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 90

days. This action responds to requests to allow additional time for

comments.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 28, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent in triplicate to, Policy,

Evaluation and Planning Office, Attn: FSIS Docket Clerk, DOCKET No. 92-

024P, Room 4352, South Building, Food Safety and Inspection Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Oral comments as

provided by the Poultry Products Inspection Act 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, (202) 254-2565.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 29, 1995, FSIS published 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'' (60 FR 67474). The rule proposes to establish

a general definition and standard of identity for standardized meat and

poultry food products that have been modified to qualify for use of

certain expressed nutrient content claims as part of the product name.

These products would be identified by a nutrient content claim, such as

``fat free,'' in conjunction with an appropriate standardized product

name, e.g., ``fat free frankfurter.'' The general standard proposes to

set requirements that would allow for modified versions of standardized

meat and poultry food products, i.e., ``substitute standardized

products.'' These products would be formulated and processed with

ingredients otherwise not in, or in amounts greater than that allowed

by FSIS regulatory food standards in 9 CFR parts 319 and 381, subpart

P.

FSIS reiterates that the standard of identity proposed would

require that a modified meat or poultry product: (1) In general,

possess performance characteristics that are similar to those of the

product for which it substitutes, (2) contain the stipulated amount of

a mandatory ingredient (e.g., meat or poultry) that is required to be

in the traditional standardized food, and (3) is labeled to convey the

allowed differences between the substitute and standardized product.

FSIS will be considering broader reform of its standards system

that would provide firms greater flexibility in product formulation

while fully informing consumers regarding the content of the product.

As part of its overall standards reform strategy, FSIS is developing an

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that will ask questions

and solicit information about alternative regulatory approaches to

standards including revising or eliminating meat and poultry content

requirements.

In the interest of receiving information pertaining to food

standards, FSIS is extending the comment period for the proposed rule

an additional 90 days. This action responds to requests to extend the

comment period.

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

Michael R. Taylor,

Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.

[FR Doc. 96-4414 Filed 2-22-96; 3:35 pm]

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