[Federal Register: January 15, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 10)]
[Notices]               
[Page 2356-2357]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ja98-20]





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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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

 
United States Standards for Grades of Canned Beets, United States 
Standards for Grades of Canned Carrots and the United States Standards 
for Grades of Canned White Potatoes

[FV-97-329N]
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 Canned Beets, the United States 
Standards for Grades of Canned Carrots, and the United States Standards 
for Grades of Canned White Potatoes (canned root crop vegetables). 
Specifically, USDA is proposing to adjust the Recommended Minimum 
Drained Weight Averages (RMDWA's) for all styles packed in No. 300 size 
cans to be equivalent to the percent water capacity corresponding to 
the closest sized container, the No. 303 can, i.e., reduced by 9.02 
percent. These changes are being requested by industry in order to 
improve the useability of the U.S. standards for these canned root crop 
vegetables. In addition, USDA will further improve the standards and 
promote consistency by changing the format of the tables to incorporate 
a column for the water capacity of each container size and add metric 
system tables to the canned beets and canned carrots standards.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to Chere L. Shorter, 
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 20090-6456; faxed 
to (202) 690-1087; or e-mailed to Chere__L__Shorter@usda.gov.
    Comments should reference the date and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. All comments received will be made available for 
public inspection at the above address during regular business hours (8 
a.m.-4:30 p.m.).
    The current U.S. grade standards for these canned root crop 
vegetables, along with the proposed changes, are available either 
through the above addresses or by accessing AMS's Home Page on the 
Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/standards/vegcan.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chere L. Shorter at (202) 720-4693.

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. The United States Standards for Grades of Canned Beets, the 
United States Standards for Grades of Canned Carrots, and the United 
States Standards for Grades of Canned White Potatoes (canned root crop 
vegetables) do not appear in the Code of Federal Regulations but are 
maintained by USDA.
    AMS is proposing to change the United States Standards for Grades 
of Canned Beets, the United States Standards for Grades of Canned 
Carrots, and the United States Standards for Grades of Canned White 
Potatoes using the procedures it published in the August 13, 1997, 
Federal Register and that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
    In November 1993, USDA received a request to review the RMDWA's for 
these canned root crops in No. 300 size containers from the National 
Food Processors Association's (NFPA)'s Grade Standards Review 
Subcommittee. NFPA requested the changes in the United States Standards 
for Grades of Canned Beets; Canned Carrots; and Canned White Potatoes.
    NFPA is a scientifically and technically-based trade association 
representing over 550 food industry companies.<SUP>1</SUP> NFPA 
requested that the recommended drained weight of the No. 300 size 
container be reviewed for all styles of canned root crop vegetables. 
Within the last few years the canning industry has been replacing 
production of the No. 303 container size with the No. 300 container. 
The total water capacity for the No. 300 container is less than the 
total water capacity for a No. 303 container. The percentage water 
capacity, on which the recommended minimum drained weight average is 
based, is calculated by dividing the RMDWA for a particular style of 
canned root crop vegetable by the total water capacity of the 
container. Studies done by the USDA have found that for every style of 
canned root crop vegetable under consideration, in the current U.S. 
standards, the drained weight as a percentage of the water capacity is 
significantly more for the No. 300 container than for No. 303 
containers, even though the available capacity of the No. 300 container 
is 9.02 percent less than that of the No. 303 container.
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    \1\ Source--USDA, NASS, ASB.
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    NFPA states that several companies are noting difficulty in meeting 
the RMDWA requirements for these products in the No. 300 cans. In some 
instances, critical fill weight maximums have been exceeded, causing 
companies to reevaluate their thermal processing schedules to be sure 
their product is sterile. Some companies are targeting lower than the 
RMDWA's. One effect of targeting too low is that production may not 
meet the buyers' specifications for the RMDWA's because there may be a 
high percentage of slack filled cans. This situation may result in a 
demand from buyers for a discount in price. To meet USDA requirements 
for drained weight, processors, by putting more product into the can 
than may be necessary, have sustained economic hardship, damage to the 
product, and sometimes loss of the integrity to the can seal. When the 
seal's integrity is lost during processing, the product's wholesomeness 
is jeopardized.
    The remedies recommended by NFPA propose that the RMDWA's in the 
U.S.

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standards for grades of canned beets; canned carrots; and canned white 
potatoes be reduced to the same percentage water capacity offered in 
the No. 303 container size, i.e. lowered by 9.02 percent. The No. 303 
can size was chosen because the size relationship is closest to the No. 
300 can. In consideration of this proposal, the Standardization Section 
of the Processed Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, 
initiated a study to review the current grade standards for canned root 
crop vegetables packed in No. 300 containers. Several companies were 
asked to submit data on drained weight for the two most prevalent 
styles of each canned root crop vegetable under consideration, mainly 
sliced and whole beets, diced and sliced carrots and sliced and whole 
potatoes. Seven PPB area field offices also collected samples and 
determined drained weight measurements for these commodities. The 
independent findings provided a cross-sectional representation of the 
marketplace and served as a benchmark for industry data. The drained 
weight data provided by the industry and by AMS for the No. 300 
containers were then combined and examined. In 1996 the data and 
conclusions were published in a report on file with USDA titled, 
``Drained Weight Study, 1995 Report on Proposal to Lower Recommended 
Minimum Drained Weights for Root Vegetables Packed in No. 300 
Containers.''
    The conclusions of the report do substantiate that there is some 
merit in the industry proposal to decrease the recommended minimum 
drained weights in the U.S. grade standards for canned beets; carrots; 
and white potatoes packed in No. 300 containers. Currently, the 
percentage water capacity, which is the ratio of the RMDWA and the 
water capacity of a container, is significantly higher in all cases for 
the smaller No. 300 container than for the No. 303 containers. For 
example, in diced beets, the RMDWA for the No. 300 container is 10.0 
ounces, and the RMDWA for the No. 303 container is 10.5 ounces. The 
percent water capacity represented by 10.0 ounces is 65.8 percent, 
while 10.5 ounces represents a percent water capacity of only 62.3 
percent.
    Based on this information USDA has found that new RMDWA's for No. 
300 containers, making the percentage water capacities more consistent 
with those of the No. 303 containers, should be considered.
    Based on these findings, AMS agrees with the recommendations from 
NFPA and proposes to improve the United States Standards for Grades of 
Canned Beets; Canned Carrots; and Canned White Potatoes by making 
changes to and adding the following tables: Canned Beets, Table I, 
adding Table IA, Canned Carrots, Table I, adding Table IA, and Canned 
White Potatoes, Table I and Table IA. Specifically, the changes will: 
(1) adjust the RMDWA's for No. 300 containers which were calculated 
using the percentage water capacity corresponding to No. 303 containers 
and lowered accordingly by 9.02 percent of the RMDWA of the 303 size 
container; and further improve the standards and promote consistency by 
(2) changing the format to include tables that will incorporate the 
water capacity of each container size; and (3) adding metric system 
tables to the canned beet and canned carrot standards.
    These changes, if adopted, would improve the grade standards by 
making RMDWA's proportional for the No. 300 can size, ensure safety of 
the product, and help to facilitate the marketing of canned beets, 
carrots and white potatoes, allowing a more equitable marketing 
environment for the canning industry. The affected trade has 
recommended and reviewed these changes, therefore AMS is publishing 
this notice with a 60 day comment period which will provide sufficient 
amount of time for interested persons to comment on changes to the 
standards.

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

    Dated: January 9, 1998.
Robert C. Keeney,
Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-1053 Filed 1-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P