The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) seeks public comment on a new Inspection Technology Evaluation (ITE) process to facilitate the use of innovative and improved technology for official grain inspection.
The proposed ITE focuses on the need and suitability of new technology to promote competition and transparency for official grain inspection. AMS currently evaluates and approves technology for use on a case-by-case basis. By instituting a new process, AMS can more efficiently evaluate new technology options.
AMS provides grain inspection services under the authority of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 71–87k) (USGSA), as amended and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621–1627) as amended. Section 74 of the USGSA states that the primary objective of the United States standards for grain is to certify the quality of grain as accurately as practicable and to accommodate scientific advances in testing and new knowledge concerning factors related to, or highly correlated with, the end-use performance of grain.
Notice and request for proposals Docket #AMS-FGIS-22-0019, published in the Federal Register July 11.
For more information contact Timothy Norden, Chief Scientist, Technology and Science Division, (816) 702-3803 or e-mail Timothy.D.Norden@usda.gov.
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