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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4712-4713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01029]

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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. 90, No. 10 / Thursday, January 16, 2025 / 
Notices

[[Page 4712]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-LP-24-0072]

United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural 
Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comment on revisions to the 
United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry 
Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred 
in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in 
1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods 
have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 17, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments 
electronically at https://www.regulations.gov. Written comments should 
be sent to: Poultry Standards Revisions, Standards and Specifications 
Division; Livestock and Poultry Program, AMS, USDA; 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, STOP 0258; Washington, DC 20250-0258. Comments may also be 
emailed to [email protected]. All comments should reference 
document number AMS-LP-24-0072, the date of submission, and the page 
number of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments received 
will be posted without change, including any personal information 
provided, and will be made available for public inspection at the above 
physical address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Samantha Rhoderick, National Poultry 
Supervisor, Livestock and Poultry Program, phone (202) 603-9025; or 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing 
Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.), 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. While the Poultry Standards do not appear in 
the Code of Federal Regulations, they--along with other official 
Standards--are maintained by USDA and can be found at https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards. Copies of official Poultry Standards 
are also available upon request. To propose changes to the Poultry 
Standards, AMS utilizes the procedures published in the August 13, 
1997, Federal Register (62 FR 43439) and in 7 CFR part 36.

Background

    Official USDA grade Standards and associated voluntary, fee-for-
service grading programs are authorized under the Agricultural 
Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.). The primary 
purpose of USDA grade Standards, including the Poultry Standards, is to 
divide the population of a commodity into uniform groups (of similar 
quality, value, etc.) to facilitate marketing. In concert, the Federal 
voluntary, fee-for-service grading programs are designed to provide an 
independent, objective determination as to whether a given product is 
in conformance with the applicable USDA grade standard. USDA quality 
grades provide a simple, effective means of describing product that is 
easily understood by both buyers and sellers.
    To ensure the Poultry Standards maintain relevance in a dynamic 
industry, USDA accepts recommendations for changes from interested 
parties at any time. The Poultry Standards were first developed in the 
1930s, and periodic revisions were made to reflect industry 
improvements or changes in the marketplace. The current Poultry 
Standards were last updated in 2018, to align the definition of 
``roaster'' class with the 2013 Food Safety Inspection Service 
definition. Prior to that, the last substantial revisions occurred in 
1998 when tolerances for the number and length of feathers were 
established and Standards were implemented for additional boneless, 
boneless skinless, and size reduced poultry parts.
    The poultry industry has continued to evolve by incorporating 
camera quality assessment systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, 
machine learning, and other technological advancements. These tools 
will continue to impact how products are sorted for quality allowing 
much greater efficiency with decreased reliance on manual labor 
performed by authorized plant graders. AMS strives to ensure that the 
Poultry Standards keep pace with modernization and continue to serve 
the needs of industry and consumers.
    Market trends have also shifted, and consumers are increasingly 
aware of industry marketing claims. Easy-to-prepare poultry products 
that require minimal preparation steps have grown increasingly popular. 
The overwhelming majority of poultry marketing is for further processed 
ready-to-eat items, as well as ready-to-cook poultry parts (bone-in, 
skin-on or boneless skinless), instead of whole carcasses. Therefore, 
AMS is inviting comments for revisions to the Poultry Standards that 
will better serve the needs of modern consumers.
    According to the National Chicken Council, the average U.S. broiler 
weight at 47 days of age has increased about 30% from the year 2000 to 
the year 2023. New poultry myopathies such as woody breast, white 
striping, spaghetti breast, and deep pectoral myopathy have presented 
additional quality assessment challenges. Multiple studies have 
provided possible industry solutions for detection and segregation of 
affected product. Generally, AMS allows time for industry and academia 
to develop solutions to address such changes before implementing a 
revision to the Standards. Currently in addition to the requests 
mentioned above, AMS is also requesting input from industry whether a 
revision to the Poultry Standards to address these myopathies is 
necessary.

[[Page 4713]]

Request for Comments

    AMS is soliciting comments including data, recommendations, and 
other information from stakeholders about potential changes to the U.S. 
Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry. Comments may include any 
current and/or ongoing research or industry practice that has relevance 
to this Poultry Standard. AMS also invites comments about how those 
changes would be implemented in the Federal voluntary, fee-for-service 
grading programs.
    After reviewing the recommendations and information submitted in 
response to this notice, AMS will consult with other relevant 
government agencies, academia, industry, and stakeholders, to determine 
how updates to the Poultry Standards should be made. When updates are 
made, a draft of the updated Poultry Standards with all changes will be 
published in the Federal Register for an additional comment period. Any 
comments not directly related to updates or recommendations that are 
not accompanied by data and other information will not be considered.
    AMS invites responses to the following questions:
    1. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to better align with 
current and future advances in technology?
    2. Are the current Poultry Standards and supplemental resources 
easily interpreted by industry employees, particularly the authorized 
plant graders actively applying them in facilities? If not, what 
updates to the Poultry Standards, additional resources, or training 
material are recommended?
    3. Are there any defect categories that have become irrelevant or 
new defect categories that should be added?
    4. How could the tolerances for existing defect categories be 
updated to better suit the needs of stakeholders?
    5. Is there information in general which should be added to or 
removed from the current Poultry Standards?
    6. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to reflect current 
marketing of Poultry? Could U.S. Grade B or U.S. Grade C be updated to 
be more useful in the marketing of poultry products, similar to how 
USDA Choice or USDA Select are useful marketing terms for red meat 
commodities?
    7. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more useful to 
smaller poultry operations?
    8. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more useful to 
volume food buyers and those engaged in institutional purchases?
    9. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more meaningful 
to end consumers?
    10. High quality poultry products are procured through the Federal 
Nutrition Assistance and Child Nutrition Programs using the Poultry 
Standards. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to improve the 
effectiveness of the purchase program in regard to value and quality?
    11. Are there any other recommendations, suggestions, or ideas that 
would be relevant for AMS to consider?

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-01029 Filed 1-15-25; 8:45 am]
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