Agricultural Marketing Service December 12, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on the proposed revision to the United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra. AMS received a petition from the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) requesting that USDA revise the standards for frozen okra from a ``score point'' grading system to an ``individual attribute'' grading system. The individual attribute grading system uses sample sizes and acceptable quality levels (AQL's), along with tolerances and acceptance numbers (number of allowable defects), to determine the quality level of a lot. This change was requested to bring the standards for frozen okra in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and to provide guidance in the effective utilization of frozen okra.

This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) regulations to enact recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) from October 30, 2000, through March 3, 2005. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule adds two defined terms and nine substances, along with any restrictive annotations, and a category of substances to the National List.