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:

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

Applicant. Any individual or business with financial interest in QSVP services who has applied for service under this part.

Assessment. A systematic review of the adequacy of program or system documentation, or the review of the completeness of implementation of a documented program or system.

Auditor. Person authorized by the Livestock and Seed Program to conduct official assessments.

Branch. The Audit, Review, and Compliance Branch of the Livestock and Seed Program.

Chief. The Chief of the ARC Branch, or any officer or employee of the Branch to whom authority has heretofore been delegated, or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in the Chief's stead.

Conformance. A user's quality manual and supporting documentation.

Deputy Administrator. The Deputy Administrator of the Livestock and Seed Program, or any officer or employee of the Livestock and Seed Program to whom authority has heretofore been delegated, or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in the Deputy Administrator's stead.

Financially interested person. Any individual, partnership, corporation, other legal entity, or Government agency having a financial interest in the involved product or service.

Livestock. Bovine, ovine, porcine, caprine, bison or class of Osteichthyes.

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

Official memoranda or assessment reports. Official memorandum means any assessment report of initial or final record of findings made by an authorized person of services performed pursuant to the regulations.

Products. Includes all agricultural commodities and services within the scope of the Livestock and Seed Program This includes livestock, meat, meat products, seed, feedstuffs, as well as processes involving the production of these products, agricultural product data storage, product traceability and identification.

QSVP Procedures. Audit rules and guidelines set forth by the Agricultural Marketing Service regarding the development, documentation, and implementation of QSVP.

Quality Manual. A collection of documents that describe the applicant's quality management system, as it applies to the requested service.

Quality Systems Verification Programs (QSVP). A collection of voluntary, audit-based, user-fee programs that allow applicants to have program documentation and program processes assessed by AMS auditor(s) and other USDA officials under this part.

Regulations. The regulations in this part.

USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture.