[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 129 (Friday, July 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31551-31552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14309]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


United States Standards for Beans

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

ACTION: Final notice.

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SUMMARY: This action is being taken under the authority of the 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, (AMA). The Department 
of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration (GIPSA) is revising the United States Standards for 
Beans to (1) establish a class and grade requirement chart for 
``chickpea,'' also known as ``garbanzo bean,'' and (2) establish a new 
grade determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual 
reference image for ``contrasting chickpeas.'' GIPSA believes these 
revisions will help facilitate the marketing of chickpeas and improve 
the application of the standards.

DATES: Effective Date: August 1, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly A. Whalen at USDA, GIPSA, 
FGIS, 10383 N. Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64153; Telephone 
(816) 659-8410; Fax Number (816) 872-1258; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the 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.
    Under the AMA, GIPSA establishes and maintains standards for graded 
commodities including rice, whole dry peas, split peas, feed peas, 
lentils, and beans. The AMA standards are voluntary and widely used in 
private contracts, government procurement, marketing communication, 
and/or consumer information. The standards serve as a common trading 
language to define commodity quality in the domestic and global 
marketplace.

Background

    GIPSA engages in regular outreach with stakeholders to ensure 
commodity standards maintain relevance with the modern market. Chickpea 
industry stakeholders include 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 U.S. Dry Pea 
and Lentil Trade Association (USPLTA), a national association 
representing processors, traders, handlers and merchandisers, and 
transporters in the pea, lentil and chickpea industry; and the US Dry 
Bean Council (USDBC) representing the U.S. dry bean industry, including 
growers, shippers, dealers, canners, and local and regional trade 
associations.
    The United States Standards for Beans are available on GIPSA's 
public Web site at: http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/Bean-Standards.pdf. USDPLC and USPLTA reviewed the United States Standards 
for Beans, which were last revised in 2008. Currently, chickpeas are 
graded under the Miscellaneous Bean standard. This is confusing to the 
market because GIPSA issues an ``AMA Commodity Inspection Certificate'' 
providing the commonly accepted commercial name, ``chickpea'' or 
``garbanzo'' as the class on the certificate grade line. Specifically, 
industry stakeholders asked GIPSA to (1) establish a class and grade 
requirement chart for ``chickpeas,'' (2) use the terms ``chickpeas'' 
and ``garbanzo beans'' interchangeably, and (3) establish a new grade 
determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual reference 
image for ``contrasting chickpeas.''
    GIPSA provides official inspection procedures for beans in the Bean

[[Page 31552]]

Handbook, found on GIPSA's public Web site at: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/handbook/BeanHB/BeanHandbook_2016-02-23.pdf.

Establishment of Class ``Chickpeas'' and Grade Requirements

    The stakeholders jointly recommended that GIPSA establish a new 
class and grade requirement chart for ``chickpea,'' and also 
recommended a new grade determining factor, definition, and factor 
limits for grades No's 1, 2, and 3 for ``contrasting chickpeas.'' GIPSA 
and these stakeholders collaborated to develop a visual reference image 
that best reflects the ``contrasting chickpeas'' condition. 
Additionally, the stakeholders endorsed the following definition: 
Contrasting chickpeas are chickpeas that differ substantially in shape 
or color.

Comment Review

    GIPSA published a Notice in the Federal Register on May 15, 2017 
(82 FR 22306), inviting interested parties to comment on the proposed 
revisions to the U.S. Standards for Beans. One comment was received, 
which was supportive of proposed revisions. GIPSA did not receive 
adverse comments. Accordingly, the bean standards are revised as 
published in this final notice, with a technical correction in the 
table in new Section 135.
    Section 135 is corrected to remove footnote 3 that appeared in the 
May 15, 2017, Notice for Comment inviting public comment. The footnote 
stated ``\3\ Beans with more than 5.0 percent contrasting chickpeas are 
graded mixed beans.'' The footnote was errantly included in the table. 
Contrasting chickpeas are not counted toward mixed beans, thus the 
footnote should not have appeared in the table.
    GIPSA believes these revisions will facilitate the use of the 
standards and better reflect current marketing practices. The revisions 
to the standards are effective August 1, 2017. The Bean Handbook will 
be revised to incorporate the revisions to the standards.

Final Action

    GIPSA is revising the bean standards to (1) establish a class and 
grade requirement chart for chickpeas, and (2) establish a new grade 
determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual reference 
image for contrasting chickpeas.
    Under Terms Defined:
    Section 102, Classes, is amended to include Chickpeas (Garbanzo 
Beans).
    A new Section 122 is added. Contrasting chickpeas are chickpeas 
that differ substantially in shape or color.
    Under Principles Governing Application of the Standards:
    Current Sections 122, 123, and 124 are renumbered to 123, 124, and 
125 with no change to the text.
    Under Grades, Grade Requirements, Grade Designations, Special 
Grades, and Special Grade Requirements:
    Current Sections 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133 are 
renumbered to 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, with no 
change to the text.
    A new Section 135, Grade and grade requirements for the class 
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) is added.
    Current Sections 134 and 135 are renumbered to 136 and 137, 
respectively, with no change to the text.

                                                135 Grades and Grade Requirements for the Class Chickpea
                                                                     [Garbanzo bean]
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                                                                                    Percent maximum limits of--
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                                                           Total defects                         Foreign material
                                                              (total                     --------------------------------
                                                             damaged,
                  Grade                                    total foreign                                                    Contrasting     Contrasting
                                           Moisture \1\      material,     Total damaged       Total                        classes \2\      chickpeas
                                                            contrasting                     (including        Stones
                                                            classes, &                        stones)
                                                              splits)
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U.S. No. 1..............................            18.0             2.0             2.0             0.5             0.2             0.5             1.0
U.S. No. 2..............................            18.0             4.0             4.0             1.0             0.4             1.0             2.0
U.S. No. 3..............................            18.0             6.0             6.0             1.5             0.6             2.0             5.0
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U.S. Substandard are beans that do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans that are not well
 screened must also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans that meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade are beans that are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; have any commercially objectionable odor; contain insect
 webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or are otherwise of distinctly low quality.
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\1\ Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded high moisture.
\2\ Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded mixed beans.


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

Randall D. Jones,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-14309 Filed 7-6-17; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P