[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 69 (Friday, April 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18389-18390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06966]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
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
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 69 / Friday, April 10, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 18389]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-25-0520]
United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Asparagus
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 proposing to revise the United States Standards
for Grades of Frozen Asparagus by updating and defining new style
requirements related to percent head material for the ``cut spears or
cuts and tips'' style of frozen asparagus. In addition, AMS proposes to
change the definition of a head when it applies to the ``cut spears or
cuts and tips'' style. These changes would align the grade standards
with modern harvesting practices and provide guidance for the effective
utilization of this commodity.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 9, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments by mail to
the Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection Division,
Specialty Crops Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, National Training and Development Center;
100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406; by
fax at (540) 361-1199; or via the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Comments should reference the docket number and
the date and page numbers of this issue of the Federal Register. All
comments submitted in response to this notice will become a part of the
public record and be made available to the public, including any
personal information submitted with your comment, at https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Buss at the address above or by
phone at (231) 260-5913, or fax at (540) 361-1199, or email at
[email protected]. Copies of the proposed United States Standards
for Grades of Frozen Asparagus are available at https://www.regulations.gov. Copies of the current United States Standards for
Grades of Frozen Asparagus are available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/frozen-asparagus-grades-and-standards.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622(c)), as amended, directs and authorizes the
Secretary of Agriculture ``[t]o 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.
The United States Standards for Grades of Fruits and Vegetables no
longer appear in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) but are
maintained by USDA, AMS, Specialty Crops Program at the following
website: https://www.ams.usda.gov. AMS also makes copies of official
standards available upon request. AMS is proposing revisions to the
United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Asparagus using the
procedures that appear in part 36 of title 7 of the CFR (7 CFR part
36).
Background
On August 25, 2025, AMS received a petition from the Michigan
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association, Inc. (MACMA), an
organization that represents asparagus and apple members in Michigan.
The petitioners represent nearly 100 percent of the frozen asparagus
growers, processors, and producers in the United States. In their
petition, MACMA expressed a desire to change style requirements for
head material and indicated the requested changes are due to the rising
costs of labor, which result in less frequent picking of fields, longer
asparagus spears, and ultimately decreased head material (when cut) due
to the increase in length of the stalk. AMS worked closely with MACMA
throughout the development of the proposed revisions, soliciting their
comments and suggestions about the standards through discussion drafts,
phone calls, and email communications. These revisions seek to align
the standards with current industry practices.
AMS is proposing three revisions to the United States Standards for
Grades of Frozen Asparagus. First, AMS proposes to change the style
requirements for the ``cut spears or cuts and tips'' style so that
there is only one requirement for average head material. Currently,
section 52.383(c) has two categories depending on the length of cut.
AMS proposes to remove the two categories and establish a single new
average percent head material requirement for ``cut spears or cuts and
tips'' style for all cuts one-half inch to 2 inches in length: ``Cut
spears or cuts and tips style consists of the head and portions of the
shoot cut transversely into units 2 inches or less but not less than
one-half inch in length. To be considered of this style, head material
of not less than 15 percent (average), by count, of all cuts shall be
present.''
Second, in line with the first change, AMS is proposing to change
the lot acceptance for percent head material in the style of ``cut
spears or cuts and tips'' so that there is only one requirement for
individual sample percent head material. Currently, section 52.392 has
two categories depending on the length of cut. AMS proposes to remove
the two categories and establish a single new individual sample
requirement for lot acceptance of percent head material in the style of
cut spears: ``The percent, by count, of heads is determined by
averaging the percentage of heads in all of the sample units comprising
the sample, Provided, that no individual sample unit may contain less
than 8 percent, by count, of heads.''
Lastly, AMS proposes to change the definition of a head in section
52.384(d)(2) from ``An upper portion of a shoot which possesses a
substantial amount of compact head material'' to ``An upper portion of
a shoot which possesses at least one-half inch of compact head
material.''
The proposed revisions to the grade standards would help ease the
hardships currently faced by asparagus growers and better reflect the
current
[[Page 18390]]
marketing of frozen asparagus in the ``cut spears or cuts and tips''
style.
A 60-day period is provided for interested persons to submit
comments on the proposed grade standards. Copies of the proposed
revised standards are available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. After the 60-day comment period, AMS would proceed
in accordance with 7 CFR 36.3(a)(1-3).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Erin Morris.
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-06966 Filed 4-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P