United States Standards for Grades of Pecans, 1386 [2016-00439]

Agencies

• Agricultural Marketing Service
• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[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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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 lindsay.mitchell@ams.usda.gov. 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 https://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 
https://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: https://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]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P