

purchase syrup in accordance with their 

taste preferences and needs. 

The proposed revision to the Grade A 

classification includes four color and 

flavor classes of maple syrup 

determined: (1) Using a 

spectrophotometer, which provides a 

measure of percent of light transmission 

through the syrup expressed as percent 

of light transmission and symbolized by 

%Tc values; or (2) by any method that 

provides equivalent results. The new 

grade classifications would be: U.S. 

Grade A Golden (delicate taste, 

≥75.0%Tc), U.S. Grade A Amber (rich 

taste, 50.0–74.9%Tc), U.S. Grade A Dark 

(robust taste, 25.0–49.9%Tc), and U.S. 

Grade A Very Dark (strong taste, 

<25.0%Tc). The proposed grade 

standards would remove references to 

the USDA permanent glass color 

standards for maple sirup (syrup). 

The petitioner also requested a limit 

to the brix range of 66 percent minimum 

to 68.9 percent maximum soluble solids. 

After submitting the petition, IMSI 

additionally requested that the 

standards include definitions for mold 

and yeast. AMS did not include separate 

definitions for mold and yeast, but the 

terms were incorporated within the 

definition of fermentation. The 

proposed revision to the Grade A 

classification includes, free from off 

flavors, odors, and fermentation, and is 

free from turbidity or sediment. 

Fermentation is caused by the presence 

of mold and yeast. Off flavor and odor 

can also indicate the presence of mold 

and yeast. Fermentation, off flavor and 

odor are classified as damage and are 

not permitted in Grade A. AMS retained 

the Substandard grade which was not 

included in the petition. The 

Substandard Grade allows a category of 

products that are not fit for human 

consumption or do not meet the 

requirements for ‘‘Processing Grade.’’ 

Additional requests by the petitioner 

was establishing a maximum solids 

level at 68.9%, and using the term 

‘‘Pure’’ maple syrup in the product 

description. AMS did not include this 

in the product definition, because it 

would not be consistent with the 

current Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) standard of identity for maple 

syrup (21 CFR 168.140). However, the 

Brix limit is included in the Grade A 

classification. 

AMS is also proposing to change the 

spelling of ‘‘sirup’’ to the more current 

commonly used term ‘‘syrup’’ to align it 

with the FDA standard of identity for 

Maple Syrup 21 CFR 168.140 (c) and 

commercial practices. 

IMSI also requested that the standards 

include the flavor and color descriptors 

to be placed on the label. AMS is not 

moving forward with such requirements 

for flavor and color descriptors because 

such requirements would not be 

appropriate for inclusion in the U.S. 

grade standards. 

The proposed revision would include 

a ‘‘Processing Grade,’’ a grade that does 

not meet the ‘‘U.S. Grade A’’ 

requirements as far as quality, may 

contain off flavors, may not be for retail 

sales, and may be used for reprocessing. 

Off flavors/odors may be defined as any 

specific and identifiable flavor or smell 

defect not normally found in good 

quality maple syrup. These off flavors 

may be related to natural factors such 

as, woody, buddy, or fermented flavors 

or due to production, handling, or 

storage, e.g., burnt, chemical, or mold. 

The ‘‘Processing Grade’’ in other 

respects, may have fairly good 

characteristic maple taste, be fairly free 

of damage, turbidity or cloudiness, and 

be fairly free from foreign material, such 

as pieces of bark, soot, dust, and dirt. 

Under the proposed revision the grade 

of a sample unit of maple syrup would 

be ascertained considering the factors of 

color, flavor, odor, damage, and 

turbidity or cloudiness. 

USDA grades for maple syrup are not 

mandatory, but producers, processors 

and handlers/packers labeling maple 

syrup as a particular U.S. grade are 

responsible for the accuracy of that U.S. 

grade statement indicated, that the 

maple syrup meets the current Federal 

standards for that grade. Under the 

existing regulations governing the 

inspection and grading of processed 

fruits, vegetables, and miscellaneous 

products, 7 CFR 52.53 provides for the 

use of approved identification marks 

and paragraph (h) describes or lists 

prohibited uses of approved 

identification. Section 52.53(h) provides 

that, except for officially inspected or 

otherwise approved products (namely 

maple syrup and honey) no label or 

advertising material used upon, or in 

conjunction with, a processed product 

shall bear a brand name, trademark, 

product name, company name, or any 

other descriptive material as it relates or 

alludes to any official U.S. Department 

of Agriculture certificate of quality or 

loading, grade mark, grade statement 

(except honey and maple syrup which 

may bear such grade mark or statement), 

continuous inspection mark, continuous 

inspection statement, sampling mark or 

sampling statement or combinations of 

one or more of the above. Therefore, 

honey and maple syrup may bear 

official USDA grade marks without 

official inspection. 

Commodities covered by U.S. grade 

standards must comply with all 

applicable Federal, state and local laws. 

The official grade of a lot of maple 

syrup covered by these standards would 

be determined by the procedures set 

forth in the Regulations Governing 

Inspection and Certification of 

Processed Products, Thereof, and 

Certain Other Processed Food Products 

(7 CFR 52.1 to 52.83). 

AMS is soliciting comment on the 

proposed United States Standards for 

Grades of Maple Sirup. 

AMS is publishing this notice with a 

60-day comment period. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627. 

Dated: May 1, 2014. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–10372 Filed 5–6–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Olympic Peninsula Resource Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Olympic Peninsula 

Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) 

will meet in Olympia, Washington. The 

committee is authorized under the 

Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110– 

343) (the Act) and operates in 

compliance with the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. The purpose of the 

committee is to improve collaborative 

relationships and to provide advice and 

recommendations to the Forest Service 

concerning projects and funding 

consistent with Title II of the Act. The 

meeting is open to the public. The 

purpose of the meeting is to review 

project proposals and make 

recommendations for 2014 Title II 

funds. 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES