The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is removing references to the term "midget" raisins from its regulations following a complaint from the Little People of America.

The USDA’s Agriculture and Marketing Service announced Wednesday it will remove the references in the agency's grading standards.

The term was used to identify small raisins in the USDA’s grading standard, but commenters told the agency that the term, which many people find offensive, is “socially unacceptable.”

The USDA called the revision a "matter of common decency.”

The changes stem from a 2013 petition filed by the Little People of America, which said it was “trying to raise awareness around and eliminate the use of the word ‘midget.’

“Though the use of the word ‘midget’ by the USDA when classifying certain food products is benign, Little People of America, and the dwarfism community, hopes that the USDA would consider phasing out the term ‘midget,’ ” its petition stated.

The changes will not affect the implementation of the grading standards.

The new rule goes into effect in 30 days.

http://thehill.com/regulation/284430-usda-removes-derogatory-references-to-midget-raisins