On December 21, 2016, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final notice in the Federal Register revising 18 U.S. grade standards for canned vegetables issued on or before August 3, 1998. AMS is replacing the two-term grading system (dual nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level for the grade standards. 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.” AMS states 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 changes to the standards impact canned asparagus, beets, chili sauce, corn (cream style), hominy, leafy greens, okra, okra and tomatoes (or tomatoes and okra), onions, peas and carrots, peas (field and black eye), pimentos, pumpkin (squash), sauerkraut, spinach, squash (summer type), and succotash.
More recently developed grade standards use a single term, such as “U.S. Grade A” or “U.S. Grade B,” to describe each level of quality within a grade standard. Older grade standards used dual nomenclature, such as “U.S. Grade A” and “U.S. Fancy,” “U.S. Grade B” and “U.S. Extra Standard,” and “U.S. Grade C” and “U.S. Standard,” to describe the same level of quality. The terms “U.S. Fancy,” “U.S. Extra Standard,” and “U.S. Standard” will be removed and the terms “U.S. Grade A,” “U.S. Grade B,” and “U.S. Grade C” will be used exclusively. The grade standards for the 18 vegetables are being made consistent with the modern grade standards AMS employs for other items, including other canned vegetables.
Please contact Erik Lieberman at erl1@liebermanpllc.com or 202.830.0300 if you have questions.
