Agricultural Marketing Service September 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), of the Department of Agriculture is soliciting comments on its amended proposal to revise the United States Standards for Grades of Watermelons. AMS received a petition from the National Watermelon Association (NWA), amending a portion of their original petition. NWA's amended petition is requesting that seedless watermelons be defined as: ``Watermelons which have 10 or less mature seeds, not to include pips/caplets, on the face of the melon which has been cut into four equal sections (one lengthwise cut and one crosswise cut).'' NWA's original petition requested that a variance be added to the size requirements. This request remains unchanged.