[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42755-42757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17256]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


United States Standards for Whole Dry Peas

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Final Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection, 
Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is revising the United 
States Standards for Whole Dry Peas to establish an additional color 
grading factor requirement for the Whole Dry Peas class ``Smooth Yellow 
Dry Peas'' and establish a definition for ``fair color yellow peas.'' 
These changes will help facilitate the marketing of the class, Smooth 
Yellow Dry Peas and help ensure the purity of classes for Whole Dry 
Peas.

DATES: Effective Date: July 15, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly A. Whalen at USDA, GIPSA, 
FGIS, Policies, Procedures, and Market Analysis Branch, Field 
Management Division, National Grain Center, 10383 N. Ambassador Drive, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64153; Telephone (816) 659-8410; Fax Number (816) 
872-1258; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as 
amended (AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1622(c)), 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.'' GIPSA is committed to carrying out this 
authority in a manner that facilitates the marketing of agricultural 
commodities.
    GIPSA establishes and maintains a variety of quality and grade 
standards for agricultural commodities that serve as the fundamental 
starting point to define commodity quality in the domestic and global 
marketplace.
    GIPSA provides official procedures for how inspectors determine the 
various grading factors in supporting handbooks, such as the Pea and 
Lentil Handbook, which is available on GIPSA's public Web site at: 
http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/Publications/fgis/handbooks/pealentil_insphb.html.
    The AMA standards and supporting procedures are voluntary and used 
widely in private contracts, government procurement and marketing 
communication. Standards developed under the AMA include those for 
rice, whole dry peas, split peas, feed peas, lentils and beans. The 
U.S. standards for whole dry peas, split peas, feed peas, lentils and 
beans no longer appear in the Code of Federal Regulations, but are now 
maintained by USDA-GIPSA. The process for developing or reviewing these 
standards is specified in the AMA regulations (7 CFR 868.102, 
Procedures for establishing and revising grade standards.) The U.S. 
Standards for Whole Dry Peas are available from the GIPSA Web site at 
http://www.gipsa.usda.gov, or by phone, fax, or email from the contact 
listed above.
    GIPSA representatives maintain an ongoing working relationship with 
the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council (USADPLC), a national organization 
of producers, processors, and exporters of U.S. dry peas, lentils, and 
chickpeas; the US Dry Pea and Lentil Trade Association (USPLTA), a 
national association representing processors, traders, and transporters 
in the pea and lentil industry; as well as handlers and merchandisers, 
to ensure the effectiveness of the U.S. Standards for whole dry peas, 
split peas, and lentils in today's marketing environment. USADPLC and 
USPLTA maintain that some currently popular smooth yellow dry pea 
varieties do not have a true yellow color which necessitates changes to 
the whole dry pea grade standards. As a result, GIPSA is revising the 
whole dry pea standard to establish an additional color grading factor 
requirement for the Whole Dry Peas class ``Smooth Yellow Dry Peas'' and 
establish a definition for ``fair color yellow peas.'' The addition to 
the grade standards will enable the class of smooth yellow dry peas to 
be marketed on the basis of acceptable appearance.

Whole Dry Pea Color Requirement and Definition Changes

    GIPSA is changing the way in which the color standard is applied to 
the U.S. No. 2 Whole Dry Peas ``Smooth Yellow Dry Pea'' classification 
only. Doing so will improve the effectiveness of the standards so they 
may better facilitate product marketing.
    The current U.S. Standards for Whole Dry Peas characterize the 
minimum color requirement for U.S. Nos. 1 and 2 as being ``good color 
peas'' and the minimum color requirement for U.S. No. 3 as ``poor color 
peas.'' The existing dry pea color characterizations ``good'' and 
``poor'' do not sufficiently address all possible degrees of color in 
some Smooth Yellow Dry Pea varieties. Samples that are marginally 
discolored and those which are significantly discolored are both 
considered to be ``poor color peas.'' Due to the economic

[[Page 42756]]

significance general appearance (color) has for processors and end-
users, GIPSA worked with the USADPLC to establish an additional minimum 
color requirement for the U.S. No. 2 Smooth Yellow Dry Pea 
classification only; a clear definition to describe the color ``fair 
color yellow pea''; and create a visual reference image that will aid 
in the consistent application of a fair color.
    The established definition for fair color yellow peas is: ``Dry 
yellow peas that in mass are lightly to moderately discolored as a 
result of storage or any other cause to the extent they cannot be 
considered of good color.''
    The addition of ``fair color yellow peas'' as a minimum color 
requirement for U.S. No. 2 ``Smooth Yellow Dry Pea'' classification 
only; the definition of ``fair color yellow peas''; and the 
establishment of the visual aid for the color to the U.S. Standards for 
Whole Dry Peas will result in a more uniform and consistent application 
of the standards.
    ``Good color peas'' will continue to serve as a minimum color 
requirement for all classes of U.S. No. 1 Whole Dry Peas and ``Good 
color peas'' will continue to serve as a minimum color requirement for 
all classes of U.S. No. 2 Whole Dry Peas with the exception of Smooth 
Yellow Dry Peas. Samples meeting the minimum color requirement ``poor 
color peas'' will receive no better than a U.S. No. 3 grade designation 
for all classes of Whole Dry Peas.

Comment Review

    GIPSA published a notice in the Federal Register on November 14, 
2013 (78 FR 68410), inviting interested parties to comment on the 
proposed revisions to the U.S. Standards for Whole Dry Peas. No 
comments were received.

Final Action

    GIPSA is establishing an additional color grading factor 
requirement for the Whole Dry Peas class ``Smooth Yellow Dry Peas'' and 
establishing a definition for ``fair color yellow peas.'' The addition 
to the grade standards will enable the class of Smooth Yellow Dry Peas 
to be marketed on the basis of acceptable appearances. The definition 
for fair color yellow peas is as follows:
    ``Dry yellow peas that in mass are lightly to moderately discolored 
as a result of storage or any other cause to the extent they cannot be 
considered of good color.''

[[Page 42757]]

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    These changes will facilitate use of the standards and better 
reflect current marketing practices.
    The changes to the standards are effective July 15, 2014, the 
beginning of the harvest season.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.

Larry Mitchell,
Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-17256 Filed 7-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P