United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[FV-99-328]

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of

Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on its proposal to change the

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra. Specifically, USDA

is proposing to provide for the ``individual attributes'' procedure for

product grading with sample sizes, acceptable quality levels (AQL's),

tolerances and acceptance numbers (number of allowable defects);

replace dual grade nomenclature with single letter grade designations;

and make minor editorial changes. These changes have been requested by

the industry in order to improve use of the standards.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to Harold A. Machias,

Processed Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 0709, South

Building, STOP 0247, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-4693; faxed

to (202) 690-1087; or e-mailed to Harold.M[email protected].

Comments should reference the date and page number of this issue of

the Federal Register and will be made available for public inspection

in the Office of the Branch Chief during regular business hours (8:00

a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and on the Internet.

The current U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Okra, along with

the proposed changes, are available either through the above address or

by accessing the AMS website on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/

standards. The United States Standards for Grades do not appear in the

Code of Federal Regulations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold A. Machias at (202) 720-5021 or

www.Harold.M[email protected].

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.

AMS is proposing to change the United States Standards for Grades

of Frozen Okra using the procedures that appear in Part 36 of Title 7

of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR Part 36). The grade standards

were last revised in September 1996.

AMS received a petition from the American Frozen Food Institute to

change the U.S. grade standards for frozen okra to a new grading

system. The current standards are based on cumulative scorepoints. It

is proposed that the standards be modified to convert them to a

statistically-based individual attribute grading system, similar to the

U.S. grade standards for canned green and wax beans (58 FR 4295;

January 14, 1993). This change would bring the standards in line with

current marketing practices and innovations in processing techniques.

This change would replace dual grade nomenclature with single

letter designations. ``U.S. Grade A'' (or ``U.S. Fancy'') and ``U.S.

Grade B (or ``U.S. Extra Standard'') would become ``U.S. Grade A,'' and

``U.S. Grade B,'' respectively. This revision also includes minor

editorial changes. These changes provide a uniform format consistent

with recent revisions of other U.S. grade standards. This format has

been designed to provide industry personnel and agricultural commodity

graders with simpler and more comprehensive standards. Definitions of

terms and easy-to-read tables have been incorporated to assure a better

understanding and uniform application of the standards.

AMS is publishing this notice with a 60-day comment period which

will provide a sufficient amount of time for interested persons to

comment on the changes.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

Dated: September 21, 1999.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-25095 Filed 9-27-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-02-P