[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38809-38810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12708]


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 Notices
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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. 88 , No. 114 / Wednesday, June 14, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 38809]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-AMS-22-0066]


United States Standards for Beans

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of final action.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising the United States 
Standards for Beans under the United States Agricultural Marketing Act 
of 1946, as amended, (AMA). AMS is revising the grade-determining 
factors for Moisture and Contrasting Chickpeas in the class Chickpea/
Garbanzo Beans.

DATES: Applicable July 1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Loren Almond, USDA AMS; Telephone: 
(816) 702-3925; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of the AMA (7 U.S.C. 
1621-1627), as amended, AMS establishes and maintains a variety of 
voluntary quality and grade standards for agricultural commodities that 
serve as a fundamental starting point to define commodity quality and 
facilitate marketing of U.S. commodities in the domestic and global 
marketplace.
    The USDA-AMS-Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) maintains and 
implements the U.S. Standards for Beans, last revised in 2017, which 
are available on the AMS public website (https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards). The U.S. Standards for Beans define commonly used 
industry terms; contain basic principles governing the application of 
standards, such as the type of sample used for a particular quality 
analysis; outline the basis of determination; and specify grades and 
grade requirements. Official testing procedures for determining grading 
factors are provided in the Bean Inspection Handbook. Together, the 
grading standards and testing procedures allow buyers and sellers to 
communicate quality requirements, compare bean quality using equivalent 
forms of measurement, and assist in price discovery.
    AMS published a notice and request for comments in the Federal 
Register on October 12, 2022 (87 FR 61559), inviting interested parties 
to comment on proposed revisions to the standards pertaining to 
Moisture and Contrasting Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans as grade-determining 
factors in the class Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans in the U.S. Standards for 
Beans. AMS proposed the revisions following discussions with 
stakeholders in the bean processing/handling industry.

Proposed Revision of Moisture Determination in Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans

    Currently, the maximum tolerance for moisture in U.S. No. 1, 2, and 
3 grade chickpeas is 18.0 percent. AMS-FGIS met with representatives of 
bean industry stakeholders, who stated that 18.0 percent moisture 
content is too high for proper storage and maintenance of Chickpea/
Garbanzo Beans and that the standard should be revised to a lower 
moisture content. However, FGIS is aware that moisture content is often 
a contract specification and that there is a need in the market for a 
grade that recognizes a higher moisture content. After various meetings 
and discussions, bean stakeholders recommended revising the moisture 
limit for U.S. No. 1, 2, and 3 grades of Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans 
downward from 18.0 percent to 14.0 percent and revising the standard 
for ``High Moisture'' beans from above 18.0 percent to above 14.0 
percent moisture. Accordingly, FGIS proposed in the October 12, 2022, 
notice (87 FR 61559), that Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans with more than 14.0 
percent moisture should be designated as Special Grade, ``High 
Moisture.''

Proposed Revision of Contrasting Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans

    Currently, the maximum tolerance for contrasting chickpeas, that 
differ substantially in shape or color, in U.S. No. 3 grade is 5.0 
percent. Chickpea samples with greater than 5.0 percent contrasting 
chickpeas are considered ``U.S. Substandard'' grade. However, 
stakeholders told FGIS that contrasting chickpeas of greater than 5.0 
percent do not affect actual bean quality, the entire sample of beans 
is still considered Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans, and that such beans are 
marketable. For these reasons stakeholders requested that chickpeas 
with greater than 5.0 percent contrast not be considered ``U.S. 
Substandard.'' Stakeholders recommended revising the standard by 
changing the grade criteria for Contrasting Chickpeas in Chickpea/
Garbanzo Beans. Under the recommended revision, Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans 
with greater than 2.0 percent contrasting chickpeas could be considered 
U.S. No. 3 grade. Accordingly, FGIS proposed in the October 12, 2022, 
notice (87 FR 61559), that Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans found to contain 
more than 2.0 percent Contrasting Chickpeas could be designated as U.S. 
No. 3 but would grade no higher than U.S. No. 3. Contrasting Chickpea 
grading criteria for U.S. No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 would remain unchanged.

Comment Review

    The publication of the notice and request for comment initiated a 
60-day comment period, which ended December 12, 2022. AMS received no 
comments on the proposed revisions.

Final Action

    For the foregoing reasons, AMS-FGIS is revising the U.S. Standards 
for Beans in the class Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean by amending the criteria 
for Special Grade ``High Moisture'' and the grade determining factor 
``Contrasting Chickpeas''. Accordingly, Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans with 
more than 14.0 percent moisture will be considered Special Grade, 
``High Moisture,'' and samples with Contrasting Chickpeas over 2.0 
percent will grade no higher than U.S. No. 3 Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans.
    These revisions to the Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean standard are 
effective July 1, 2023. Table 3.10 of the Bean Inspection Handbook will 
be updated to reflect the revised bean standard, as shown below.

[[Page 38810]]



                                                         Table 3.10--Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                        Maximum limits of--
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Total defects                         Foreign material
                  Grade                    Moisture \1\    (DB, FM, CCL,   Total damaged --------------------------------   Contrasting     Contrasting
                                             (percent)        & SPL)         (percent)         Total          Stones        Classes \2\    Chickpeas \3\
                                                             (percent)                       (percent)       (percent)       (percent)       (percent)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. No. 1..............................            14.0             2.0             2.0             0.5             0.2             0.5             1.0
U.S. No. 2..............................            14.0             4.0             4.0             1.0             0.4             1.0             2.0
U.S. No. 3..............................            14.0             6.0             6.0             1.5             0.6             2.0            >2.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Beans with more than 14.0 percent moisture are graded High Moisture.
\2\ Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded Mixed Beans.
\3\ Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting chickpeas must grade no higher than a U.S. No. 3.

    U.S. Substandard: U.S. Substandard shall be beans which do not meet 
the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. 
Sample Grade. Beans which are not well screened shall also be U.S. 
Substandard, except for beans which meet the requirements for U.S. 
Sample Grade.
    U.S. Sample Grade: U.S. Sample Grade shall be beans which are 
musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; which have any 
commercially objectionable odor; which contain insect webbing or filth, 
animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal 
fragments; or which are otherwise of distinctly low quality.
    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-12708 Filed 6-13-23; 8:45 am]
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