Words used in this subpart in the singular form shall be deemed to impart the plural, and vice versa, as the case may demand. For the purposes of such regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

Accreditation. The action or process of officially recognizing an entity as being qualified to perform a specific activity(ies).

Act. The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627).

Administrator. The Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, or any officer or employee of AMS to whom authority has heretofore been delegated or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in the Administrator's stead.

Agricultural Marketing Service. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Applicant. Any individual, commodity board, trade association, marketing order or agreement administrative body and its program signatories, or business with a financial interest in audit verification and accreditation services who has applied for service under this part.

Assessment. A systematic review of the adequacy and implementation of a documented program or system.

Audit. A systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which criteria are fulfilled.

Auditor. Person authorized by AMS to conduct official audits or assessments.

Conformance. The condition or fact of an applicant meeting the requirements of a standard, contract, specification, or other documented service requirements.

Export certificate. An official paper or electronic document issued as part of an export certification program, which describes and attests to attributes of consignments of commodities or food destined for international trade.

Nonconformance. The condition or fact of an applicant not meeting the requirements of a standard, contract, specification, or other documented service program requirements.

Official mark of conformance. Any form of mark or other identification used under the regulations to show the conformance of products with applicable service requirements, or to maintain the identity of products for which service is provided under the regulations.

Products. All agricultural commodities and services within the scope of Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. This includes the processes involving the production, handling, processing, packaging, and transportation of these products, agricultural product data storage, and product traceability and identification.

Program. Any and all individual auditing or accrediting procedures, systems, or instructions developed and administered under the services authorized under § 62.200.

Service. The AMS auditing and accreditation functions authorized under the Act and the provisions of this part.

Service documentation. All requirements, guidelines, manuals, forms, and supporting documentation needed to effectuate the administration and operation of services authorized under this part.

USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture.