Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 1998 / Notices 2357

standards for grades of canned beets;

canned carrots; and canned white

potatoes be reduced to the same

percentage water capacity offered in the

No. 303 container size, i.e. lowered by

9.02 percent. The No. 303 can size was

chosen because the size relationship is

closest to the No. 300 can. In

consideration of this proposal, the

Standardization Section of the

Processed Products Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, AMS, initiated a

study to review the current grade

standards for canned root crop

vegetables packed in No. 300 containers.

Several companies were asked to submit

data on drained weight for the two most

prevalent styles of each canned root

crop vegetable under consideration,

mainly sliced and whole beets, diced

and sliced carrots and sliced and whole

potatoes. Seven PPB area field offices

also collected samples and determined

drained weight measurements for these

commodities. The independent findings

provided a cross-sectional

representation of the marketplace and

served as a benchmark for industry data.

The drained weight data provided by

the industry and by AMS for the No.

300 containers were then combined and

examined. In 1996 the data and

conclusions were published in a report

on file with USDA titled, ‘‘Drained

Weight Study, 1995 Report on Proposal

to Lower Recommended Minimum

Drained Weights for Root Vegetables

Packed in No. 300 Containers.’’

The conclusions of the report do

substantiate that there is some merit in

the industry proposal to decrease the

recommended minimum drained

weights in the U.S. grade standards for

canned beets; carrots; and white

potatoes packed in No. 300 containers.

Currently, the percentage water

capacity, which is the ratio of the

RMDWA and the water capacity of a

container, is significantly higher in all

cases for the smaller No. 300 container

than for the No. 303 containers. For

example, in diced beets, the RMDWA

for the No. 300 container is 10.0 ounces,

and the RMDWA for the No. 303

container is 10.5 ounces. The percent

water capacity represented by 10.0

ounces is 65.8 percent, while 10.5

ounces represents a percent water

capacity of only 62.3 percent.

Based on this information USDA has

found that new RMDWA’s for No. 300

containers, making the percentage water

capacities more consistent with those of

the No. 303 containers, should be

considered.

Based on these findings, AMS agrees

with the recommendations from NFPA

and proposes to improve the United

States Standards for Grades of Canned

Beets; Canned Carrots; and Canned

White Potatoes by making changes to

and adding the following tables: Canned

Beets, Table I, adding Table IA, Canned

Carrots, Table I, adding Table IA, and

Canned White Potatoes, Table I and

Table IA. Specifically, the changes will:

(1) adjust the RMDWA’s for No. 300

containers which were calculated using

the percentage water capacity

corresponding to No. 303 containers and

lowered accordingly by 9.02 percent of

the RMDWA of the 303 size container;

and further improve the standards and

promote consistency by (2) changing the

format to include tables that will

incorporate the water capacity of each

container size; and (3) adding metric

system tables to the canned beet and

canned carrot standards.

These changes, if adopted, would

improve the grade standards by making

RMDWA’s proportional for the No. 300

can size, ensure safety of the product,

and help to facilitate the marketing of

canned beets, carrots and white

potatoes, allowing a more equitable

marketing environment for the canning

industry. The affected trade has

recommended and reviewed these

changes, therefore AMS is publishing

this notice with a 60 day comment

period which will provide sufficient

amount of time for interested persons to

comment on changes to the standards.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Dated: January 9, 1998.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–1053 Filed 1–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[FV–97–328N]

United States Standards for Grades of

Canned Sweetpotatoes

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) is soliciting comments

on its proposal to change the voluntary

United States Standards for Grades of

Canned Sweetpotatoes. Specifically,

AMS proposes to lower the

recommended drained weights for

canned sweetpotatoes packed in retail

size cans by two percent. AMS has

received petitions to revise the United

States Standards for Grades of Canned

Sweetpotatoes. The petitioners are

requesting a decrease in the

recommended drained weight for

sweetpotatoes packed in retail size cans

including No. 10 cans. The drained

weight recommendations would also

add No. 300 cans, a size pack which has

been increasingly utilized in the

industry. These changes would allow

more equitable utilization of processed

sweetpotatoes across domestic growing

regions and will help the sweetpotato

industry to meet its market needs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before March 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are

invited to submit their written

comments to Karen L. Kaufman,

Processed Products Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Division, Agricultural

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, STOP 0247, P.O. Box

96456, Washington, D.C. 20090–6456;

faxed to (202) 690–1087; or e-mailed to

KarenlLlKaufman@usda.gov.

Comments should reference the date

and page number of this issue of the

Federal Register. The petitions and

comments will be made available for

public inspection at the above address

during regular business hours.

The current United States Standards

for Grades of Canned Sweetpotatoes,

along with the proposed changes, are

available through the above addresses or

by accessing AMS’s Home Page on the

Internet at: www.ams.usda.gov/

standards/vegcan.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen L Kaufman at (202) 720–5021.

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, grade, and packaging

and recommend and demonstrate such

standards in order to encourage

uniformity and consistency in

commercial practices * * *’’ The

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is

committed to carrying out this authority

in a manner that facilitates the

marketing of agricultural commodities.

The United States Standards for Grades

of Canned Sweetpotatoes do not appear

in the Code of Federal Regulations but

are maintained by the U.S. Department

of Agriculture. Copies of official

standards are available upon request.

AMS is proposing to change the

United States Standards for Grades of

Canned Sweetpotatoes using the

procedures it published in the August

13, 1997, Federal Register and that

appear in part 36 of title 7 of the Code

of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).

Specifically, AMS is proposing to lower

the recommended drained weight for
2358 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 1998 / Notices

1Source—USDA, NASS, ASB

sweetpotatoes packed in retail size cans,

including No. 10 size cans, by two

percent. The drained weight criteria for

the No. 300 can, a size pack which has

been increasingly utilized in the

industry, would also be added. This

change would allow a more equitable

marketing environment for domestic

sweetpotato processors.

AMS received petitions from the

Sweet Potato Council of the United

States, and the North Carolina Sweet

Potato Commission and three processors

requesting the revision of the United

States Standards for Grades of Canned

Sweetpotatoes.

The petitioners represent a significant

part of the canned sweetpotato industry.

The Louisiana, Mississippi, and North

Carolina sweetpotato industry provides

over half of the sweetpotatoes produced

domestically. 1

The petitions indicate that the

recommended drained weights for

canned sweetpotatoes packed in retail

size cans, as shown in the U.S.

Standards for Grades of Canned

Sweetpotatoes, are difficult to meet and

put sweetpotato processors at an

economic disadvantage in marketing

these products.

The reasons given for this disparity

are that the changes in the varietal types

of sweetpotatoes and the growing

conditions in the growing regions have

changed significantly since the current

Recommended Minimum Drained

Weight Averages (RMDWA’s) were first

proposed 21 years ago. Prior to 1985,

there were several varieties of

sweetpotatoes utilized in canned

sweetpotatoes. These varieties were

Centennial, Jewel, Gold Rush, and

others. Since 1989, the fresh

sweetpotato market has predominantly

switched to marketing the Beauregard

variety because of its improved quality

characteristics and yield potential.

Surplus sweetpotatoes from the fresh

market have traditionally supplied

canning operations. Since 1989,

processors have noted that the

sweetpotatoes they have been using

have lower total solids and lower

densities than previously used varieties.

As part of the industry petition to

review the RMDWA’s for canned

sweetpotatoes, USDA requested that the

sweetpotato industry submit data

covering several seasons to provide

evidence of this processing condition.

Data was collected from plants located

in Louisiana, Mississippi, and North

Carolina covering several processing

seasons.

The petitioners stated that to meet the

standard when packing certain newer

varieties of sweetpotatoes (i.e.

Beauregard), the cans must be overfilled. This condition may cause damage

to the sweetpotatoes resulting in

downgrading the product, and may have

an adverse effect on the integrity of the

can seam closure. If the seal’s integrity

is lost during processing, the product’s

wholesomeness is jeopardized.

The petitioners contend that a

unilateral reduction in drained weight

requirements in the grade standard is

indicated due to the varietal

characteristics of sweetpotatoes

currently available for processing.

AMS has reviewed the petitions and

data submitted, and has gathered

information from government and

industry sources. Initial findings do

substantiate that there may be a

disparity between the drained weights

for canned sweetpotatoes processed

before 1985 and those processed since

the newer varieties have become

predominant.

One study showed that in 1989, a

producer maintained an average fill

weight of 72.8 ounces. The resulting

drained weights failed to meet the

minimum of 73.0 ounces in only 31

percent of production. By 1995, the

average fill weight had been raised to

77.2 ounces, a full 4.2 ounces over the

minimum drained weight. Despite this

increase, 55 percent of production failed

to meet 73 ounces after processing. This

overfill not only penalized the processor

financially but also threatened product

quality and wholesomeness.

AMS is continuing to gather drained

weight information on the newer

varieties of sweetpotatoes to ascertain

an equitable recommended minimum

drained weight of canned

sweetpotatoes. As an interim measure

while further studies are made, AMS

proposes to lower the recommended

drained weight for sweetpotatoes

packed in retail size cans, including No.

10 size cans, by two percent, and add

the recommended drained weight

criteria for the No. 300 can.

The No. 300 size can was not

included in the last revision of the

grades standard, but is being added

because of the increased usage of this

can size. The percentage water capacity,

on which the recommended minimum

drained weight averages are based, is

calculated by dividing the RMDWA by

the total water capacity of the container.

The drained weight of the No. 300 can

is based on the percentage water

capacity available in the No. 303 can,

which is very similar in size. As the

canning industry has been replacing

production of the No. 303 container size

with the No. 300 can, it seems

appropriate to include the RMDWA for

No. 300 cans along with the other

drained weight changes in the standard.

A 60-day comment period is provided

for interested persons to comment on

changes to the standards.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Dated: January 9, 1998.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–1054 Filed 1–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Authorizing BLM To Offer Oil and Gas

Leases in Management Areas 21, 45,

71, 72; Bridger-Teton National Forest;

Teton, Sublette and Fremont Counties,

Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA—Lead

Agency; Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) Cooperating Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Bridger-Teton National

Forest will prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) to document the

analysis and disclose the environmental

impacts of the proposed authorization of

the BLM to offer oil and gas leases in

Management Areas 21, 45, 71, and 72.

The 1990 Bridger-Teton National

Forest Land and Resource Management

Plan identified all of Management Areas

21, 45, 71, and 72 as available for oil

and gas leasing. The Forest Plan did not

make the leasing decision for site

specific lands. Therefore, because the

Forest Plan made no site-specific

decisions, the Forest Plan did not make

an irreversible commitment of

resources. The next step in the leasing

process is to complete a site specific

analysis of the Management Areas. The

oil and gas leasing analysis is tiered to

the oil and gas analysis contained

within the Bridger-Teton National

Forest Land and Resource Management

Plan Final Environmental Impact

Statement and analyzes resource issues

at a smaller scale and incorporates any

new resource information. The purpose

of offering Management Areas 21, 45,

71, and 72 is to provide opportunities

for exploration and development of

leasable minerals. A specific objective of

the 1990 Bridger-Teton National Forest

Land and Resource Management Plan is

to ‘‘Provide leasable, locatable, and

salable mineral exploration and

development opportunities’’ (see Goal

and objective 1.1 (d) page 113 BridgerTeton National Forest Land and