The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising 18 U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Vegetables.
The revisions apply to the canned vegetable grade standards for: asparagus, beets, carrots, chili sauce, cream style corn, hominy, leafy greens, okra, okra and tomatoes or tomatoes and okra, onions, peas and carrots, field peas and black-eye peas, pimientos, pumpkin and squash, sauerkraut, spinach, squash (summer type), and succotash.
The revisions will replace the two-term grading system (dual nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level for the grade standards identified in this notice. Terms using the letter grade will be retained and the descriptive term will be eliminated. For example, grade standards using the term “U.S. Grade A” or “U.S. Fancy” will be revised to use only the term “U.S. Grade A.” Likewise, grade standards using the term “U.S. Grade B” or “U.S. Extra Standard” will be revised to use the single term “U.S. Grade B.” These changes will bring the grade standards in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and provide guidance in the effective use of these products.
The notice announcing the revision is published in the Dec. 21, 2016, Federal Register. The standards become effective on Jan. 23, 2017.
For a copy of the current standards or more information, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables, or call Dana N. White at (202) 720-5870, email Dana.White@ams.usda.gov, or send mail to:
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Specialty Crops Inspection Division
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 0709-South Building, STOP 0247
Washington, DC 20250