[Federal Register: October 29, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 209)]
[Notices]
[Page 63132]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29oc04-37]
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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.
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[[Page 63132]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Docket No. FV-05-333]
United States Standards for Grades of Canned Pears
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is revising the United States Standards for Grades
of Canned Pears. AMS received two petitions, one from a grower
cooperative, the other from a processor, requesting that USDA change
the character classification for Grade ``B'', slices, and diced, to
read ``the units are reasonably tender or tenderness may be variable
within the unit.'' This change was requested by the industry in order
to bring the standards for canned pears in line with the present
quality levels being marketed today and provide guidance in the
effective utilization of canned pears.
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 29, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen L. Kaufman, Processed Products
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0247; fax (202) 690-1087 or e-mail at
karen.kaufman@usda.gov. The final United States Standards for Grades of
Canned Pears, will be available either through the address cited above
or by accessing the AMS Home Page on the Web at ``http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/frutcan.htm.
''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946, 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. Those United States Standards for Grades of Fruits and
Vegetables no longer appear in the Code of Federal Regulations but are
maintained by USDA/AMS/Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
AMS is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Pears using
the procedures that appear in Part 36 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (7 CFR Part 36).
Proposed by the Petitioner
AMS received two petitions, one from a grower cooperative and the
other from a processor, requesting the revision of the United States
Standards for Grades of Canned Pears. The standards are established
under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C.
1621-1627). The petitioners represent growers from Washington State,
Oregon and parts of California.
The petitioners are requesting that USDA change the character
classification for Grade ``B'', slices, and diced, canned pears. The
petitioners believe the change in the standard will improve the
economic position of domestic growers of pears.
Prior to undertaking research and other work associated with
revising the grade standards, AMS decided to seek public comments on
the petition. A notice requesting comments on the petition to revise
the United States Standards for Grades of Canned Pears was published in
the January 21, 2004, Federal Register (69 FR 2885). A second notice
was published in the July 21, 2004, Federal Register (69 FR 139) based
on comments received from the first notice. AMS received one comment in
response to the second notice. The comment favored the revision to the
standard. These comments are available by accessing AMS's Home Page on
the Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/ppb.html.
Based on the comments, AMS is revising the standard for canned
pears following the standard format for U.S. Grade Standards. The
revision will change the character classification for Grade ``B'',
slices, and diced, style canned pears by including the following: ``the
units are reasonably tender or the tenderness may be variable within
the unit.'' The current standard contains this wording for character
classifications for halves, quarters, pieces or irregular pieces and
whole pears.
This revision will provide a common language for trade, a means of
measuring value in the marketing of canned pears, and provide guidance
in the effective utilization of canned pears. The official grade of a
lot of canned pears covered by these standards will be determined by
the procedures set forth in the Regulations Governing Inspection and
Certification of Processed Products Thereof, and Certain Other
Processed Food Products (Sec. 52.1 to 52.83).
The U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Pears will become effective
30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Dated: October 25, 2004.
A.J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 04-24161 Filed 10-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P