Food Standards: Requirements for Processed Meat and Poultry Products Named by Use of an Expressed Nutrient Content Claim and a Standardized TermExtension of Comment Period

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is extending the

comment period for the proposed rule, ``Food Standards: Requirements

for Processed Meat and Poultry Products Named by Use of an Expressed

Nutrient Content Claim and a Standardized Term'' for an additional 180

days.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 25, 1996.

ADDRESSES: An original and two copies of written comments should be

sent to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket No. 92-024P, Room 4352, South

Agriculture Building, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-3700. Oral comments

should be directed to Mr. Charles R. Edwards, Director, Product

Assessment Division, at (202) 254-2565.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Charles R. Edwards, Director,

Product Assessment Division, Regulatory Programs, Food Safety and

Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

20250-3700, (202) 254-2565.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSIS and the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) have initiated reviews of their regulations pertaining to food

standards of identity and composition. Each agency's review responds in

part to President Clinton's March 4, 1995, memorandum to heads of

departments and agencies, titled ``Regulatory Reinvention Initiative.''

This memorandum directed departments and agencies to conduct a page-by-

page review of all of their reguations and eliminate or revise those

that are outdated or otherwise in need of reform.

On December 29, 1995, FSIS published a proposed rule ``Food

Standards: Requirements for Processed Meat and Poultry Products Named

by Use of an Expressed Nutrient Content Claim and a Standardized Term''

(60 FR 67474). The rule proposes to establish a general definition and

standard of identity for standardized meat and poultry products that

have been modified to qualify for use of certain expressed nutrient

content claims as part of the product name.

Also, on December 29, 1995, FDA published an Advance Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) ``Food Standards of Identity, Quality, and

Fill of Containers; Common or Usual Name Regulations; Request for

Comments on Existing Regulations,'' (60 FR 67492). The ANPR solicited

comments from interested parties on whether FDA's regulations regarding

identity, quality, and fill of container for standardized foods and its

common or usual name regulations for nonstandardized foods should be

retained, revised, or revoked. The ANPR also addressed the need for

consistency between FSIS and FDA in the development and implementation

of food standards. FDA stated that it believes such harmonization will

help manufacturers comply with the requirements of both agencies. On

May 1, 1996, FDA extended the comment period on its ANPR until June 28,

1996, to receive comments only on the issue of FDA and FSIS

harmonization of food standards (61 FR 19220).

FSIS is also developing and will soon publish an ANPR that will

solicit information from the public on what direction further food

standards reform should take, including suggestions on whether to alter

or eliminate entirely the regulations for standardized meat and poultry

products.

FSIS's proposed rule and its soon-to-be-published ANPR encompass

the Agency's food standards review initiative. Therefore, to give the

public an opportunity to consider the proposed rule and ANPR

simultaneously, and in response to requests, FSIS is extending the

comment period 180 days for the proposed rule ``Food Standards:

Requirements for Processed Meat and Poultry Products Named by Use of an

Expressed Nutrient Content Claim and a Standardized Term.''

Done at Washington, DC, on: May 22, 1996.

Michael R. Taylor,

Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.

[FR Doc. 96-13409 Filed 5-23-96; 1:41 pm]

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