[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 66926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23220]
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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
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
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 204 / Wednesday, October 21, 2020 /
Notices
[[Page 66926]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document Number AMS-SC-19-0058, SC-19-332]
United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on its proposal to revise the
U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob (July 27, 1970).
AMS is proposing to replace the two-term grading system (dual
nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level in the
grade standards. Terms using the letter grade would be retained and the
descriptive term would be eliminated. Editorial changes would also be
made to the grade standards that conform to recent changes made in
other grade standards, returning previously omitted headers and
language, and adding language to bring the standards up to date with
current industry practices. These changes would bring the grade
standards in line with the present quality levels being marketed today
and provide guidance in the effective use of these products.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 21, 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; by fax to (202) 690-1527; 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian E. Griffin, at the address
above, by phone to (202) 748-2155; fax to (202) 690-1527; or email to
[email protected]. Copies of the proposed revised U.S. Standards
for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob are available at
www.regulations.gov. Copies of the current U.S. Standards for Grades of
Frozen Corn on the Cob 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: www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables. 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).
Background: AMS periodically reviews the grade standards for
usefulness in serving the industry. More recently developed grade
standards use a single term, such as ``U.S. Grade A'' or ``U.S. Grade
B,'' to describe each level of quality within a grade standard. Older
grade standards used dual nomenclature, such as ``U.S. Grade A or U.S.
Fancy'' and ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra Standard'' to describe the
same level of quality. The terms ``U.S. Fancy,'' and ``U.S. Extra
Standard'' would be removed and the terms ``U.S. Grade A,'' U.S. Grade
B,'' and ``Substandard (Sstd)'' would be used exclusively.
AMS is also proposing editorial changes to these grade standards,
i.e., updating section headings omitted in previous revisions, and the
inclusion of language and allowances for mixed color varieties to align
the standards with use of mixed color varieties by industry. The
addition of language and allowances differentiating between
conventional sweet and supersweet types incorporates language from USDA
internal guidance documents A-412, September 1967 Frozen Whole Kernel
Whole-Grain Corn Evaluation of Tenderness and Maturity, and A-493,
October 1997, Interpretative Guide for Frozen Supersweet Whole Kernel
Corn to Determine: Tenderness and Maturity; and Flavor. These internal
USDA documents were created with the intention of incorporating them
into the standards to reflect current industry practices. The proposed
revisions to these grade standards would provide a common language for
trade and better reflect the current marketing of frozen corn on the
cob.
A 60-day period is provided for interested persons to submit
comments on the proposed grade standards. Copies of the proposed
revised U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob are
available at 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.)
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23220 Filed 10-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P