Notice2025-17772
Revision of Seven U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Tomato Products
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Published
September 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to revise seven U.S. grade standards for canned tomato products. AMS is proposing to update the color sections in the grade standards, replace the two- term grading system (dual-nomenclature) with a single term, and make editorial changes. AMS is also proposing to change the spelling of "catsup" to the more commonly used term "ketchup."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 176 (Monday, September 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 176 (Monday, September 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44360-44361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17772]
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 176 / Monday, September 15, 2025 /
Notices
[[Page 44360]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-24-0079]
Revision of Seven U.S. Grade Standards for Canned Tomato Products
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to revise
seven U.S. grade standards for canned tomato products. AMS is proposing
to update the color sections in the grade standards, replace the two-
term grading system (dual-nomenclature) with a single term, and make
editorial changes. AMS is also proposing to change the spelling of
``catsup'' to the more commonly used term ``ketchup.''
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 14, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
the USDA, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, 100 Riverside Parkway,
Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406; fax: (540) 361-1199; or, at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments should reference the date and
page number of this issue of the Federal Register. Comments will be
posted without change, including any personal information provided. All
comments received within the comment period will become part of the
public record maintained by AMS and will be made available to the
public via <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana N. White at the address above, by
phone (202) 720-5021; fax (540) 361-1199; or email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a4e6b646b245d62637e6f4a7f796e6b246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7e3a1f101f502916170a1b3e0b0d1a1f50191108">[email protected]</span></a>. Copies of the current U.S. Standards for Grades of
Tomato Ketchup, U.S. Standards for Grades of Tomato Sauce, U.S.
Standards for Grades of Tomato Juice, U.S. Standards for Grades of
Canned Tomato Paste, U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Tomato Puree,
U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Tomatoes, and U.S. Standards for
Grades of Concentrated Tomato Juice are available on the Specialty
Crops Inspection Division website at <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables">https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables</a>. Copies of the proposed U.S. Standards for Grades
of the above-mentioned canned tomato products are available at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) as amended, 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 U.S. Standards for
Grades of Fruits and Vegetables that no longer appear in the Code of
Federal Regulations are maintained by AMS at: <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards">https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards</a>. AMS is proposing revisions to certain parts of these
U.S. Standards for Grades using the procedures that appear in part 36
of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
Background
AMS continually reviews all fruit and vegetable grade standards to
ensure their usefulness to industry, modernize language, and remove
duplicative terminology. AMS determined that seven grade standards
require changes: U.S. Standards for Grades of Tomato Catsup, U.S.
Standards for Grades of Tomato Sauce, U.S. Standards for Grades of
Tomato Juice, U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Tomato Paste, U.S.
Standards for Grades of Canned Tomato Puree, U.S. Standards for Grades
of Canned Tomatoes, and U.S. Standards for Grades of Concentrated
Tomato Juice. The color section of these grade standards references
Munsell color discs that are no longer used to determine color. The
color sections would be updated to remove specific references to the
Munsell color discs and to instead reference the USDA color chip
information (A1, A2, C1, and C2) and use guidance. Color chip
information is available on the Listing of Fresh and Processed
Commodity Visual Aids on the AMS website at: <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/how-purchase-equipment-and-visual-aids">https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/how-purchase-equipment-and-visual-aids</a>. The color
sections would note that the availability and procedure for using USDA
color standards can be obtained by contacting USDA at the website
above. AMS is also proposing to remove specific addresses for licensed
suppliers of color standards. Contact information for current licensed
suppliers is available in the Fresh and Processed Equipment Catalog at
the website above.
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 or U.S. Fancy,'' ``U.S. Grade B or U.S. Extra
Standard,'' and ``U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard,'' to describe the same
level of quality. The terms ``U.S. Fancy,'' ``U.S. Extra Standard,''
and ``U.S. Standard'' would be removed and the terms ``U.S. Grade A,''
``U.S. Grade B,'' and ``U.S. Grade C'' would be used exclusively.
AMS is proposing to add a table to section 52.5170 of the U.S.
Standards for Grades of Canned Tomatoes named ``Table II Low Individual
Drained Weights for Canned Tomatoes and Stewed Tomatoes, All Grades,
All Styles (ounces).'' This table will show the individual drained
weights allowed for each level of quality and container size.
Finally, AMS is proposing to make editorial changes, including
inserting section headings and changing ``catsup'' to the more commonly
used term ``ketchup'' to align with the Food and Drug Administration's
standard of identity and commercial practices.
The following table summarizes the changes currently under
consideration by AMS.
[[Page 44361]]
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U.S. standards for grades of canned Effective Proposed color section
tomato products date revisions Other proposed revisions
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Tomato Catsup........................ 02/26/92 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.2106, ``Color,'' previous version of the
pertaining to the use of the standards, which had been
Munsell color discs. Add erroneously removed. Change
information about the USDA ``catsup'' to ``ketchup''
Color Standards for Tomato throughout the standard.
Products for determining
color.
Tomato Sauce......................... 11/17/94 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.2372, ``Color,'' previous version of the
pertaining to the use of the standards, which had been
Munsell color discs. Add erroneously removed. Revise
information about the USDA section 52.2371, ``Product
Color Standards for Tomato description,'' to highlight
Products for determining the refractive index
color. criteria and include the low
individual sample allowance.
Revise table 1 of section
52.2375, column ``U.S. Grade
B'' Reasonably Good
Consistency to align with
the definition, ``3.0 to
less than 4.0 or more than
12.0 but not more than
15.0.''
Tomato Juice......................... 07/22/85 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.3622, ``Definitions of previous version of the
terms,'' pertaining to the standards, which had been
use of the Munsell color erroneously removed.
discs. Add information about
the USDA Color Standards for
Tomato Products for
determining color. Remove
Munsell address as a contact
to order the tomato color
standards.
Canned Tomato Paste.................. 09/19/77 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.5048, ``Color,'' previous version of the
pertaining to the use of the standards, which had been
Munsell color discs. Add erroneously removed. Replace
information about the USDA two-term grading language
Color Standards for Tomato (dual nomenclature) with a
Products for determining single term to describe each
color. Remove Munsell quality level with the grade
address as a contact to statements. For example, the
order the tomato color term ``U.S. Grade A or U.S.
standards. Fancy'' would be revised to
use the term ``U.S. Grade
A'' under section 52.5044.
Canned Tomato Puree (Tomato Pulp).... 05/01/78 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.5088, ``Color,'' previous version of the
pertaining to the use of the standards, which had been
Munsell color discs. Add erroneously removed.
information about the USDA
Color Standards for Tomato
Products for determining
color. Remove Munsell
address as a contact to
order the tomato color
standards.
Canned Tomatoes...................... 04/13/90 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.5164, ``Definitions of previous version of the
terms,'' pertaining to the standard, which had been
use of the Munsell color erroneously removed. Revise
discs. Add information about section 52.5166, including
the USDA Color Standards for changing the title from
Canned Tomatoes for ``Minimum drained weight
determining color. averages'' to ``Drained
weight'' and reorganizing
content into a better order.
Reorganize section 52.5166
for clarity, including
moving sections. Add a new
table in section 52.5170 to
show the low individual
drained weights and re-
number all subsequent
tables.
Concentrated Tomato Juice............ 02/25/70 Remove text under section Add section headings from the
52.5205 pertaining to the previous version of the
use of the Munsell color standards, which had been
discs. Add information about erroneously removed. Replace
the USDA Color Standards for two-term grading language
Tomato Products for (dual nomenclature) with a
determining color. single term to describe each
quality level with the grade
statements. For example, the
term ``U.S. Grade A or U.S.
Fancy'' would be revised to
use the term ``U.S. Grade
A'' under section 52.5202.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The proposed revisions to these grade standards would provide a
common language for trade and better reflect the current marketing of
fruits and vegetables.
A 60-day period is provided for interested persons to submit
comments on the proposed grade standards. Copies of the proposed
revised standards are available at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. After
the 60-day comment period, AMS will proceed in accordance with 7 CFR
36.3(a)(1) through (3).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
Erin Morris,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-17772 Filed 9-12-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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