[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 1386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00439]
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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. 81, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2016 /
Notices
[[Page 1386]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document Number AMS-FV-14-0101, FV-15-331]
United States Standards for Grades of Pecans
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 United States Standards for
Grades of Shelled Pecans and the United States Standards for Grades of
Pecans in the Shell. AMS is proposing to replace the term ``midget''
with ``extra small'' in the Shelled Pecan standards. AMS is also
proposing to remove from both standards references to plastic models of
pecan kernels, and information on where the color standards may be
examined. These changes would modernize the terminology and information
in the standards.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
the Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops Inspection Division,
Specialty Crops Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, National Training and Development Center,
Riverside Business Park, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101,
Fredericksburg, VA 22406; fax: (540) 361-1199, or on the Web at:
www.regulations.gov. Comments should reference the dates and page
number of this issue of the Federal Register, and will be made
available for public inspection in the above office during regular
business hours. Comments can also be viewed as submitted, including any
personal information you provide, on the www.regulations.gov Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Lindsay H. Mitchell at the
address above, or by phone (540) 361-1120; fax (540) 361-1199; or,
email [email protected]. Copies of the proposed U.S.
Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans and the U.S. Standards for
Grades of Pecans in the Shell are available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Copies of the current U.S. Standards for Grades of
Shelled Pecans and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell
are available from the Specialty Crops Inspection Division Web site at
http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/nuts.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) (7 U.S.C. 1622(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 USDA, AMS, Specialty Crops
Program at the following Web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards. AMS is proposing revisions to these U.S. Standards for
Grades using the procedures in part 36 of Title 7 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
Background
AMS is reviewing fruit and vegetable grade standards to assess
their effectiveness for the industry and to modernize language. In
addition, on May 13, 2013, AMS received a petition from the Little
People of America that stated that the group is ``trying to raise
awareness around and eliminate the use of the word midget.'' The
petition further stated that, ``Though the use of the word midget by
the USDA when classifying certain food products is benign, Little
People of America, and the dwarfism community, hopes that the USDA
would consider phasing out the term midget.'' Five grade standards
contain the term ``midget'': U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Lima
Beans, U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Mushrooms, U.S. Standards
for Grades of Pickles, U.S. Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins,
and U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans. The standards for
canned lima beans, canned mushrooms, pickles, and processed raisins
will be covered in a separate notice and rule due to additional changes
being made to those specific standards.
Prior to developing the proposed revisions to the pecan grade
standards, AMS solicited comments and suggestions about the standards
from the National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA). The NPSA
recommended replacing the term ``midget'' with ``extra small.''
AMS is proposing to address the use of ``midget'' in the Shelled
Pecan standards by replacing the term with ``extra small'' everywhere
that it appears. AMS also is proposing to remove the paragraph from
both the Shelled and In Shell standards that reference plastic models
that are no longer produced, (Sec. 51.1436(b) and Sec. 51.1403(b),
respectively), and make minor editorial changes.
The proposed revisions would modernize the language in the grade
standards. This notice provides a 60-day period for interested parties
to comment on the proposed revisions to the standards.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Dated: January 7, 2016.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-00439 Filed 1-11-16; 8:45 am]
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