Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards, 68285 [2020-23349]

Agencies

• Agricultural Marketing Service
• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 68285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23349]


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 28, 2020 / 
Notices

[[Page 68285]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document Number AMS-SC-19-0103, SC-20-326]


Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards

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 terminate the following 10 U.S. Consumer 
Standards: The U.S. Consumer Standards for Italian Sprouting Broccoli, 
U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Carrots, U.S. Consumer Standards for 
Celery Stalks, U.S. Consumer Standards for Husked Corn on the Cob, U.S. 
Consumer Standards for Fresh Kale, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh 
Spinach Leaves, U.S. Consumer Standards for Brussels Sprouts, U.S. 
Consumer Standards for Fresh Parsnips, U.S. Consumer Standards for 
Fresh Turnips, and U.S. Consumer Standards for Beet Greens. This 
proposed action is part of USDA's work to eliminate regulations that 
are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or impose costs that exceed 
benefits.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 28, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
the USDA, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, 100 Riverside Parkway, 
Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406; fax: (540) 361-1199; or at 
www.regulations.gov. Comments should reference the date and page number 
of this issue of the Federal Register. Comments will be posted without 
change, including any personal information provided. All comments 
received within the comment period will become part of the public 
record maintained by the Agency and will be made available to the 
public via www.regulations.gov. Comments will be made available for 
public inspection at the above address during regular business hours or 
can be viewed at: www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David G. Horner at the address above, 
by phone (540) 361-1120; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email 
[email protected]. Copies of these 10 U.S. consumer standards are 
available at https://www.regulations.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(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 AMS at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards. AMS is proposing to terminate these 10 U.S. consumer 
standards using the procedures that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).

Background

    AMS continually reviews all fruit and vegetable grade standards to 
ensure their usefulness to the industry, modernize language, and remove 
duplicative terminology. On February 24, 2017, President Trump signed 
Executive Order (E.O.) 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, 
which established a Federal policy to alleviate unnecessary regulatory 
burdens on the American people. Section 3 of the E.O. directs Federal 
agencies to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force to (1) evaluate 
existing regulations and recommend their repeal, replacement, or 
modification to the USDA Secretary, and (2) identify regulations that 
are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or whose costs exceed their 
benefits.
    The consumer standards were originally developed for re-packers and 
were never fully adopted by industry, which instead uses U.S. grade 
standards intended for wholesale use, which are revised regularly to 
reflect current industry practices. AMS identified 10 U.S. consumer 
standards that are not related to a current, active marketing order, 
import regulation, or export act and which are obsolete. These consumer 
standards continue to cause confusion within the industry due to 
conflicting and outmoded grades and terminology. They are ineffective, 
unnecessary, and have become a burden to the U.S. and global produce 
industry.
    Therefore, AMS proposes to terminate the following 10 U.S. consumer 
standards: U.S. Consumer Standards for Italian Sprouting Broccoli, U.S. 
Consumer Standards for Fresh Carrots, U.S. Consumer Standards for 
Celery Stalks, U.S. Consumer Standards for Husked Corn on the Cob, U.S. 
Consumer Standards for Fresh Kale, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh 
Spinach Leaves, U.S. Consumer Standards for Brussels Sprouts, U.S. 
Consumer Standards for Fresh Parsnips, U.S. Consumer Standards for 
Fresh Turnips, and U.S. Consumer Standards for Beet Greens.
    The elimination of these U.S. consumer standards would reduce 
obsolete information, lessen confusion in interpreting grade standards, 
and promote consistency within the industry.
    A 60-day comment period is provided for interested persons to 
submit comments on the proposal to terminate these 10 U.S. consumer 
standards.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23349 Filed 10-27-20; 8:45 am]
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