The U.S. Department of Agriculture is removing seven voluntary U.S. grade standards and one consumer standard for fresh fruits and vegetables from the Code of Federal Regulations.
The USDA said the final rule, published July 16, removes U.S. grade standards for apricots, cantaloupes, celery, honeydew/honey ball type melons, nectarines, peaches and Persian limes. The USDA also removed the U.S. consumer standards for celery stalks, the final rule said. None of the eight voluntary standards removed are related to a current active marketing order, import regulation or export act.
The action, the agency said, was taken as part of USDA’s work to remove regulations that impose costs that exceed benefits. Removal of the standards from the Code of Federal Regulations will eliminate the cost of printing them annually.
