Title 7

SECTION 946.336

946.336 Handling regulation.

§ 946.336 Handling regulation.

No person shall handle any lot of potatoes unless such potatoes meet the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (g) of this section or unless such potatoes are handled in accordance with paragraphs (d) and (e), or (f) of this section, except that shipments of the blue or purple flesh varieties of potatoes shall be exempt from both this handling regulation and the assessment requirements specified in § 946.41: Provided, That yellow fleshed, white, red, and russet type potatoes shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (e), and (g) of this section.

(a) Minimum quality requirements - (1) Grade: All varieties - U.S. No. 2 or better grade.

(2) Size: (i) At least 1 7/8 inches in diameter, except that all red, yellow fleshed, and white types may be 3/4 inch (19.1 mm) minimum diameter, if they otherwise meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1.

(ii) All Russet types, 2 inches (54.0 mm) minimum diameter, or 4 ounces minimum weight.

(iii) Any type of any size may be packed in a 3-pound or less container if the potatoes otherwise meet the requirements of U.S. No. 1 grade or better at the time of packing.

(iv) Tolerances - The tolerance for size contained in the U.S. Standards for Grades of Potatoes shall apply.

(3) Cleanness: All varieties and grades - as required in the United States Standards for Grades of Potatoes. For example: U.S. No. 2 - “not seriously damaged by dirt,” and U.S. No. 1 - “fairly clean.”

(b) Minimum maturity requirements - (1) Red, yellow fleshed and white types: Not more than “moderately skinned.”

(2) Russet types: Not more than “slightly skinned.”

(1) Domestic: Potatoes packed in cartons shall be either:

(i) U.S. No. 1 grade or better, except that potatoes which fail to meet the U.S. No. 1 grade only because of internal defects may be shipped without regard to this requirement provided the lot contains no more than 10 percent damage by any internal defect or combination of internal defects but not more than 5 percent serious damage by any internal defect or combination of internal defects.

(ii) U.S. No. 2 grade, provided the cartons are permanently and conspicuously marked as to grade. This marking requirement does not apply to cartons containing potatoes meeting the requirements of (c)(1)(i).

(2) Export: Potatoes packed in cartons shall be U.S. No. 1 grade or better.

(d) Special purpose shipments. (1) The minimum grade, size, cleanness, maturity, and pack requirements set forth in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section shall not apply to shipments of potatoes for any of the following purposes:

(i) Livestock feed;

(ii) Charity;

(iii) Seed;

(iv) Prepeeling;

(v) Canning, freezing, and “other processing” as hereinafter defined;

(vi) Grading or storing at any specified location in Morrow or Umatilla Counties in the State of Oregon;

(vii) Experimentation.

(2) Shipments of potatoes for the purposes specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (vii) of this section shall be exempt from the inspection requirements specified in paragraph (g) of this section, except that shipments pursuant to paragraph (d)(1)(vi) of this section shall comply with the inspection requirements of paragraph (e)(2) of this section. Shipments specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (v) and (vii) of this section shall be exempt from assessment requirements as specified in § 946.248 and established pursuant to § 946.41.

(e) Safeguards. (1) Handlers desiring to make shipments of potatoes for prepeeling shall:

(i) Notify the committee of intent to ship potatoes by applying on forms furnished by the committee for a certificate applicable to such special purpose shipments;

(ii) Prepare on forms furnished by the committee a special purpose shipment report on each such shipment, a copy of which must also accompany each shipment. The handler shall forward copies of each such special purpose shipment report to the committee office and to the receiver with instructions to the receiver to sign and return a copy to the committee office. Failure of the handler or receiver to report such shipments by promptly signing and returning the applicable special purpose shipment report to the committee office shall be cause for cancellation of such handler's certificate applicable to such special purpose shipments and/or the receiver's eligibility to receive further shipments pursuant to such certificate. Upon cancellation of such certificate, the handler may appeal to the committee for reconsideration; such appeal shall be in writing;

(iii) Before diverting any such special purpose shipment from the receiver of record as previously furnished to the committee by the handler such handler shall submit to the committee a revised special purpose shipment report.

(2) Handlers desiring to ship potatoes for grading or storing to any specified location in Morrow or Umatilla Counties in the State of Oregon shall:

(i) Notify the committee of intent to ship potatoes by applying on forms furnished by the committee for a certificate applicable to such special purpose shipment. Upon receiving such application, the committee shall supply to the handler the appropriate certificate after it has determined that adequate facilities exist to accommodate such shipments and that such potatoes will be used only for authorized purposes;

(ii) If reshipment is for any purpose other than as specified in paragraph (d) of this section, each handler desiring to make reshipment of potatoes which have been graded or stored shall, prior to reshipment, cause each such shipment to be inspected by an authorized representative of the Federal-State Inspection Service. Such shipments must comply with the minimum grade, size, cleanness, maturity, and pack requirements specified in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section;

(iii) If reshipment is for any of the purposes specified in paragraph (d) of this section, each handler making reshipment of potatoes which have been graded or stored shall do so in accordance with the applicable safeguard requirements specified in paragraph (e) of this section.

(3) Each handler making shipments of potatoes for canning, freezing, or “other processing” pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section shall:

(i) First apply to the committee for and obtain a Special Purpose Certificate to make shipments for processing;

(ii) Make shipments only to those firms whose names appear on the committee's list of canners, freezers, or other processors of potato products maintained by the committee, or to persons not on the list provided the handler furnishes the committee, prior to such shipment, evidence that the receiver may reasonably be expected to use the potatoes only for canning, freezing, or other processing;

(iii) Upon request by the committee, furnish reports, or cause reports to be furnished, for each shipment pursuant to the applicable Special Purpose Certificate;

(iv) Mail to the office of the committee a copy of the bill of lading for each Special Purpose Certificate shipment promptly after the date of shipment unless other arrangements are made;

(v) Bill each shipment directly to the applicable processor.

(4) Each receiver of potatoes for processing pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section shall:

(i) Complete and return an application form for consideration of approval as a canner, freezer, or other processor of potato products;

(ii) Certify to the committee and to the Secretary that potatoes received from the production area for processing will be used for such purpose and will not be placed in fresh market channels;

(iii) Report on shipments received as the committee may require and the Secretary approve.

(5) Each handler desiring to make shipments of potatoes for experimentation shall:

(i) First apply to the committee for and obtain a Special Purpose Certificate to make shipments for experimentation;

(ii) Upon request by the committee, furnish reports of each shipment pursuant to the applicable Special Purpose Certificate.

(6) Handlers diverting potatoes to livestock feed are not required to apply for a Special Purpose Certificate nor report such shipments to the committee.

(7) Each handler desiring to make shipments of potatoes for charity shall:

(i) First apply to the committee for, and obtain, a Special Purpose Certificate for the purpose of making shipments for charity: Provided, That shipments for charity of 1,000 pounds or less are exempt from the application and reporting requirements: And provided further, That potatoes previously graded, assessed, and inspected in preparation for shipment to the fresh market are exempt from the application and reporting requirements.

(ii) Each handler shipping potatoes to charity must inform the recipient that the potatoes cannot be resold or otherwise placed in commercial market channels.

(8) Each handler making shipments of seed potatoes shall furnish, at the request of the committee, reports on the total volume of seed potatoes handled.

(f) Minimum quantity exemption. Each handler may ship up to, but not to exceed 5 hundredweight of potatoes per day without regard to the inspection and assessment requirements of this part, but this exception shall not apply to any shipment over 5 hundredweight of potatoes.

(g) Inspection. (1) Except when relieved by paragraphs (d) or (f) of this section, no person may handle any potatoes unless a Federal-State Inspection Notesheet or certificate covering them has been issued by an authorized representative of the Federal-State Inspection Service and the document is valid at the time of shipment.

(2) U.S. No. 1 grade or better potatoes in the State of Washington which are resorted or repacked within 72 hours of being inspected and certified are exempt from reinspection.

(h) Definitions. The terms U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, not seriously damaged by dirt, fairly clean, slightly skinned, and moderately skinned shall have the same meaning as when used in the United States Standards for Grades of Potatoes (7 CFR 51.1540-51.1566), including the tolerances set forth in it. The term prepeeling means the commercial preparation in the prepeeling plant of clean, sound, fresh tubers by washing, peeling or otherwise removing the outer skin, trimming, sorting, and properly treating to prevent discoloration preparatory to sale in one or more of the styles of peeled potatoes described in § 52.2422 United States Standards for Grades of Peeled Potatoes (7 CFR 52.2421-52.2433). The term other processing has the same meaning as the term appearing in the Act and includes, but is not restricted to, potatoes for dehydration, chips, shoestrings, starch, and flour. It includes the application of heat or cold to such an extent that the natural form or stability of the commodity undergoes a substantial change. The act of peeling, cooling, slicing, dicing, or applying material to prevent oxidation does not constitute “other processing.” Other terms used in this section have the same meaning as when used in the marketing agreement, as amended, and this part.

[75 FR 77752, Dec. 14, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 27852, May 13, 2011; 78 FR 62969, Oct. 23, 2013; 79 FR 8256, Feb. 12, 2014; 79 FR 26111, May 7, 2014]