[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 129 (Friday, July 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31551-31552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14309]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
United States Standards for Beans
AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Final notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This action is being taken under the authority of the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, (AMA). The Department
of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration (GIPSA) is revising the United States Standards for
Beans to (1) establish a class and grade requirement chart for
``chickpea,'' also known as ``garbanzo bean,'' and (2) establish a new
grade determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual
reference image for ``contrasting chickpeas.'' GIPSA believes these
revisions will help facilitate the marketing of chickpeas and improve
the application of the standards.
DATES: Effective Date: August 1, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly A. Whalen at USDA, GIPSA,
FGIS, 10383 N. Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64153; Telephone
(816) 659-8410; Fax Number (816) 872-1258; email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the AMA (7 U.S.C.
1622(c)), 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.'' GIPSA
is committed to carrying out this authority in a manner that
facilitates the marketing of agricultural commodities.
Under the AMA, GIPSA establishes and maintains standards for graded
commodities including rice, whole dry peas, split peas, feed peas,
lentils, and beans. The AMA standards are voluntary and widely used in
private contracts, government procurement, marketing communication,
and/or consumer information. The standards serve as a common trading
language to define commodity quality in the domestic and global
marketplace.
Background
GIPSA engages in regular outreach with stakeholders to ensure
commodity standards maintain relevance with the modern market. Chickpea
industry stakeholders include the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council
(USADPLC), a national organization of producers, processors, and
exporters of U.S. dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas; the U.S. Dry Pea
and Lentil Trade Association (USPLTA), a national association
representing processors, traders, handlers and merchandisers, and
transporters in the pea, lentil and chickpea industry; and the US Dry
Bean Council (USDBC) representing the U.S. dry bean industry, including
growers, shippers, dealers, canners, and local and regional trade
associations.
The United States Standards for Beans are available on GIPSA's
public Web site at: http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/Bean-Standards.pdf. USDPLC and USPLTA reviewed the United States Standards
for Beans, which were last revised in 2008. Currently, chickpeas are
graded under the Miscellaneous Bean standard. This is confusing to the
market because GIPSA issues an ``AMA Commodity Inspection Certificate''
providing the commonly accepted commercial name, ``chickpea'' or
``garbanzo'' as the class on the certificate grade line. Specifically,
industry stakeholders asked GIPSA to (1) establish a class and grade
requirement chart for ``chickpeas,'' (2) use the terms ``chickpeas''
and ``garbanzo beans'' interchangeably, and (3) establish a new grade
determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual reference
image for ``contrasting chickpeas.''
GIPSA provides official inspection procedures for beans in the Bean
[[Page 31552]]
Handbook, found on GIPSA's public Web site at: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/handbook/BeanHB/BeanHandbook_2016-02-23.pdf.
Establishment of Class ``Chickpeas'' and Grade Requirements
The stakeholders jointly recommended that GIPSA establish a new
class and grade requirement chart for ``chickpea,'' and also
recommended a new grade determining factor, definition, and factor
limits for grades No's 1, 2, and 3 for ``contrasting chickpeas.'' GIPSA
and these stakeholders collaborated to develop a visual reference image
that best reflects the ``contrasting chickpeas'' condition.
Additionally, the stakeholders endorsed the following definition:
Contrasting chickpeas are chickpeas that differ substantially in shape
or color.
Comment Review
GIPSA published a Notice in the Federal Register on May 15, 2017
(82 FR 22306), inviting interested parties to comment on the proposed
revisions to the U.S. Standards for Beans. One comment was received,
which was supportive of proposed revisions. GIPSA did not receive
adverse comments. Accordingly, the bean standards are revised as
published in this final notice, with a technical correction in the
table in new Section 135.
Section 135 is corrected to remove footnote 3 that appeared in the
May 15, 2017, Notice for Comment inviting public comment. The footnote
stated ``\3\ Beans with more than 5.0 percent contrasting chickpeas are
graded mixed beans.'' The footnote was errantly included in the table.
Contrasting chickpeas are not counted toward mixed beans, thus the
footnote should not have appeared in the table.
GIPSA believes these revisions will facilitate the use of the
standards and better reflect current marketing practices. The revisions
to the standards are effective August 1, 2017. The Bean Handbook will
be revised to incorporate the revisions to the standards.
Final Action
GIPSA is revising the bean standards to (1) establish a class and
grade requirement chart for chickpeas, and (2) establish a new grade
determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual reference
image for contrasting chickpeas.
Under Terms Defined:
Section 102, Classes, is amended to include Chickpeas (Garbanzo
Beans).
A new Section 122 is added. Contrasting chickpeas are chickpeas
that differ substantially in shape or color.
Under Principles Governing Application of the Standards:
Current Sections 122, 123, and 124 are renumbered to 123, 124, and
125 with no change to the text.
Under Grades, Grade Requirements, Grade Designations, Special
Grades, and Special Grade Requirements:
Current Sections 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133 are
renumbered to 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, with no
change to the text.
A new Section 135, Grade and grade requirements for the class
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) is added.
Current Sections 134 and 135 are renumbered to 136 and 137,
respectively, with no change to the text.
135 Grades and Grade Requirements for the Class Chickpea
[Garbanzo bean]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent maximum limits of--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total defects Foreign material
(total --------------------------------
damaged,
Grade total foreign Contrasting Contrasting
Moisture \1\ material, Total damaged Total classes \2\ chickpeas
contrasting (including Stones
classes, & stones)
splits)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. No. 1.............................. 18.0 2.0 2.0 0.5 0.2 0.5 1.0
U.S. No. 2.............................. 18.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 0.4 1.0 2.0
U.S. No. 3.............................. 18.0 6.0 6.0 1.5 0.6 2.0 5.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Substandard are beans that do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans that are not well
screened must also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans that meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade are beans that are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; have any commercially objectionable odor; contain insect
webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or are otherwise of distinctly low quality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded high moisture.
\2\ Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded mixed beans.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Randall D. Jones,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-14309 Filed 7-6-17; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P