The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to revise its U.S. Standards for Grades of Cauliflower to provide for grading of purple, orange and green cauliflower and change size requirements (here). Comments are due July 8.
On May 4 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Agricultural Marketing Service set its 2016 fees for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cotton and tobacco (here). Covered programs include cotton classification under cotton futures legislation (7 CFR 27); cotton classing, testing and standards (7 CFR 28); grading and inspection for approved plants and standards for grades of dairy products (7 CFR 58); inspection, certification and standards for fresh fruits, vegetables and other products (7 CFR 51); processed fruits and vegetables (7 CFR 52); meats, prepared meats and meat products (7 CFR 54); livestock, meat and other agricultural commodities (7 CFR 6); agricultural and vegetable seeds (7 CFR 75); grading of shell eggs (7 CFR 56); grading of poultry and rabbit products (7 CFR 70); services and general information (7 CFR 91); and tobacco inspection (7 CFR 29). Effective dates of fee changes range from June 1 to Jan. 1, 2017, depending on the product.
The Department of Agriculture announced the establishment of the tariff rate quotas for raw cane sugar and refined and specialty sugars (including syrups and molasses) for fiscal year 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016 - Sept. 30, 2017) (here).
The Food Safety and Inspection Service began a "transitional period" during which FSIS is selecting a "subset of imported shipments of Siluriformes fish and fish products for reinspection, which will include testing for species, chemical residues, and Salmonella," said the agency in a CBP CSMS message (here). The transitional period, April 15 through Sept. 1, 2017, is meant "to ensure that importers, customs brokers, and other stakeholders have ample time to prepare and comply with FSIS’s mandatory reinspection requirements," said FSIS. Under the agency’s final rule (see 1511270024), which takes full effect Sept. 1, 2017 (see 1512020024), FSIS is assuming regulatory responsibilities for catfish and other siluriformes from the Food and Drug Administration. "For rail, truck, and air shipments, FSIS may target a shipment of interest by the time of arrival or CBP release, whichever is later," it said. "For ocean shipments, a decision will be made within 48 hours from the time of entry filing."
On May 3 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
On May 2 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes May 2 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
On April 29 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes April 28 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.