Notice2025-01029
United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comment on revisions to the United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in 1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4712-4713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01029]
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Notices
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 10 / Thursday, January 16, 2025 /
Notices
[[Page 4712]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-LP-24-0072]
United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice, request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comment on revisions to the
United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry
Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred
in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in
1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods
have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.
DATES: Submit comments on or before March 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments
electronically at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Written comments should
be sent to: Poultry Standards Revisions, Standards and Specifications
Division; Livestock and Poultry Program, AMS, USDA; 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, STOP 0258; Washington, DC 20250-0258. Comments may also be
emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bffef2ecefd0cad3cbcdc6eddaccd0cacddcdaccffcaccdbde91d8d0c9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="42030f11122d372e36303b1027312d373021273102373126236c252d34">[email protected]</span></a>. All comments should reference
document number AMS-LP-24-0072, the date of submission, and the page
number of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments received
will be posted without change, including any personal information
provided, and will be made available for public inspection at the above
physical address during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Samantha Rhoderick, National Poultry
Supervisor, Livestock and Poultry Program, phone (202) 603-9025; or
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#97c4f6faf6f9e3fff6b9c5fff8f3f2e5fef4fcd7e2e4f3f6b9f0f8e1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b380a060a051f030a453903040f0e190208002b1e180f0a450c041d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.), 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. While the Poultry Standards do not appear in
the Code of Federal Regulations, they--along with other official
Standards--are maintained by USDA and can be found at <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards">https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards</a>. Copies of official Poultry Standards
are also available upon request. To propose changes to the Poultry
Standards, AMS utilizes the procedures published in the August 13,
1997, Federal Register (62 FR 43439) and in 7 CFR part 36.
Background
Official USDA grade Standards and associated voluntary, fee-for-
service grading programs are authorized under the Agricultural
Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.). The primary
purpose of USDA grade Standards, including the Poultry Standards, is to
divide the population of a commodity into uniform groups (of similar
quality, value, etc.) to facilitate marketing. In concert, the Federal
voluntary, fee-for-service grading programs are designed to provide an
independent, objective determination as to whether a given product is
in conformance with the applicable USDA grade standard. USDA quality
grades provide a simple, effective means of describing product that is
easily understood by both buyers and sellers.
To ensure the Poultry Standards maintain relevance in a dynamic
industry, USDA accepts recommendations for changes from interested
parties at any time. The Poultry Standards were first developed in the
1930s, and periodic revisions were made to reflect industry
improvements or changes in the marketplace. The current Poultry
Standards were last updated in 2018, to align the definition of
``roaster'' class with the 2013 Food Safety Inspection Service
definition. Prior to that, the last substantial revisions occurred in
1998 when tolerances for the number and length of feathers were
established and Standards were implemented for additional boneless,
boneless skinless, and size reduced poultry parts.
The poultry industry has continued to evolve by incorporating
camera quality assessment systems, robotics, artificial intelligence,
machine learning, and other technological advancements. These tools
will continue to impact how products are sorted for quality allowing
much greater efficiency with decreased reliance on manual labor
performed by authorized plant graders. AMS strives to ensure that the
Poultry Standards keep pace with modernization and continue to serve
the needs of industry and consumers.
Market trends have also shifted, and consumers are increasingly
aware of industry marketing claims. Easy-to-prepare poultry products
that require minimal preparation steps have grown increasingly popular.
The overwhelming majority of poultry marketing is for further processed
ready-to-eat items, as well as ready-to-cook poultry parts (bone-in,
skin-on or boneless skinless), instead of whole carcasses. Therefore,
AMS is inviting comments for revisions to the Poultry Standards that
will better serve the needs of modern consumers.
According to the National Chicken Council, the average U.S. broiler
weight at 47 days of age has increased about 30% from the year 2000 to
the year 2023. New poultry myopathies such as woody breast, white
striping, spaghetti breast, and deep pectoral myopathy have presented
additional quality assessment challenges. Multiple studies have
provided possible industry solutions for detection and segregation of
affected product. Generally, AMS allows time for industry and academia
to develop solutions to address such changes before implementing a
revision to the Standards. Currently in addition to the requests
mentioned above, AMS is also requesting input from industry whether a
revision to the Poultry Standards to address these myopathies is
necessary.
[[Page 4713]]
Request for Comments
AMS is soliciting comments including data, recommendations, and
other information from stakeholders about potential changes to the U.S.
Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry. Comments may include any
current and/or ongoing research or industry practice that has relevance
to this Poultry Standard. AMS also invites comments about how those
changes would be implemented in the Federal voluntary, fee-for-service
grading programs.
After reviewing the recommendations and information submitted in
response to this notice, AMS will consult with other relevant
government agencies, academia, industry, and stakeholders, to determine
how updates to the Poultry Standards should be made. When updates are
made, a draft of the updated Poultry Standards with all changes will be
published in the Federal Register for an additional comment period. Any
comments not directly related to updates or recommendations that are
not accompanied by data and other information will not be considered.
AMS invites responses to the following questions:
1. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to better align with
current and future advances in technology?
2. Are the current Poultry Standards and supplemental resources
easily interpreted by industry employees, particularly the authorized
plant graders actively applying them in facilities? If not, what
updates to the Poultry Standards, additional resources, or training
material are recommended?
3. Are there any defect categories that have become irrelevant or
new defect categories that should be added?
4. How could the tolerances for existing defect categories be
updated to better suit the needs of stakeholders?
5. Is there information in general which should be added to or
removed from the current Poultry Standards?
6. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to reflect current
marketing of Poultry? Could U.S. Grade B or U.S. Grade C be updated to
be more useful in the marketing of poultry products, similar to how
USDA Choice or USDA Select are useful marketing terms for red meat
commodities?
7. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more useful to
smaller poultry operations?
8. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more useful to
volume food buyers and those engaged in institutional purchases?
9. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to be more meaningful
to end consumers?
10. High quality poultry products are procured through the Federal
Nutrition Assistance and Child Nutrition Programs using the Poultry
Standards. How could the Poultry Standards be updated to improve the
effectiveness of the purchase program in regard to value and quality?
11. Are there any other recommendations, suggestions, or ideas that
would be relevant for AMS to consider?
Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-01029 Filed 1-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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