Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards, 20114 [2021-07819]

Agencies

• Agricultural Marketing Service
• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[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]


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / 
Notices

[[Page 20114]]


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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.

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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is part of USDA's work to eliminate regulations that are outdated, 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