[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14874-14875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6331]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 14, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 14874]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. DA-98-02B]


United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document gives notice of the availability of revisions to 
the United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk. The changes 
will: (1) Lower the maximum bacterial estimate to not more than 10,000 
per gram for U.S. Extra Grade and not more than 50,000 per gram for 
U.S. Standard Grade, (2) include protein content as an optional test, 
(3) incorporate maximum titratable acidity requirements, (4) expand the 
``Test methods'' section to allow product evaluation using the latest 
methods included in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy 
Products, in the Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of 
Official Analytical Chemists, and in standards developed by the 
International Dairy Federation, (5) reference the Food and Drug 
Administration's standards of identity for dry whole milk, (6) relocate 
information concerning the optional oxygen content determination, and 
(7) make editorial changes that would provide consistency with other 
U.S. grade standards for dairy products.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective April 13, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The revised Standards are available from Duane R. Spomer, 
Chief, Dairy Standardization Branch, Dairy Programs, Agricultural 
Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2746, South 
Building, Stop 0230, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456 or at 
www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/stand.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Talari V. Jude, Dairy Products 
Marketing Specialist, Dairy Standardization Branch, Dairy Programs, 
USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs, Room 2746, South Building, P.O. Box 96456, 
Washington, DC 20090-6456; (202) 720-7473.

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 will make copies of official standards available upon 
request. The United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk no 
longer appear in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) but are 
maintained by USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs.
    AMS is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole 
Milk using the procedures it published in the August 13, 1997, Federal 
Register and that appear in Part 36 of Title 7 of the CFR.
    The notice, which included a request for comments on the proposed 
changes, was published in the Federal Register on July 28, 2000 (65 FR 
46399-46421).
    The current United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk 
have been in effect since May 13, 1983. AMS initiated a review of these 
standards and discussed possible changes with the dairy industry. The 
American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI), a trade association 
representing the dry whole milk industry, provided specific 
suggestions, including suggestions to lower the maximum bacterial 
content requirements and to expand the definition of dry whole milk to 
include optional ingredients that may be added. AMS proposed changes to 
reflect improvements in the quality of dry whole milk and marketing 
changes that have occurred since the standards were last revised. In 
addition, AMS proposed changes to promote greater uniformity and 
consistency in the application of these standards.
    AMS published the notice in the Federal Register with an outline of 
the specific proposed changes and provided a comment period of 60 days, 
which ended on September 26, 2000.
    ADPI filed comments expressing their general support for the 
proposal and provided a specific recommendation to retain roller 
process product in the standards. This recommendation would 
reincorporate currently existing roller process product provisions in 
the ``Definitions'' section, the ``Specifications for U.S. grades'' 
section, and in the summary provided in Table III. ADPI reported that a 
significant amount of roller process product is manufactured for its 
unique functional properties. No other comments were received.
    Before the proposed changes to the United States Standards for 
Grades of Dry Whole Milk were published, AMS discussed the issue of 
roller process product with the dairy industry. At that time there was 
little interest in retaining specific provisions for roller process 
product. However, during the comment period ADPI identified 
manufacturers of roller process product interested in retaining these 
provisions. AMS agrees to maintain roller process product provisions in 
the United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk so that these 
standards can continue to be used to establish quality standards for 
roller process product.
    There was an inadvertent omission of titratable acidity information 
in ``Table III. Classification According to Laboratory Analysis.'' In 
its proposal, AMS proposed changes that would make titratable acidity a 
required test to determine U.S. Grade and included information in the 
``Specifications for U.S. grades'' section. AMS intended that this 
information also be included in the summary table.
    In addition to the revisions discussed in the July 28, 2000, 
Federal Register notice, the following sections of the United States 
Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk are also revised as follows:

Definitions

    The ``dry whole milk'' definition is changed to read as follows:
    ``Dry whole milk'' made by the Spray process or Roller process is 
the product obtained by removal of water only from pasteurized milk 
which may have been homogenized. It contains not more than 5 percent by 
weight of moisture on a milk solids not fat basis and not less than 26 
percent but less than 40 per cent

[[Page 14875]]

by weight of milk fat. It shall conform to the applicable provisions of 
21 CFR 131 ``Milk and Cream'' as issued by the Food and Drug 
Administration. Alternatively, dry whole milk may be obtained by 
blending fluid, condensed, or dried nonfat milk with liquid or dried 
cream or with fluid, condensed, or dried milk, as appropriate, provided 
the resulting dry whole milk is equivalent in composition to that 
obtained by drying. It contains the lactose, milk proteins, milkfat, 
and milk minerals in the same relative proportions as the milk from 
which it was made. It may be optionally fortified with either Vitamins 
A or D or both.

Specifications for U.S. Grades

    Under the section beginning ``(a) U.S. Extra Grade.'' paragraphs 
(7) and (8) are changed to read as follows:
    (7) Scorched particle content. Not more than 15.0 mg. for spray 
process, and 22.5 mg. for roller process. See Table III. Classification 
According to Laboratory Analysis of this section.
    (8) Solubility Index. Not more than 1.0 ml. for spray process, and 
15.0 ml. for roller process. See Table III. Classification According to 
Laboratory Analysis of this section.
    Under the section beginning ``(b) U.S. Standard Grade.'' paragraphs 
(7) and (8) are changed to read as follows:
    (7) Scorched particle content. Not more than 22.5 mg. for spray 
process, and 32.5 mg. for roller process. See Table III. Classification 
According to Laboratory Analysis of this section.
    (8) Solubility index. Not more than 1.5 ml. for spray process, and 
15.0 ml. for roller process. See Table III. Classification According to 
Laboratory Analysis, of this section.

Table III. Classification According to Laboratory Analysis

    Under ``Table III. Classification According to Laboratory 
Analysis'' the scorched particle and solubility index information is 
revised and the titratable acidity information is added to read as 
follows:

       Table III.--Classification According To Laboratory Analysis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         U.S. Standard
        Laboratory tests           U.S. Extra Grade          Grade
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scorched particle content; mg.
 (max).
    Spray process..............  15.0                 22.5
    Roller process.............  22.5                 32.5
Solubility index; ml. (max)....
    Spray process..............  1.0                  1.5
    Roller process.............  15.0                 15.0
    Titratable acidity (lactic   Not more than 0.15   Not more than 0.17
     acid); percent (max).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A typographical error in the ZIP code for the Association of 
Official Analytical Chemists that appears in the ``Test Methods'' 
section of the revised standard should read 20877-2417.
    Accordingly, the notice revising the United States Standards for 
Grades of Dry Whole Milk published in the Federal Register at 65 FR 
46399-46421 on July 28, 2000, as well as the changes and corrections 
made in this notice, are incorporated in the revised United States 
Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk.
    The revised United States Standards for Grades of Dry Whole Milk 
are available either through the address included in this notice or by 
accessing the AMS Home Page on the Internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/stand.htm.

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

    Dated: March 7, 2001.
Kenneth C. Clayton,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 01-6331 Filed 3-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P