Washington, DC
February 27, 2007
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of
Greenhouse Tomatoes.
The revision will allow for percentages of defects and size
classifications to be determined by count rather than weight.
This resulted in the revision of the following sections of the
standards: Tolerances, Size Classifications, Standard Pack,
Damage, and Serious Damage. In addition, AMS added moldy stems
and skin checks as defects.
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 works with industry representatives and others to establish
or revise U.S. standards for nearly 240 agricultural products.
Industry uses the standards in the marketplace to specify the
quality of commodities. Standards facilitate commerce by
providing a common language for trade and a means of measuring
value in the marketing of agricultural products.
The current standards can be reviewed at
www.ams.usda.gov/standards/stanfrfv.htm; the revision,
www.ams.usda.gov/fv/fvrulemaking.htm. A description of the
revision was published in the Feb. 16, 2007, Federal Register,
and becomes effective March 19, 2007. Questions can be mailed to
Vincent J. Fusaro, Standardization Section, Fresh Products
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Room 1661 South Building, STOP 0240, Washington, D.C.
20250-0240, or e-mailed to
Vinny.Fusaro@usda.gov. |
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