65FR38239 United States Grade Standards for Shell Eggs
robop...@us.govnews.org
Posting-number: Volume 65, Issue 119, Page 38239
[Federal Register: June 20, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 38239-38240]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn00-33]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[PY-99-005]
United States Grade Standards for Shell Eggs
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is changing the
United States Grade Standards for Shell Eggs. Specifically, the changes
delete the general term ``Inedible eggs'' and its definition, revise
the definition of the general term ``Loss'' eggs by including examples
of inedible eggs, revise the term descriptive of an A quality white,
and delete specifications for packaging materials. These changes will
simplify and clarify the terminology used and will remove information
that is no longer of value to the industry.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 20, 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth S. Crosby, Acting Chief,
Standardization Branch, Poultry Program, Agricultural Marketing
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
[[Page 38240]]
STOP 0259, room 3944-South, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,
DC 20250-0259, (202) 720-3506.
The updated United States Grade Standards for Shell Eggs are
available through the above address or by calling (202) 720-3506,
faxing (202) 690-0941, e-mailing elizabet...@usda.gov, or by
accessing the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/standards.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(AMA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) authorizes the establishment
of U.S. standards and grades for shell eggs. Section 203(c) of the AMA
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 Grade Standards for
Shell Eggs do not appear in the Code of Federal Regulations but are
maintained by USDA as AMS 56.
These standards and grades are maintained by AMS for use as a
common language of trade among those buying and selling shell eggs. The
standards are used by shell egg processors, wholesale traders,
institutions, Federal and State governments, and retailers that sell
eggs to the ultimate consumer. AMS is updating the United States
Standards for Shell Eggs using the procedures that appear in Part 36 of
Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
AMS also administers a voluntary grading program for shell eggs
under the AMA. Any interested person, commercial firm, or government
agency can, for a fee, have AMS monitor processing operations and
verify that the grade and size of eggs being packaged meet the
requirements of the U.S. grade standards and weight classes. Eggs
meeting the requirements can be packaged into cartons or other
containers bearing the USDA grade shield. The grading program is
implemented by the regulations in 7 CFR part 56.
Background and Comments
A notice of proposed changes to the United States Grade Standards
for Shell Eggs was published in the Federal Register (64 FR 34764) on
June 29, 1999. Comments on the proposal were solicited from interested
parties until August 30, 1999. Three comments were received during the
60-day comment period.
Comments from two State Departments of Agriculture supported the
proposed changes, saying the changes would simplify and clarify the
grade standards. The third commenter was a manufacturer of equipment
that can print on egg cartons and directly onto an eggshell. The
commenter objected to the proposed removal of provisions dealing with
packaging materials, asking instead for stricter packaging requirements
dealing with date coding, safe handling labels for consumers, and
carton aeration. The provisions concerning packaging materials proposed
for removal do not pertain to package labeling or date coding, but
provide program users with suggested package specifications for
strength and construction. Additionally, the action suggested by the
commenter regarding mandatory requirements for package aeration could
not be effectively implemented in the provisions proposed for removal.
The majority of table eggs (those not packaged under USDA's grading
program) are not subject to these provisions. Therefore, after a review
of the comments the Agency concludes that the standards should be
revised as proposed, with one technical clarification described below.
Currently, the definition of ``Loss'' eggs includes inedible eggs.
There is also a separate definition for ``Inedible eggs'' that includes
examples of such eggs. When applying the grade tolerances of the
standard, there is no need to separately identify inedible eggs from
loss eggs. Therefore, AMS is deleting the general term ``Inedible
eggs'' and is adding examples of inedible eggs to the definition of
``Loss'' eggs. This clarifies that eggs with rots, green whites, stuck
yolks, blood rings, or free yolk in the white are to be classed as
``Loss'' eggs when applying grade tolerances.
AMS is making one technical clarification to the revisions as
proposed. One example of an inedible egg currently listed in the
``inedible eggs'' definition was not included in the revised ``Loss''
definition. Therefore, to be clear that ``sour eggs,'' i.e., those eggs
with an acid odor typically caused by microorganism growth within the
egg, are to be classed as ``Loss'' eggs, this example has been added to
the ``Loss'' definition.
Candling is the process of using light to help determine the
quality of an egg. Automated mass scanning equipment is used by most
egg packers to detect eggs with cracked shells and interior defects.
Hand-candling is done to spot-check and determine accuracy in grading.
The breakout method of determining interior quality enables graders and
students to calibrate their grading skills against an objective
standard. In this method, a micrometer measures the height of the thick
white of a broken-out egg and gives a direct reading in Haugh units.
Currently, there is a Haugh unit range of ``60 to 72'' for A quality
and ``72 or higher'' for AA quality. Because these values appear to
overlap, AMS is revising the description for A quality to read ``60 up
to, but not including, 72.'' This clarifies the wording and makes it
consistent with the intent of the description.
Specifications for packaging materials are provided in the
standards as examples of quality packaging. Since they would not have
any recognized value to today's industry, AMS is deleting this section
entirely.
Authority: 7 USC 1621-1627.
Dated: June 14, 2000.
Kathleen A. Merrigan,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 00-15445 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P