[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4913-4916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01457]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
7 CFR Part 51
[Document Number AMS-SC-19-0036, SC-19-330]
Revision of Three U.S. Grade Standards for Carrots
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of
Topped Carrots, U.S. Standards for Grades of Bunched Carrots, and U.S.
Standards for Grades of Carrots with Short Trimmed Tops. AMS is
proposing to add more U.S. No. 1 grades to accommodate carrots of
colors other than orange, orange red, and orange scarlet. The current
U.S. No. 1 grades would remain unchanged. In addition, AMS is proposing
to remove the Unclassified section and renumber sections due to the
additional grades.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 30, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
the USDA, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, 100 Riverside Parkway,
Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406; fax: (540) 361-1199; or at
www.regulations.gov. Comments should reference the dates and page
number of this issue of the Federal Register. Comments will be posted
without change, including any personal information provided. All
comments received within the comment period will become part of the
public record maintained by the Agency and will be made available to
the public via www.regulations.gov. Comments will be made available for
public inspection at the above address during regular business hours or
can be viewed at: www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact David G. Horner at the
address above, by phone (540) 361-1128; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email
[email protected]. Copies of the proposed U.S. Standards for Grades
of Topped Carrots, U.S. Standards for Grades of Bunched Carrots, and
U.S. Standards for Grades of Carrots with Short Trimmed Tops are
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Copies of the current U.S.
Standards for Grades of Topped Carrots, U.S. Standards for Grades of
Bunched Carrots, and U.S. Standards for Grades of Carrots with Short
Trimmed Tops are available on the Specialty Crops Inspection Division
website at www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) 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 makes copies
of official standards available upon request. The U.S. Standards for
Grades of Fruits and Vegetables that no longer appear in the Code of
Federal Regulations are maintained by AMS at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards. AMS is proposing revisions to these U.S. Standards
for Grades using the procedures that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
[[Page 4914]]
Background
AMS continually reviews all fruit and vegetable grade standards to
ensure their usefulness to the industry, modernize language, and remove
duplicative terminology. On December 22, 2008, AMS published a notice
in the Federal Register (73 FR 78286) regarding revising the three U.S.
grade standards for carrots to accommodate colors other than orange,
orange red, and orange scarlet. The notice proposed revising the color
section to allow carrots of any color characteristic of the variety to
be graded using the standards. Also, the similar varietal
characteristic requirement would have been amended to allow mixed
colors and/or types when designated as a mixed or specialty pack. The
industry as a whole opposed these revisions on the basis that non-
orange carrots include heirloom carrots that may not have been bred for
uniformity and may not have the same type of characteristics of orange
carrots.
After gathering more feedback from the industry, AMS developed
additional grades to accommodate other colors. For the Topped Carrots,
two new grades are U.S. No. 1 Color and U.S. No. 1 Jumbo Color. For the
Bunched and Short Trimmed Carrots, the new grade is U.S. No. 1 Color.
The current grades remain unchanged. The new grades are identical to
the current grades except for the color requirement (the following
tables summarize the proposed revisions).
AMS spoke with several major U.S. carrot growers by telephone and
emailed them a discussion paper on the proposed revisions. No one
opposed the changes.
In addition, AMS is proposing to remove the Unclassified section.
AMS is removing this section in all standards as they are revised, as
it is no longer considered necessary. The category was never a grade
and only served to show no grade was applied to the lot.
Finally, some sections would be renumbered due to the additional
grades.
The following tables summarizes the proposed revisions and provides
rationale for any changes.
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Current Proposed Discussion
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U.S. Topped Carrot Standards
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Sec. 51.2360 U.S. Extra Sec. 51.2360 U.S. All remain
No. 1. Extra No. 1. unchanged.
Sec. 51.2361 U.S. No. 1... Sec. 51.2361 U.S.
No. 1.
Sec. 51.2362 U.S. No. 1 Sec. 51.2362 U.S.
Jumbo. No. 1 Jumbo.
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Sec. 51.2363 U.S. Additional grades,
No. 1 Color and U.S. No. 1 Color
U.S. No. 1 Jumbo and U.S. No. 1
Color. Jumbo Color, are
``U.S. No. 1 Color'' proposed to
or ``U.S. No. 1 accommodate other
Jumbo Color'' colors. The U.S.
consists of carrots No. 1 Color and
which meet the U.S. No. 1 Jumbo
requirements of the Color grades are
U.S. No. 1 or U.S. identical to the
No. 1 Jumbo grades U.S. No. 1 and U.S.
except for fairly No. 1 Jumbo grades,
well colored. All except for the
roots must show color requirement.
good characteristic The new grades will
color, which means ensure all grades
the root has a are premium
uniform quality, will
characteristic provide greater
color for the flexibility, and
variety over will bring the
practically the standards in line
entire surface. with current
Roots may be marketing trends.
comingled with
varieties of
different colors,
provided roots are
of the same type.
(See Sec.
51.2365.).
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Sec. 51.2363 U.S. No. 2... Sec. 51.2364 U.S. Remains the same
No. 2. except section
number changes from
51.2363 to 51.2364.
The U.S. No. 2
grade does not have
any color
requirements. In
addition, carrots
of other colors,
such as maroon,
tend to be
specialty pack
products and
generally would not
be sold as U.S. No.
2. Therefore, no
U.S. No. 2 Color
grade is proposed.
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Sec. 51.2364 Unclassified. Removed............. AMS is removing this
``Unclassified'' consists of section in all
carrots which have not been standards as they
classified in accordance are revised, as it
with any of the foregoing is no longer
grades. The term considered
``unclassified'' is not a necessary. The
grade within the meaning of category was never
these standards, but is a grade and only
provided as a designation served to show no
to show that no grade has grade was applied
been applied to the lot. to the lot.
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Sec. 51.2365 Tolerances... Sec. 51.2365 The proposed U.S.
(2) U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. Tolerances. No. 1 Color and
1 Jumbo grades. Ten percent (2) U.S. No. 1, U.S. U.S. No. 1 Jumbo
for carrots in any lot No. 1 Jumbo, U.S. Color grades have
which fail to meet the No. 1 Color, and the same tolerances
requirements of the grade: U.S. No. 1 Jumbo as the other grades
Provided, That not more Color grades. Ten in this section,
than one-half of this percent for carrots which all remain
amount, or 5 percent, shall in any lot which unchanged.
be allowed for defects fail to meet the
causing serious damage, requirements of the
including therein not more grade: Provided,
than 2 percent for carrots That not more than
affected by soft rot. one-half of this
amount, or 5
percent, shall be
allowed for defects
causing serious
damage, including
therein not more
than 2 percent for
carrots affected by
soft rot.
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U.S. Bunched Carrot Standards
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Sec. 51.2455 U.S. No. 1... Sec. 51.2455 U.S. Remains unchanged.
No. 1.
[[Page 4915]]
Sec. 51.2456 U.S. An additional grade,
No. 1 Color. U.S. No. 1 Color,
``U.S. No. 1 Color'' is proposed to
consists of carrots accommodate other
which meet the colors. The U.S.
requirements of No. 1 Color is
U.S. No. 1 except identical to the
for fairly well U.S. No. 1 grade,
colored. All roots except for the
must show good color requirement.
characteristic The new grade will
color, which means ensure all grades
the root has a are premium
uniform quality, will
characteristic provide greater
color for the flexibility, and
variety over will bring the
practically the standards in line
entire surface. with current
Roots may be marketing trends.
comingled with
varieties of
different colors,
provided roots are
of the same type.
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Sec. 51.2456 U.S. Sec. 51.2457 U.S. Remains the same
Commercial. Commercial. except section
number changes from
51.2456 to 51.2457.
Carrots of other
colors, such as
maroon, tend to be
specialty pack
products and
generally would not
be sold as U.S.
Commercial, so no
U.S. Commercial
Color grade is
proposed.
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Sec. 51.2457 Unclassified. Removed............. AMS is removing this
``Unclassified'' consists of section in all
carrots which have not been standards as they
classified in accordance are revised, as it
with either of the is no longer
foregoing grades. The term considered
``unclassified'' is not a necessary. The
grade within the meaning of category was never
these standards, but is a grade and only
provided as a designation served to show no
to show that no grade has grade was applied
been applied to the lot. to the lot.
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U.S. Short Trimmed Carrot Standards
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Sec. 51.2485 U.S. No. 1... Sec. 51.2485 U.S. Remains unchanged.
No. 1.
Sec. 51.2486 U.S. An additional grade,
No. 1 Color. U.S. No. 1 Color,
``U.S. No. 1 Color'' is proposed to
consists of carrots accommodate other
which meet the colors. The U.S.
requirements of No. 1 Color is
U.S. No. 1 except identical to the
for fairly well U.S. No. 1 grade,
colored. All roots except for the
must show good color requirement.
characteristic The new grade will
color, which means ensure all grades
the root has a are premium
uniform quality, will
characteristic provide greater
color for the flexibility, and
variety over will bring the
practically the standards in line
entire surface. with current
Roots may be marketing trends.
comingled with
varieties of
different colors,
provided roots are
of the same type.
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Sec. 51.2486 U.S. Sec. 51.2487 U.S. Remains the same
Commercial. Commercial. except section
number changes from
51.2486 to 51.2487.
Carrots of other
colors, such as
maroon, tend to be
specialty pack
products and
generally would not
be sold as U.S.
Commercial, so no
U.S. Commercial
Color grade is
proposed.
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Sec. 51.2487 Unclassified. Removed............. AMS is removing this
``Unclassified'' consists of section in all
carrots which have not been standards as they
classified in accordance are revised, as it
with either of the is no longer
foregoing grades. The term considered
``unclassified'' is not a necessary. The
grade within the meaning of category was never
these standards, but is a grade and only
provided as a designation served to show no
to show that no grade has grade was applied
been applied to the lot. to the lot.
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As stated, the proposed revisions will ensure all grades are
premium quality, provide greater flexibility, and bring the standards
in line with current marketing trends.
A 60-day comment period is provided for interested persons to
submit comments on the proposed revised grade standards. Copies of the
proposed revised standards are available at http://www.regulations.gov.
After the 60-day comment period, AMS will move forward in accordance
with 7 CFR 36.3(a)(1-3).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Dated: January 23, 2020.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-01457 Filed 1-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P