Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards, 20114 [2021-07819]
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20114
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 86, No. 72
Friday, April 16, 2021
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.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS–SC–19–0103, SC–20–326]
Termination of U.S. Consumer
Standards
AGENCY:
Background
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION:
Final notice.
The Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is terminating 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 action is part of USDA’s
work to eliminate regulations that are
outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or
impose costs that exceed benefits.
DATES: Applicable May 17, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David G. Horner, USDA, Specialty
Crops Inspection Division, 100
Riverside Parkway, Suite 101,
Fredericksburg, VA 22406; phone (540)
361–1120; fax (540) 361–1199; or, email
Dave.Horner@usda.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
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:57 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 253001
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 terminating 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).
AMS continually reviews all fruit and
vegetable grade standards to ensure
their usefulness to the industry,
modernize language, and remove
duplicative terminology. AMS
identified 10 U.S. consumer standards
that are not related to a current active
marketing order, import regulation, or
export act and are obsolete. The
consumer standards were originally
developed for re-packers and were never
fully adopted by industry, which
instead uses U.S. grade standards,
which are revised regularly to reflect
current industry practices. In September
2019, AMS sent letters to the Food
Marketing Institute, Grocery
Manufacturers Association, Produce
Manufacturers Association, and United
Fresh Produce Association to ask if the
U.S. Consumer Standards referenced
above were still used by their members.
The response was unanimous in that
these standards were no longer in use.
On October 28, 2020, AMS published
a proposed notice to remove the
referenced Consumer Standards in the
Federal Register (85 FR 68285). Four
comments were submitted. Three
concurred with the proposal. One asked
USDA to postpone the revision until
after the new Administration takes
office.
AMS has determined these consumer
standards cause confusion within the
industry due to their conflicting and
outmoded grades and terminology. They
are ineffective, unnecessary, and have
become a burden to the U.S. and global
produce industries. The comment
presented no compelling reason to
postpone terminating these consumer
standards.
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Therefore, AMS is terminating 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 will reduce
obsolete information, lessen confusion
in interpreting grade standards, and
promote consistency within the
industry.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–07819 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
U.S. Codex Office
Codex Alimentarius Commission:
Meeting of the Codex Committee on
Pesticide Residues
AGENCY:
U.S. Codex Office, USDA.
Notice of public meeting and
request for comments.
ACTION:
The U.S. Codex Office is
sponsoring a public meeting on June 17,
2021. The objective of the public
meeting is to provide information and
receive public comments on agenda
items and draft United States (U.S.)
positions to be discussed at the 52nd
Session of the Codex Committee on
Pesticide Residues (CCPR) of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission, which will
convene virtually on July 26–31, 2021.
The U.S. Manager for Codex
Alimentarius and the Acting Deputy
Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs recognize the
importance of providing interested
parties the opportunity to obtain
background information on the 52nd
Session of the CCPR and to address
items on the agenda.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM
16APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 20114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07819]
========================================================================
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.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 /
Notices
[[Page 20114]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-19-0103, SC-20-326]
Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is terminating 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 action
is part of USDA's work to eliminate regulations that are outdated,
unnecessary, ineffective, or impose costs that exceed benefits.
DATES: Applicable May 17, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David G. Horner, USDA, Specialty Crops
Inspection Division, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg,
VA 22406; phone (540) 361-1120; fax (540) 361-1199; or, email
[email protected].
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 terminating 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. AMS identified 10 U.S. consumer standards that
are not related to a current active marketing order, import regulation,
or export act and are obsolete. The consumer standards were originally
developed for re-packers and were never fully adopted by industry,
which instead uses U.S. grade standards, which are revised regularly to
reflect current industry practices. In September 2019, AMS sent letters
to the Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association,
Produce Manufacturers Association, and United Fresh Produce Association
to ask if the U.S. Consumer Standards referenced above were still used
by their members. The response was unanimous in that these standards
were no longer in use.
On October 28, 2020, AMS published a proposed notice to remove the
referenced Consumer Standards in the Federal Register (85 FR 68285).
Four comments were submitted. Three concurred with the proposal. One
asked USDA to postpone the revision until after the new Administration
takes office.
AMS has determined these consumer standards cause confusion within
the industry due to their conflicting and outmoded grades and
terminology. They are ineffective, unnecessary, and have become a
burden to the U.S. and global produce industries. The comment presented
no compelling reason to postpone terminating these consumer standards.
Therefore, AMS is terminating 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 will reduce obsolete
information, lessen confusion in interpreting grade standards, and
promote consistency within the industry.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-07819 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
