California pistachios

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will amend the federal marketing order regulating the handling of pistachios produced in California, Arizona and New Mexico, following a grower vote.

According to the USDA, more than 97 per cent of eligible pistachio growers voting in the referendum favoured the proposed amendments, exceeding the required two-thirds majority of growers voting or producers accounting for two-thirds of the volume of pistachios needed to approve the amendments.

The amendments, recommended by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios, mean changes such as providing authority to establish aflatoxin sampling, analysis, and inspection requirements for shipments of pistachios to export markets, including authority to establish different regulations for different markets.

Changes will also include the provision for authorities to establish quality and inspection requirements for shipments of pistachios to export markets, including the authority to establish different regulations for different markets.

Amendments will change a related section of the order concerning substandard pistachios to conform to the proposed addition of export authority, and will correct an erroneous cross-reference to another section of the order.

The proposed amendments become effective once the final rule is published in the Federal Register.