[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 68285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23349]
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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
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 28, 2020 /
Notices
[[Page 68285]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document Number AMS-SC-19-0103, SC-20-326]
Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards
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 terminate the following 10 U.S. Consumer
Standards: The U.S. Consumer Standards for Italian Sprouting Broccoli,
U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Carrots, U.S. Consumer Standards for
Celery Stalks, U.S. Consumer Standards for Husked Corn on the Cob, U.S.
Consumer Standards for Fresh Kale, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh
Spinach Leaves, U.S. Consumer Standards for Brussels Sprouts, U.S.
Consumer Standards for Fresh Parsnips, U.S. Consumer Standards for
Fresh Turnips, and U.S. Consumer Standards for Beet Greens. This
proposed action is part of USDA's work to eliminate regulations that
are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or impose costs that exceed
benefits.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 28, 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 date 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: David G. Horner at the address above,
by phone (540) 361-1120; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email
[email protected]. Copies of these 10 U.S. consumer standards are
available at http://www.regulations.gov.
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 to terminate these 10 U.S. consumer
standards using the procedures that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
Background
AMS continually reviews all fruit and vegetable grade standards to
ensure their usefulness to the industry, modernize language, and remove
duplicative terminology. On February 24, 2017, President Trump signed
Executive Order (E.O.) 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,
which established a Federal policy to alleviate unnecessary regulatory
burdens on the American people. Section 3 of the E.O. directs Federal
agencies to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force to (1) evaluate
existing regulations and recommend their repeal, replacement, or
modification to the USDA Secretary, and (2) identify regulations that
are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or whose costs exceed their
benefits.
The consumer standards were originally developed for re-packers and
were never fully adopted by industry, which instead uses U.S. grade
standards intended for wholesale use, which are revised regularly to
reflect current industry practices. AMS identified 10 U.S. consumer
standards that are not related to a current, active marketing order,
import regulation, or export act and which are obsolete. These consumer
standards continue to cause confusion within the industry due to
conflicting and outmoded grades and terminology. They are ineffective,
unnecessary, and have become a burden to the U.S. and global produce
industry.
Therefore, AMS proposes to terminate the following 10 U.S. consumer
standards: U.S. Consumer Standards for Italian Sprouting Broccoli, U.S.
Consumer Standards for Fresh Carrots, U.S. Consumer Standards for
Celery Stalks, U.S. Consumer Standards for Husked Corn on the Cob, U.S.
Consumer Standards for Fresh Kale, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh
Spinach Leaves, U.S. Consumer Standards for Brussels Sprouts, U.S.
Consumer Standards for Fresh Parsnips, U.S. Consumer Standards for
Fresh Turnips, and U.S. Consumer Standards for Beet Greens.
The elimination of these U.S. consumer standards would reduce
obsolete information, lessen confusion in interpreting grade standards,
and promote consistency within the industry.
A 60-day comment period is provided for interested persons to
submit comments on the proposal to terminate these 10 U.S. consumer
standards.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23349 Filed 10-27-20; 8:45 am]
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